The only thing I wasn't ready for

I was just recently offered a job working as a comp tech at a place with a guy I know. During the impromptu interview, he asked me the one thing I had never expected, how much I was to be paid. I live in the Tampa area; can anyone give me a heads up on what I should tell him?

thats always an unfair question to ask; 2 much, u dont get the job, 2 little and u end up working like a slave, undervaluing.


what u should do is say "what do you think i am worth (to your company)?"

use some physchology.!! ;)

Tell him the range you want to be in. For example, 30-35K. This way you let him know about the minimum you wanna get and will signal that you think you're worth more than that. You'll get something in the middle. It worked twice for me.

I always state that I am negotiable, and if he wants to discuss it on the spot, I would simply be honest. Hey, I was making 30,000 at my last job and I want to make a little more than that to start out, once I prove myself I would like to be bumped up to about 35,000. Whatever. You know what you can live on and what your worth, dont be afraid to ask for it. Confidence is everything. There is a fine line between confidence and cockiness though, just state the facts.

I can't really advise on the salary thing since I have "lucked" into mine, I will advise that you make sure to negotiate your vacation time. I started at my company with 4 months left in the year and didn't even think about vacation, I was the 2nd employee, as more people were hired, they were taking vacation time within their first 2 months, apparently, I had the option to ask for it but it was too late. Got screwed into 2 weeks a year when I prolly could have negotiated for 3 or more. Good Luck.

I use a broad range ie 50-60 this way they are more inclined to go in the middle. You can always ask how much the avrage person makes in the postision.

I'm with Elbatcho. I would express the negotiable point, and quote a range. Just be sure to express that you do not want to drop from consideration if you quote the wrong figure.

BTW, where at in Tampa?
:D

i would ask him a question back something like this " how much do you pay your technitions with my qualities?"
i have used that more than once it has always worked in my favor

You should always go into an interview with an idea of how much a person in your position, with you qualifications makes in your area. There are many, many resources available on the net that can tell you this information. I always am prepared for this question and have examples ready if the interviewer seems taken aback by the amount I am quoting. As far as I am concerned this is a fair question, as it shows if the person has prepared for the interview, and therefore demostrates their work ethic.

always try to get them to name their price.

The general rule when it comes to negotiating salary, is: He who names the number first will be at a distinct disadvantage in the negotiation.

I have used the line. "It wouldn't be fair for me to name a price until I'm more familiar with the details of my responabilities and the environment that I will be working in"

or some bs like that. It did work the one time I used it. :cool:

Asking you to name your price isn't fair, and you should turn the question around and say, "How much am I worth to you?"

I even have a story that relates;
Thomas Edison invented the first stock market ticker and he decided to sell it. He met with an old business man and ended up selling it for $40,000. After the deal Edison and the old man sat down to have a cigar together, and the old man told Edison that he was a bad negotiator, he told him that he would have payed $100,000 for the device. Edison told the old man that he would have sold the device for $4000.

Don't make the first offer.

Ask for alot and work your way to a compromise. If they offered you a job then they want you and are willing to negotiate a wage.

You should still be familiar with the average salary in you area, otherwise you still run the risk of being taken. If the interviewer offers $30k, but the average salary for your job is $45k, did you win or lose by letting him present the first offer? Are you at an advantage or disadvantage? It's harder to negotiate your wage up. I'm all for high balling but by saying $60k, when the average is $45k you may turn off the interviewer. Use whatever tactics you like, but you should always know what the generally accepted value is, and have a resonable request. You might also try asking for a guaranteed bonus, or signing bonus. Also be careful with complete compensation companies. Make sure you know exactly what your yearly salary will be, then add the bonus.

All the advice here has been good. I want to add that a lot depends on the kind of place you're looking at. A big company (say CompUSA) probably has set standards, without much room for haggling. The managers there also know what the going rate is, and how much they have to pay to get enough warm bodies - particularly with the higher turnover. A small shop may have more flexibility, and the hiring manager may not have a good idea what salaries should be. I'd look at what the big shops pay, and ask for a good bit more. Also remember that money isn't the only thing to negotiate. If the money isn't too great, ask for extra time off or shorter hours. Good luck!

Look him straight in the eye, put your pinkie up to your mouth, put on a girlish smile and say, "One Million Dollars!!! Muwahahahahahaha!!!!!"

Seriously though I would go with the above mentioned posts, but maybe use mine as an Ice Breaker :)