Also grats fellow poor kid turned upper middle class.
How to negotiate starting salary (mega-corps)?
- Thread starter Dr.bannedman
- Start date
When was this question asked in the interview process? If it was early on and talks continued they are ok with the 100k. They wouldnt waste their time with someone they couldnt afford after an earlier round of interviews failing.
$100k IS good money. We can get skewed when salaries and earnings are talked about. Isn't the median household income something like $65k?
That said, it's up to you to maximize your earnings and keep your personal goals in mind. Your salary impacts savings, retirement, lifestyle, etc.
Chasing the dollar has a cost. Not maximizing income also has a cost.
This brings to mind a response I like to use in these situations, it goes something like this:
"Ultimately, I want to be compensated fairly and in line with my peers at (fill in the blank company). I'd hate to find out in the future that I'm being paid significantly more or less than my peers for similar work. My hope is that (fill in the blank company) will place me in a similar salary band as my peers with equivalent education and experience. I'm confident I'll prove my worth and help the company grow toward (insert some specific example here)"
Lots of other good advice in this thread. Definitely have recent comps in your back pocket to support negotiations if needed.
I work in an R&D environment (albeit in a different industry) and think you could easily ask for $125-135k with a PhD depending on your experience.
Don't be afraid to counter the offer once you get it, even if it comes in over 100k. You'll never hold as much leverage as you do at that moment. It's the easiest raise you'll ever get.
Neither of my parents and none of my grandparents went to college.
It would be interesting to poll what those sorts of socioeconomics look like on here...
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If they don't tell you the range you need to ask them again. Tell them it will be a waste of time if both of you get to the end and their salary is a joke. At least are they in the ball park. Otherwise, both parties are wasting their time. If you still can not get anything then I guess just wait until the end and see what they are willing to pay. They will pay if they really want you.
Even a wide salary range is ok and don't base it off you current salary. Really find the market price. I went to a interview just for practice and they didn't give me a range. Got through three interviews and they offered me 60k less than I was expecting. I felt embarrassed and then awkward for them.
Part 2 to this is if you have a good to high performing employee several years in with no promotion and they come asking for one - you're already behind the 8 ball. Seen this play out too many times.
There is big industry in that MI/OH/IN corridor. They shouldn't shut down discussion at $130ish. I'm sure every company out there has or knows of others making that and more with the auto industry. Especially given your apparent qualifications. Lots of competition for high performing professionals, and the auto industry can pay. That drives up wages for everyone.
Is relocation a factor? That's another place you can negotiate. They should make it easy for you to start working there. Paying for a moving company, several months of storage, possibly cover food or a per diem for the first month, temporary housing, etc. But it's a one time benefit rather than an ongoing one like salary.
When I relocated to western WA, my employer paid for food and put me in a company-paid apartment for 3 months while we looked for housing. Also flew my wife out here to look for houses before we moved the family out.
Is relocation a factor? That's another place you can negotiate. They should make it easy for you to start working there. Paying for a moving company, several months of storage, possibly cover food or a per diem for the first month, temporary housing, etc. But it's a one time benefit rather than an ongoing one like salary.
When I relocated to western WA, my employer paid for food and put me in a company-paid apartment for 3 months while we looked for housing. Also flew my wife out here to look for houses before we moved the family out.
I've worked for Cerner for over 7 years, Oracle now since they bought us this year. Know that your offer for an entry level position will likely be around 80% of what the companies target for the role is. Check https://www.levels.fyi/ and ask for at least the average stated on there. I've talked with college buddies who work for Microsoft and Amazon and they follow the same practice. Start people at 80%, target to get them to 100%, cap at 120% until they get promoted. Before I was "high" enough to see salary ranges I got a random bump that was like 13% because unknown to me I was that much less than the 80% mark for my role. That was a fun conversation with my boss.
Also somethings that's paid off for me was making it clear to my boss right after I started that money is key. Companies are buying our services and it's not 1972 with the attitude of just be grateful for having a job.
Also somethings that's paid off for me was making it clear to my boss right after I started that money is key. Companies are buying our services and it's not 1972 with the attitude of just be grateful for having a job.
This. A lot of listings now try to hide this info in the job listing, but it’s there.
How do you know this? It's not like companies publish their salaries. I don't even know how I compare to my co-workers in the company I work for.
Find the companies subreddit and ask. You'll get an answer, along with a lot of disgruntled employees whining https://www.reddit.com/r/cernercorporation/
And for companies too small to be on a subreddit, ask coworkers you are close with as long as you aren't senior to them like a manager. Reach out to coworkers who've left. Look for similar job postings in states required to disclose.
I was selling equipment in the seven and eight figure range for a number of years. Was approached for a different job. Went back to the my current employer and told them were I wanted to be at. My boss told me I needed provide him with reasons I needed that amount. JFC!!! Dude couldn't even look at any of my prior years sales to show my growth in sales. Was in his office talking with him about it and his phone rings. He took the damn call!! That was the last straw. I was upfront and told him I had another job offer and that I had two let them know it two weeks thinking that would speed up a new offer. He himmed and hawwed around for two weeks. He came back with a measley raise of less that a grand. I told him "I need to do what's best for me and my family" and I slide my resignation letter to him right then and there. He said I had this all planned out. I reminded him that I told him I was going to make a decision in a two weeks.
My new job that I took I had negotiated a 30% pay increase and they also made my monthly payments on my new car. Before I accepted, I wanted to toy with my current employer as I new full well they would never match it. Felt so damn good to play mind games with them!
My new job that I took I had negotiated a 30% pay increase and they also made my monthly payments on my new car. Before I accepted, I wanted to toy with my current employer as I new full well they would never match it. Felt so damn good to play mind games with them!
Show them the time you spend on a message board daily. That should help.
