I initially planned to accept a job but I let my ego get hurt and now I'm not so sure [closed]

manpreet Best Answer 2 years ago

I applied for a position at an institution that's basically the same as the one I currently hold at my job now and they offered me the job today.

They low balled me and then when I said I'd need the weekend to consider they called me back and just matched what I was currently making instead of offering me more.

At the initial point in time when I applied I was confident that I would take the position anyway for the same amount of money just because it has some slight perks but I was really sure that I would get offered 50k, which is the top of the range for the position. I currently earn 48k and was offered 45k.

I was a little surprised to have been offered less than what I currently make because my would-be supervisor was telling me she would need to contact my current boss to get some general information like my current salary so HR could offer something competitive.

And now, I think since I was expecting to get offered 50k so confidently (I mean hell it's only 2k more than what I currently make, surely HR departments base their salaries on what someone currently makes?) that it hurt my ego a bit and now im not as sure about taking the job, even though, it has some other incentives.

For example they go to a 4 day work week for around 3 months out of the year, during the summer. And i'd have my own office finally. And my boss would actually be someone who values my opinions and inputs instead of brushing me off because I am young.

And the last benefit I was considering isn't really a guarantee but there's the possibility of actually getting to work more closely with the IT department at the new employer, and helping them or even doing side projects with them, to get me actual experience for a "real" IT job. But that's just what they said when i interviewed, it could turn out to be quite the opposite.

Time is not exactly on either side for the employer or for me. Since they waited until the last minute to do everything I have until 9 AM tomorrow to have a decision because the position needs to be put to the board(it's a community college)so they can approve it and they don't meet but maybe 4 times a year.

I was hoping to use this to my advantage. My would-be boss is someone that I very lightly know from a past conference and because she participates in a listserv that I'm a member of. I was thinking of calling her and telling her that HR is pushing a hard bargain and that, while I would really like to work for her, I really need a slightly higher monetary incentive to justify the switch.

I'm just not really sure what the best way to approach this whole ordeal is because I am inexperienced with salary negotiations as I have only had 2 professional jobs so far(I am 24). I would like to work at the job I have applied for but it is hard to justify the lateral move in my mind because I expected to be more appropriately compensated for my experience since they really need someone(literally the HR person who called me today said that they called with the "counter" because "Well, we need you. ".

The other issue with this is if I ask my would-be boss to "bat for me", and, she is declined, and I decline the position, I end back up in an awkward position with my current supervisor who was in contact with this other employer as aforementioned. The other week my boss told me about how if my job description changed drastically because I took on more responsibilities that she could go ask for more money for me. Well, usually my boss is just blowing smoke out her ass so I place too high of a value on that statement. I mean, it's a nice gesture, but, those aren't the things you plan on in life, you know? You don't make plans around empty promises people make. So I'm afraid that if I don't get the salary I want, and I decline the job, that my boss will be cold towards me.

Thank you for any insight you can offer.

manpreet 2 years ago

The question is - are the extra perks worth the cut in pay? Yes, ideally we'd all like to move for more money but if you've had enough of your current job and the new one seems better then the extra money might not matter so much.

Consider also that the salary bracket is there to attract applicants. I've heard of many people who went for interviews only to be told the top end salary was several thousand less than that advertised.

If it really bothers you, ask for more - or build something in whereby the salary is reviewed at a certain point in time in the future.