Salary requirements

[invidia]

From anyone's personal experience, can asking for a lower salary increase your chances for an interview/hiring? This job I'm applying for has a salary range from 38-42k. Would asking for 38k good? I'm average, I have the skills they want, but not enough years of experience to back it up.

It feels I should ask for 40k, but I really want an interview and the position with them to show them that I'm worth that much.


edit: And this is just one example of a company I would like to work for. There are a bunch that asks for a salary requirement. I don't want to ask too much, which is a good thing, right?

 

[gururu2]

if you need the job take it but keep looking for other better offers while you get experience.

 

[BoomerD]

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

 

[invidia]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

 

[KeithTalent]

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

He knew what you meant.

KT

 

[nageov3t]

depends on how desperate you are.

as someone who's spent a not insignificant time looking at resumes for the past couple weeks, I can say that I don't even bother with anyone who's asking price is significantly higher than what we're looking to pay (I mean, I've got a little bit of wiggle room, but why bother calling someone if they're asking for 6-70K and the most I can give is 50?).

 

[ultimatebob]

I think that you're supposed to request "at or above the market average" when asked for your salary requirements. You don't want to sell yourself short if they're willing to pay more than expected.

 

[Bateluer]

I suppose you could put 'negotiable' on your resume/application and deal with the issue of wages at the interview, if you make it that far?

 

[tfinch2]

Weren't you asking what to wear to an interview that pays 7/hr just the other day?

EDIT: Yep here it is: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...135831&highlight_key=y

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Weren't you asking what to wear to an interview that pays 7/hr just the other day?

EDIT: Yep here it is: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...135831&highlight_key=y

Waiter's only make $2/hour, however that is only part of their pay. Same case in that thread.


OP, I would say put "negotiable" if it's on paper like Bateluer said and if it's in person give them that range you mentioned. If they really like you, they will offer the high end. If they offer the low end you already said yourself that would be ok since you would be gaining valuable experience.

 

[ebaycj]

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

 

[Evadman]

yes. If you price yourself out, your resume goes into the round file if there are no other positions I know about. I had a nuclear engineer apply for a BA position. Yes, you are probably qualified but I am not going to pay you $140k for a 35k/year position

 

[nonameo]

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

 

[nageov3t]

30K was about entry level when I got my first job... I could have been living like a king if I was making that money in the town where I went to college

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

Yeah just depends. 40k in small town anywhere is great yet in CA that's squat. Fortunately I live in TX (not a cheap area but still reasonable) AND my field has a really nice starting salary.

At any rate 40k isn't poor, good luck OP!

 

[JS80]

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

Do you live in Africa?

 

[invidia]

Originally posted by: tfinch2
Weren't you asking what to wear to an interview that pays 7/hr just the other day?

EDIT: Yep here it is: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...135831&highlight_key=y

Yeah that is the job I've applied for here at home. I need to find work here to get some money coming in. This is a different job I'm applying for, which is in a different state.

In other words, I'm job hunting.

Originally posted by: nonameo

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

40k here in Florida is more than enough for a single guy to get by. We don't have your $3000/month luxury apartments here. We have them at $800-$1000 instead

Same shit for 1/4th the price.

 

[WarhammerUC]

Put open for discussions

 

[SuperjetMatt]

In my experience, asking for the lower range won't increase your chances.
I ask for the very top of the range. The worst they can do is say no or negotiate down.
Example:

I interviewed for a job a couple months ago that I knew would pay something like 55k-75k/yr.
After the interview, they asked me (in writing) about salary expectations (part of the application). I thought long and hard, and figured I'd go for the job for a minimum of 60k/yr.
I asked for 70k/yr to have some room.
It was approved at 70k.
I later found out that the top for my salary grade is 74k.

 

[Wreckem]

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

Do you live in Africa?

$40k for a single person in most states, and the person is sitting pretty. No they wont have flashy cars or a huge house, but they certainly don't have to worry about living pay check to pay check.

Sh!t for $40k I could live quite well in Lubbock, Luxury apartments/condos rent for about $700-800 month. $40k in DC, I'd be living with roomates or living pay check to pay check.

It is all relative.

 

[rgwalt]

I would put myself right in the middle of their asking range. A company isn't going to hire you over someone else they like more for a difference of $2K to $4K a year. Also, the company knows that if they start you too low you will be more likely to leave for a better paying position after getting some training and/or experience on their dime and time.
Your best bet to be competitive is to rock the interview. I've openly admitted to not having experience in an interview, however I have come back to tell my interviewers how other experiences in my life have given me the skills to excel in the job I am interviewing for. Rock the interview, and you will get the job over someone with a ton of experience who flops the interview.

Happy hunting!

R

 

[rgwalt]

Originally posted by: Wreckem

Originally posted by: JS80

Originally posted by: nonameo

Originally posted by: ebaycj

Originally posted by: invidia

Originally posted by: BoomerD

I'm mid-tier, not highly qualify nor under qualify for the position.

Does your English grammar or lack thereof affect your pay scale?

What I meant I'm neither the worst nor the best. I've got the skills, but not so much years in experience.

Where is this? Most places $40k is a fairly entry level job (meaning your lack of experience probably doesnt matter as much as a good interview).

LOL! 40k where I live puts you on the gravy train.

Do you live in Africa?

$40k for a single person in most states, and the person is sitting pretty. No they wont have flashy cars or a huge house, but they certainly don't have to worry about living pay check to pay check.

Sh!t for $40k I could live quite well in Lubbock, Luxury apartments/condos rent for about $700-800 month. $40k in DC, I'd be living with roomates or living pay check to pay check.

It is all relative.

$40K a year is $2600 per month after federal taxes, social security, and medicare. Pull state taxes and health insurance off of that, and it even drops lower. That barely pays rent/parking/utilities on my apartment in downtown Chicago. However, when I move to Houston in March, that should cover rent, utilities, food, entertainment, gas, etc. Still, it is not a lot of money. Tack on a wife and a kid or two plus a car payment or two (easy to do over the course of 2 or 3 years) and all of a sudden you are living paycheck to paycheck again.

R

 

[gamepad]

I would ask for $20,000.