Job Search Human Resources Question
 

Hola muchachos,
You know who I am, but I'd rather be anon for this question "for the world at large hath eyes..."

I am applying to work at a company for what seems like an ideal job for someone with my background. I've been self-employed since the early 80s and have no idea about how one submits salary requirements. I've got my resume and cover letter sorted out, and I have an idea of the salary range for someone with my level of experience in this job, but it is a very wide range and the market price for this service can vary not just regionally, but also due to the economy, etc. etc. Hard to say if they are looking for someone really young who will work for a pittance or someone with a genuine skill set that they can rely on.

The range that I've heard for this type of work is between 32k and 57k /yr. No data on benefits.

Any thoughts on this would be appreciated, as usual I will deny everything if confronted with videos, photographs, or semen stained dresses.

I ask for the higher level of pay. They can always say no and offer you less, just as you can ask for more after their first offer.

Aim high.

I would say that it depends on whether they are looking for 'someone who can do job x for $y' or looking to hire you, specifically. If it's a general position with a group of applicants, expect them to specify the salary (though there might be a range). If it's a yes/no on hiring you, then you have more wiggle room.

In this day and age, aiming too high can also be detrimental if you're against a talented pool of candidates who would love to undercut you. "Salary is negotiable, given the right benefits" can be a weasel-worded way to keep yourself from having to commit if you're afraid of losing out to some young kid who will work for peanuts.

If you're really good at what you do, and have a unique skill set, you can be more forceful in your salary requirements.

That's what happened to me here, anyway. They had tried to fill a similiar position for a couple years...and when I applied it became a professional level position with appropriate pay. (I'm bragging a little. It's not the first time a position was "created" with me in mind. OK, I'm bragging a lot.)

So, I guess you want to keep in mind what Pie said: if you have unique skills you are marketable. If you have the skills of a hundred other people, you have less room for negotiation.

P.S.

In my defense, and apropos to the salary requirements question, I did start out in this business 8 years ago, front-line, entry-level, for 7.50/hr.

Have you worked in your "background" recently, or have there been innovations that you may not be aware of?

What is especially unique about my skillset is that is combines two very different disciplines in a way that should be particularly appealing to this company. there are probably a lot of people who have either of the two, but very few who have both with the degree of experience that I do.

They do not state any salary but ask for my requirements.

I am up to date in my background, have over 20 years experience in the industry. The only shortcoming is that they ask for familiarity with two software programs that I have not used. However, I am familiar enough with them and have spoken with colleagues about the apps who assure me that it will take me no more than a week to learn the ins and outs of the software. They are just variants of other programs I already am familiar with.

Awesome. In that case, shoot for the high end of the range, stressing your unique combination of skills.

If you ask for 60, and they settle for 50...etc.

Is 60k a lot of money?

*shrugs*

I dunno...you said the range was 32-57, but I chose 60-50 for illustrative purposes only (hence, the 'etc')

No, I mean in the general scheme of things. in the world at large. how much buying power does 60k have? It sounds odd, but I am incredibly financially naive. I have never really thought that much about money until very recently. I have no idea what people earn or get paid for what they do.

I've come to suspect that for a long time I have been selling myself short.

maybe I'll do a poll.

Heh...when I was offered the job here, I didn't accept right away but I also didn't ask for more than they offered: I was so floored at the difference from my old job. Looking back, I probably could have gotten a bit more.

There are those of us who sell ourselves short...but you won't get it if you don't ask for it. Think of yourself as being someone who would be very beneficial for the company: if you can do things that they would typically need two people for...you can use that as leveraging.

60 is a very nice salary, imo. For me to get that high I would probably have to go into director or asst director (meaning I need a masters degree) and I just don't want to go there.

An anonymous poll would be nice.

Depends on where you are - location, location, location.
60k in some areas of CA has a lot less buying power than say Tennessee or Rhode Island, for example.

Oh and we like polls - yeh create a poll!

True...I so wanted to move to San Diego when I was there for conference, until I saw an ad for a "starter home" for 600 grand. And it was a starter home!

They'd have to pay more, otherwise how could people live there?

poll is up.