I am finishing my masters degree in computer engineering and nearing the end of my job search. I have three offers on the table.
The first offer is my first choice and would be a computer security consulting position with a large well-known firm. It would be located in Atlanta, GA. It requires extensive travel (~50%) and is an unpaid OT position. The average age at the company looks to be about 28. On the plus side, it means I have many people my age to socialize with. On the other hand, it means that unless you are the cream of the crop you can't expect to stay with the company for more than about 5-10 years until you hit the glass ceiling.
The other two offers are more along the lines of software engineering positions.
One of them is a large name company that is well-known but I found my experience with them to be that they are perhaps too large and there is a lot of inefficiency and clumsiness in their process. They are my last choice company.
The other offer is a medium sized company that performs a similar function as the larger company but they are less well-known. I found the people to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They are very process-oriented and I went in expecting to dislike them and found myself really liking the prospect of working there when I was done. They have rare but paid OT opportunities and seem like a more mature company age-wise. There seems to be a lot of room for vertical advancement.
My top two choices are now the consulting position and the medium-sized software engineering position. The salary in the engineering position will be 9k more than the consulting position. To top it off, the engineering position is in Melbourne, Florida with a slightly lower cost of living than Atlanta and no state income tax. The Melbourne company offers a full relocation package including packing + travel expenses and 1200 more in the signing bonus. Also, I can start at level 2 instead of level 1 and get 6 month salary reviews instead of annual which are both nice perks.
If these two companies were on an even level in my head, the choice would be clear. However, I would rather work the consulting position especially if I can get the salary negotiated to the higher level. While money isn't everything and all of these positions would allow me to live comfortably and save money toward retirement and the eventual purchase of a house, the more I make, the more I can save and the sooner I can buy my own house. The year-to-year benefits are fairly similar between the companies.
How do I go to the consulting position and request more money? They knew that I was doing these other two interviews and that I would get back in touch with them after I had considered all my offers. My considered strategy is to lay it out on the table and say: "I really like your company and it is my first choice to work there but I have other offers that are significantly higher and include a full relocation package. I would love to work for your company but right now the difference in salary is too great for me to pass up these other offers."
Cliffs: see the bolded section above.
The first offer is my first choice and would be a computer security consulting position with a large well-known firm. It would be located in Atlanta, GA. It requires extensive travel (~50%) and is an unpaid OT position. The average age at the company looks to be about 28. On the plus side, it means I have many people my age to socialize with. On the other hand, it means that unless you are the cream of the crop you can't expect to stay with the company for more than about 5-10 years until you hit the glass ceiling.
The other two offers are more along the lines of software engineering positions.
One of them is a large name company that is well-known but I found my experience with them to be that they are perhaps too large and there is a lot of inefficiency and clumsiness in their process. They are my last choice company.
The other offer is a medium sized company that performs a similar function as the larger company but they are less well-known. I found the people to be enthusiastic and knowledgeable. They are very process-oriented and I went in expecting to dislike them and found myself really liking the prospect of working there when I was done. They have rare but paid OT opportunities and seem like a more mature company age-wise. There seems to be a lot of room for vertical advancement.
My top two choices are now the consulting position and the medium-sized software engineering position. The salary in the engineering position will be 9k more than the consulting position. To top it off, the engineering position is in Melbourne, Florida with a slightly lower cost of living than Atlanta and no state income tax. The Melbourne company offers a full relocation package including packing + travel expenses and 1200 more in the signing bonus. Also, I can start at level 2 instead of level 1 and get 6 month salary reviews instead of annual which are both nice perks.
If these two companies were on an even level in my head, the choice would be clear. However, I would rather work the consulting position especially if I can get the salary negotiated to the higher level. While money isn't everything and all of these positions would allow me to live comfortably and save money toward retirement and the eventual purchase of a house, the more I make, the more I can save and the sooner I can buy my own house. The year-to-year benefits are fairly similar between the companies.
How do I go to the consulting position and request more money? They knew that I was doing these other two interviews and that I would get back in touch with them after I had considered all my offers. My considered strategy is to lay it out on the table and say: "I really like your company and it is my first choice to work there but I have other offers that are significantly higher and include a full relocation package. I would love to work for your company but right now the difference in salary is too great for me to pass up these other offers."
Cliffs: see the bolded section above.
