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I've been offered a full time position as a Front End Web Developer/Designer. I'm a relatively fresh out of college graduate (six months) with some industry experience. They offered me $25K/yr, which right off the bat I knew was low, and my search into entry level positions in that area shows the offer is definitely 50% less. There is a review after 90 days that could result in a pay increase, assuming I've transitioned into the web side of everything. They did not specify how much that pay increase could be. Given my lack of experience, is it still acceptable for me to request something higher? Not necessarily the 55K that entry level Front End Web Developers are making, but definitely more than 25K.
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Mar 5, 2014 02:02
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 05:43 |
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USSMICHELLEBACHMAN posted:Why not the 55k entry level Front End Developers are making? 25K is an insult, espescially for someone with a degree. And "some industry experience" is way, way more experience than most people coming out of college who have no experience. 25k/year is what you pay someone's nephew who is 'really good with computers' to build a website on geocities. I didn't know if it was right for me to ask for the full 55K based on my lack of experience, like I was biting off more than I should be allowed to chew. rotor posted:where in the world are you? 25k seems reasonable for somewhere like Ghana or Vietnam.  Detroit and its surrounding areas.LARD LORD posted:Are you more of a designer and less of a developer? I've seen a lot of this lately and it's basically a paid internship. I'm actually more of a developer than a designer, and the job description itself, from the words of the person I am talking to, would consist of primarily coding: learning their CMS and how to use it, building websites from mock ups, application coding, and HTML for UI improvements.
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Mar 5, 2014 05:19
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USSMICHELLEBACHMAN posted:25k/yr should be below minimum wage. Flipping burgers should pay more (and does, in many places). They aren't a charitable/NPO; it's a furniture store with several partners throughout the state and seems to be doing well. I get the feeling they are low balling me because of my lack of experience, not necessarily financial. I'll try submitting a counter offer, but if they can't even meet close to it, I will end up walking. Transmogrifier fucked around with this message at 13:07 on Mar 5, 2014 |
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Mar 5, 2014 13:03
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Thanks for all of the posts. Dwight Eisenhower, you're right in that I'm lacking a little confidence in this particular aspect of my life; whether or not they honed in on that, I'm not sure. It's very possible they're also hoping to take advantage of my recent graduate status and assume I will take any salary offer they give me if it means I'm in the door and working. I do want a good, full time position, but not by sacrificing the deserved pay the kind of work I do comes with. One of the big reasons I went into this particular field was become of the money. Regarding minimum wage versus the offer itself, 25k/yr is about 12/hr. The minimum wage in Michigan is 7.40/hr, which is stupidly low. The 25K is made worse by the fact I have a pretty good chance at an internship with Quicken Loans for 11/hr this summer, and that could turn into a full time position. Rest assured, I will ask for 55K and if I do not get it, I will walk away.
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Mar 5, 2014 18:07
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Otto Skorzeny posted:Is there something keeping you in Detroit? Even aside from the furniture store's offer being laughably below the prevailing market wage, there are many, many other cities with much better job markets for a programmer or graphic designer, and most decent sized firms (and even startups in Cali) will pay to relocate you. Nothing aside from family and friends. I'm single, no dependents. I'm not against relocating. I sent my counter offer of 55K, citing the market of the city, surrounding areas, and nation wide, as well as my having a Bachelor's, and they fired back saying that "because it's an entry level position they can't pay that much." They offered to do 30K, which would have been the salary increase after 90 days while still having room for salary increases as I improve. I will be writing my rejection letter shortly. Thank you, again, for helping me out and giving me a little more solid ground to stand on.
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Mar 5, 2014 19:09
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Dwight Eisenhower posted:For reference my very first development job (that I got totally screwed on, and wish I had known more about negotiation and had more aggression in my bones) paid $45k/year in 2003 with a B.S. in Computer Science and a couple of months interning at $10/hr. It actually didn't really sting. I already was insulted by the low offer but you guys here in the thread and others I talked to really helped reinforce what bullshit it was so I only got more annoyed. You were all absolutely right: if the best they can initially offer is 25K, chances are it's a crap place to work and I've dodged a bullet. So, again, thank you. FrozenVent posted:Here, I wrote it for you: If only.  That was my reaction for sure though, with an added, "Yeah right!"
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Mar 5, 2014 20:04
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Yeah I'm loving this thread and glad to see people are both helpful and getting the help they need. It's making me excited for my next opportunity to negotiate.
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Apr 2, 2014 12:40
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Not as experienced in negotiating as others, but I've always been told that you counter with a number higher than the number you would actually settle for as they will either accept that (thus giving you more than you anticipated) or they will be closer to the number you actually want. I felt the same as you did, and Dwight and a few others in this thread set me straight: you've done your research, you know what you're worth even without all of the qualifications, so don't settle for less than what you want. The fact you're bilingual gives you a good advantage too. A lot of people underestimate how advantageous it is to be able to speak a second language, which can give you even more of an edge depending on the language.
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Apr 11, 2014 19:46
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 05:43 |
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 I wanted to pop in and say thanks to you guys in this thread, especially Dwight Eisenhower and USSMICHELLEBACHMAN. You guys encouraged me to grow a back bone and not to let myself be taken for granted. I got a job offer a few weeks ago starting at $45K/yr, full time salaried position. I admit that I did not attempt to negotiate past this number to my preferred $55K, but I felt that the amenities would more than make up for it (I also really wanted a job). 3 weeks PTO and benefits (health/dental/vision/hearing) right off the bat, 401K, life insurance, flex spending account, and opportunity to advance. It's also the exact type of company I wanted to start off in and I'm so drat excited to start.Yes, yes, I know I should have negotiated, not said my number first, etc. but I have been hunting for a permanent job for far too long and I am happy with the trade off. I can get that $55K later.
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Mar 30, 2015 02:14
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