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There is a TL;DR version at the bottom. So you can skip to the questions if you like.
Ok, so I'm someone trying to break into IT. I had an interview with a big Fortune 500 a few weeks ago and didnt get the job. And tbh, with as huge as the campus was...and from what I've read on Glassdoor.com about the company culture and work environment...I'm kinda glad I didnt get it.
Anyways, so I applied to a healthcare company that services my region. It was for 1st level desktop support. They called me the day after I applied online and I nailed the phone screening with the IT manager. However, he asked me about the compensation I was looking for and I said "low to mid 30s" (which seems to be about the range for entry level techs with no experience in my locale)
I instantly felt stupid because I keep telling myself to stop answering that question outright. Ive been trying to train myself to say something about how its negoitiable and that entire package of salary and benefits matters. Two days later I spent about 2 hours at the main office interviewing with the help desk manager, IT manager, and the system admin...each 1 on 1.
During the interview, I kept being told how well it was going, which Im not used to. They seemed to really want me to like the company and consider coming on with them. They very much believed and even said "you're interviewing us, as much as we're interviewing you." Thats rare for me to hear from a potential employer.
They liked my education, and they tested my technical knowledge and loved how informed I was. Plus with each of my interviewers, we "shot the s#!t" on some things, getting to know one another (hence the whole process taking 2 hours almost)
Anyways, we finally got to the discussion of money...and again I blurted out a range and showed my hand. I said "Based on my research for similar positions, low to mid 30s seems to be common, but high 30s and low 40s would be right depending on the company. But the overall compensation package is key". The IT manager seemed pleased with my response and let me know that they were looking at 39k...and that with overtime I can make up to 45 to 46k. I'll be meeting with the VP of technology sometime this coming week...and if all goes well with him...then we will be discussing the total compensation package (benefits, vacation time, overtime pay, etc)
TL;DR - Had a great 3 rounds of interviews in one day. Was looking for mid 30s salary...but manager said 39k is where they are starting...with a potential of up to 46k after overtime. Everyone seemed to really like me, and Ive never aced an interview so well before. Part of me feels like something might be up, as Im not used to such positivity or an employer really coming after me.
So here's my questions:
1. I feel like I showed my hand first on the salary. And because of that, Im unsure if what they are offering is not at the low end of their own allotted budget. Im not trying to be greedy, but of course I want to get as much as I can to make living easier...and of course so I can also feel like they are highly valuing me. Do I have any room to negotiate anything now?
2. Should I feel concerned about how much they seem to like me right off the bat? For some reason I feel cautious and am wondering if this is too good to be true. I havent had the best job fortune in the last couple years, so I do try to keep grounded and not ahead of myself. I just don't wanna get into a bad situation. Ive had experiences of being bait and switched before...so that makes me analyze things a bit more.
1. you won't know until you get an offer. If they make an offer and you're not happy with it then you can counter.
2. look at what others are saying about the company and the role on places like glassdoor. You shouldn't be concerned if they like you- that's a good thing! But if they're just trying to find a "butt in a seat" because their turnover is horrible, hours suck, etc ..
1. you won't know until you get an offer. If they make an offer and you're not happy with it then you can counter.
2. look at what others are saying about the company and the role on places like glassdoor. You shouldn't be concerned if they like you- that's a good thing! But if they're just trying to find a "butt in a seat" because their turnover is horrible, hours suck, etc ..
Thanks for the reply.
The thing is, glassdoor and indeed.com only had a few reviews...and some of them weren't very descriptive. Also, experiences differ depending on department and which local center youre assigned to. So I wasn't really able to get much insight into their IT department. Most of the reviews were from clinical staff or administration workers.
yeah, you aren't stuck with the salary you initially said you'd accept. if they ask, in the interview process you learned more about the job and now you think a fair wage would be x. but they probably won't even ask, it's pretty normal to negotiate.
i would not feel concerned at all that they seemed to like you! that's good! if you're feeling suspicious, at the very least ask for an office tour and see if you can feel out the vibe in the workplace.
So they offered me the job today verbally, and in email from the manager(no official offer sheet from HR yet though)
The manager accidentally sent me the offer for the helpdesk support guy. Im going to be desktop support. A few minutes later the manager emailed me again to apologize...saying they forget to edit the name and position after doing a copy/paste.
The salary being offered is 39k, and I definitely feel like negotiating now after their little flub lol. This all said, its a bit weird for them to accidentally show me the salary offer for another employee.
What city is this? 39k seems awfully low for a tech position requiring a degree.
A degree isn't required for the job...but my educational background, combined with my certifications definitely impressed them.
I don't wanna give away my city. But Im in the suburbs of one of the largest cities in the country. About 75 minutes away from this huge city. That said, my job is actually in a small city of less than 30,000 people. So given the area, and the salaries I saw for jobs even down in the big metropolis...the offer isn't bad. Ive seen jobs in the metropolis offering less than what they offered.
But given how the money talk went, I am wondering if they have the budget to pay me more. Im just not sure how it would look now, given how earlier conversations went. Ive been verbally offered the job, and have stated I'd be happy to join. But I still told them I wanted to see a formal offer. I might counteroffer then.
Hopefully you'll get the formal offer letter soon and can increase increase their salary offer also.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kayxero
A degree isn't required for the job...but my educational background, combined with my certifications definitely impressed them.
I don't wanna give away my city. But Im in the suburbs of one of the largest cities in the country. About 75 minutes away from this huge city. That said, my job is actually in a small city of less than 30,000 people. So given the area, and the salaries I saw for jobs even down in the big metropolis...the offer isn't bad. Ive seen jobs in the metropolis offering less than what they offered.
But given how the money talk went, I am wondering if they have the budget to pay me more. Im just not sure how it would look now, given how earlier conversations went. Ive been verbally offered the job, and have stated I'd be happy to join. But I still told them I wanted to see a formal offer. I might counteroffer then.
What's also concerning is that my position, desktop support, is supposed to be the next level up from the helpdesk position. So in my mind I'm thinking the salary should be higher. But based on the manager's mistake email, Im going to be paid the same as the helpdesk guy.
I was thinking of negotiating and stating that based on the duties of the position, I would like to make X amount.
Would you be negotiating with the HR person or with the manager?
Either way I would go a little high as they tend to have a tendency to go a little low. This way they can meet you somewhere in the middle. Many companies like to lowball and save as much as they can. Let's say that you were hoping to secure a salary of $42k. Then I would let them know that I'm looking for a salary of $45k
$42k is the middle of $39k and $45k.
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