When do you Salary Negotiate? (interview, application, employer, job)

[ReturningWest]

After over a year I will be going to my first interview. It's for a state institution (college) and I've done some research and there is some wiggle room per their HR website.

The first round of interviews will be for 15 candiates, I don't know if this will be the last. If by some miracle I am offered the job is that the time to negotiate?

It's a good job but the starting salary of $21,000 less 195. per mo. for health insurance so that would be $18660. a year. I don't know if I can even pay my bills on this and they are pretty small. I'm older and I have Rx's that cost me about $200 a month w HS. But I did find on their web site that they can go up to $24,150. and that would certainly off set the cost of my med insurance and Rx's.

I used to make 39,000 and there was not much for extras but my insurance coverage had higher deductables that I had to eat - 2000 a year vs 300 a year.

I've never had to negotiate for a job salary before as this job was posted at 21,000-37,185 and I thought that was the starting range but after further research found out that the low end is the standard starting range.

I know this is the cart before the horse but I want to be prepaired if salary comes up in the interview.

[annerk]

When an offer is extended, they will also offer a salary. At that point you can accept the salary offered or negotiate for something higher.

With your experience I imagine that you'll be offered more than the lowest amount. I think you might be very pleasantly surprised at the initial offer. You can still negotiate higher, I usually toss a number a few thousand higher at them and tell them that I'm willing to start at the lower amount, with a review and raise to teh number I'm looking for after 90 days.

Good luck to you!!

[Charles]

If possible ask an HR person or someone in that type of department (separate from the department you are a candidate for) what the process is for hiring. I think big organizations have an interview and if you are extended an offer, a separate department (HR) negotiates. The offer will probably take into account your experience, education, market rates for your services, etc.

My understanding is the people who extend the offer to you expect you to negotiate for more.

There are tons of internet articles on this very subject.

[sike0000]

I have always waited until they offered the job. But sometimes employers like to know what you are looking for during the interview. I hate this as it gives them an advantage. Do I go high and maybe risk the offer? Go low and be unhappy?

If you know what your worth, which it sounds likes you do, it makes it easier.

[annerk]

If it comes up during teh interview, be prepared to give them a range, and tell them that it is negotiable depending on benefits.

[Charles]

If it comes up in the interview answer the question with a question: So what is the salary range the position permits? Still, that is my quick, internet forum response - it may not be appropriate. In reality you have to factor in the mood of the interview, the context, the feel, and the body language.

Also, you don't want to make less than you are currently making and you had better be prepared to justify a salary much higher than 20% over your current salary.

[ReturningWest]

Thanks everyone, This is a state College and their policies are online for everyone to read, I'll be interviewing with the Department Business Head and not anyone in HR, so there is a chance this will be the only interview since it's for an Admin Job.

So everyone keep there fingers crossed for me!

Also, I'd like to take a moment to thank those who encouraged me to re-do the resume, I'm sure that helped even tho the DOL like my old one better...sigh. It's now a two pager with the front page being skills education etc. and the 2nd page chrono experience. and of course I tweek for each job to make sure all the key words are there when they do searches on the document.

[Charles]

Bringing this subject back...Would it be OK to ask up front what the salary range is? This avoids going down the interview road, with cross country flights, only to find out that the salary is insufficient. I've experienced potential employers not sending me an application (on which my current salary is filled in) until after a cross country flight. Why didn't the employer find this out first? If the salary offered was too low, then why go through the hassle of flying someone out?

[bande1102]

I'd wait until they extend the offer. Have clear reasons as to why you are worth more. Also, when they make the offer, simply ask to think about it. In my experience, they say something like well, what do YOU think would be a fair offer. At which point, I reiterate my key qualifications (those things that set me apart from everyone else) and simply ask if that's their best offer. Usually, they'll come back with another offer and then I again simply to think about it. IF they still push, I just tell them that I always take at least a little bit of time to make life-changing decisions. I NEVER make a decision on the spot. Any time I have, it has totally come back to bite me.

I just accepted a job and I was able to negotiate despite this economy. This is what I've found during my job search so far....you are competing with hundreds of other people for the position. If you are at the point that they are actually extending the offer, they REALLY want YOU. They've gone through a lot of work to decide that you are the person they want. Most of the time they'd rather hash it out with their first choice then have to go back and prepare another offer.

In your case, they have a lot of wiggle room. You need to research what your particular skill set is worth and then be prepared to fight for it. Starting salary is one of the most important negotiations you make.

[mcb1025]

I think salary negotiation is a very interesting topic. I brought this up before and I've mentioned how I'm grossly underpaid according to the data provided by sites like Salary.com and Payscale.com. People on this forum have told me before that those sites are unreliable sources of data. If so, who do you look to for reliable data?