Stupid Salary Questions! Argh..

[ERitchie]

So while perusing the paper I ran across a position for an Editor/Project Manager for a translation company. I was skeptical because I had all the requirements, so I went to career builder, and then their webpage to find the detailed job description. Even after reading that, I still had all the requirements for the position.

I went to the interview. It was a great interview. I left feeling positive (but not cocky, I have learned the hard way on that!) but I'm a little irritated about the fact they demanded salary requirements from me. I tried pushing it off, saying I needed to learn more about the job, and that my requirements were negotiable, blah blah. But they would have none of it. So I quoted a tentative range.

Now, my concern is..I looked up what Entry Level Project Managers and Editors make annually on salary.com. It's like anywhere from 65k to over 100k, but obviously I wasn't comfortable demanding that kind of cash. So I quoted lower, between 40 and 50k. The company is small, but employs about 300 free lance writers, and 50 in house employees with such clients as Pfizer, Novaris, Bayer, etc. So I really don't know if I was smart to play it safe and not look like a money hungry Generation Y'er, or if I under sold myself.

Any opinions?

[katip]

Well, from what I've seen from salary.com, even though they tailor it by area, it's still on the high end. An account coordinator for an advertising firm is quoted at making 49K and account executives around 65K for median salaries. If that was true, I never would have had to consider if I the job was worth the pay! I don't know where they get their figures from, but I think they way over estimate!

I've always been told that when all's said and done and you've come to the actual offer and salary, you should have them state it first and then repeat the number as a question ("How's $35,000?" "$35,000?"). Then you give it a couple seconds and the employer will either come back with a higher figure or stay.

[tdko]

I read in a job-hunting book that if they ask for a salary range, quote a range with odd ends. "I'm looking for something between $63,400 and $71,200." I'm not sure why that's their recommendation, but maybe it's because it gives them something to work with but doesn't make it sound like you're pulling a number out of your ass.

[wordsmith]

My experience has been that salary.com quotes are inflated and not indicative of industry norms where I live (and, I live in the same region as katip and echo her sentiments).

[chicagogirl]

Salary history is a tough one. Some people say that you might want to rethink working for a company that asks that. They're trying to get a heads up on how much they can offer you. If thy think they can get away with 10k less than others, then they might do it.

Thesuggestion I like, if you want to answer that question, is to give a range. I've made, say, 40-55k in the past.

[Bruiser]

IMO, if you are job hunting, you need to know your own worth. If you cannot work for less than $35,000 per year, and you think making $60,000 to do *blank* job is a lot of money, then your salary requirement is somewhere between 35K and 60K. Screw salary.com, screw local industry norms, screw what your highschool guidance counselor told you. You need to know what your requirements are before you even go out looking for work!!! It is not the recruiter's fault if you "undersell" yourself or if your expectations are comically over the top.

[wordsmith]

Hah, well, I can say what my "requirements" are as I see them and wish they were; that doesn't mean I'm gonna get half that.

[ERitchie]

IMO, if you are job hunting, you need to know your own worth. If you cannot work for less than $35,000 per year, and you think making $60,000 to do *blank* job is a lot of money, then your salary requirement is somewhere between 35K and 60K. Screw salary.com, screw local industry norms, screw what your highschool guidance counselor told you. You need to know what your requirements are before you even go out looking for work!!! It is not the recruiter's fault if you "undersell" yourself or if your expectations are comically over the top.

I know how much I have to make to live comfortably. However I find it hard to believe salary negotiations are entirely based on how much you need, rather than how much the position is worth. I have a friend who lives minimally because he likes it that way, how much he needs to live comfortably is probably about 20 grand, he however makes over 100 a year.

What I was asking was if anyone had any better ideas to find out how much a position is worth. Someone who perhaps was even in the industry to give me an idea. I'm aware salary.com isn't reliable. If the company's budget for paying new recruits for this position is 50k, I don't want to ask for 28k. That's what I mean by "underselling" myself. It has nothing to do with quoting less than I need (I would never do that to begin with), and more about quoting a range that might be below the norm for entry level recruits and not getting the salary the position warrants.

[wordsmith]

The only way I know of is to ask around within the field, within your area, as far as what to expect as a standard with your degree of experience, etc.

I agree with you that employers are of course not obligated to adjust the salary they offer based on what you personally need. I personally could find a good use for $100k, don't get me wrong...but nobody in my field makes half that.