Re: How Do You NOT Mention Salary First?

[Katav <katav -at- YAHOO -dot- COM>]

Anonymous User (AU) is in a quandary re setting fair
market price on AU's services for what I assume to be
a  a W-2 (in-house) environment.

AU knows the market range (but for AU's specific level
at similar employers?) for TWs. The range, according
to AU, is pretty wide, but this scrivener suggests it
can be drastically narrowed by an apples-to-apples
comparison vs. an apples to oranges comparison (I
write mil-spec hdw I/O/Ms, you write user guides for
commercial software - even with the same "time in
grade," the pay rates are different. Should they be?
Different question for a different time.)

Once AU narrowed the salary range (and maybe found it
satisfactory for the local COL*), AU is in position to
bargain. As part of the bargaining, it helps to come
armed with facts-on-paper supporting AU's position. If
STC claims a TW with = experience in an = field makes
N noodles a year, then AU should ask for at least N
noodles a year (try for at least 10% more; AU is
correct in that STARTING SALARY is the base on which
all raises are figured). If you are LUCKY enough to
find someone who failed to do their homework, show'em
the stats that favor YOUR position. (Still, I would be
wary of a company that was just (obviously)
"fishing.")

An HR person asked today about how many noodles I need
to work for her company. My answer was that I'm making
N noodles in my neck of the woods; I might need more
noodles where she hangs her hat 'cause the COL is
different there. Her reply was (a) she was asking so
there would be no surprises/wasted interview time
later and (b) that my "adjusted" noodles requirements
were in line with the noodle soup (noodles, benefits,
etc.) her company was prepared to ladle out.  That is
fair enough. She and I both know where to find salary
comparisons on the WWW so we are playing by the same
rules. (I was impressed.)

I don't like being "jerked around" and probably, had I
been in AU's place, I would have terminated the
interview. But then I have the position of strength
(I'm working) to go along with my unbridled chutzpah.

* COL: cost of living

===
Katav ( katav -at- yahoo -dot- com )
''Despise not any person and do not deem anything unworthy
of consideration, for there is no person without his hour,
and no thing without its place'' {Ben Azzai [Avot 4:2]}

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 From ??? -at- ??? Sun Jan 00 00:00:00 0000=