Negotiating Salary

[jj26]

I'm considering taking a job that is more in line with my degree (PR and marketing) at a college where I previously worked for six years. I really enjoyed my time there and made a lot of friends. I would have stayed there had my part time job been able to become full time. The only problem is the salary is lower than what I currently get, but only by about $1.00 or $2.00 (I'm hourly pay). Would I be able to get them to raise the salary to equal to what I'm getting at my current job? It doesn't seem like a lot, but it adds up in the long run. Also, my lease is coming up for renewal in January and my rent may be increasing. I've never negotiated a salary before, so I don't know how to bring it up in the interview. I've had one interview and they'll call me back for a second interview at the end of this week or early next week. More likely next week since the person who will interview me then got a promotion and is essentially doing two jobs right now.

[winneythepooh7]

Well, if they do call you back for an interview, tell them all that you are telling us. The worst they can say is no. Keep in mind there may be no room for negotiation. As someone who hires, I've had people in higher paying lines of work come to me because they wanted to change fields. When they heard the salary and realized they weren't getting paid even close to what they may have made before, it was a dealbreaker. I've also had people with absolutely no experience, limited experience, or no experience in my field, but working experience try to negotiate higher salaries and it's just not going to happen because of the nature of our program. Unfortunately, some programs are funded only a certain allotment, that does not necessarily take into effect cost of living or salaries at other agencies and such. How many hours are you working now and would this be a F/T position?

You might want to ask about the entire benefits package because they tend to be really outstanding at universities. I work for a university and get 10% of retirement contributions matched (5% even if I don't contribute anything). That alone could make up for the $1 or $2 difference in the hourly pay.

[winneythepooh7]

Originally Posted by Kitty

You might want to ask about the entire benefits package because they tend to be really outstanding at universities. I work for a university and get 10% of retirement contributions matched (5% even if I don't contribute anything). That alone could make up for the $1 or $2 difference in the hourly pay.

Yes, expanding on that, keep in mind that companies often factor in the cost of healthcare coverage into your yearly salary. That can add up to be a great deal. Plus paid days off etc. etc.

[jj26]

The position is full time with benefits and has a good retirement plan. It's just that I already don't make very much right now and even factoring in the savings that I may have with the benefits, I would still hope to at least be equal to my current salary because of the rent increase.

well, it wouldn't hurt to ask.