Need help w/ salary negotiation

[Timmy Tucker]

Going in for a job interview tomorrow. Never had to negotiate salary before, I've either been told "this is what it pays" or was given what I asked. I have an inside person there so I know the max starting pay for the position is $40k. I'm fairly confident that they will offer in the $35k ballpark. The expected shoe in for the job asked for somewhere between $45k-$50K and was laughed at and sent packing.

Would $42K sound like a good starting point? Too many variables to tell?

[hbliam]

Going in for a job interview tomorrow. Never had to negotiate salary before, I've either been told "this is what it pays" or was given what I asked. I have an inside person there so I know the max starting pay for the position is $40k. I'm fairly confident that they will offer in the $35k ballpark. The expected shoe in for the job asked for somewhere between $45k-$50K and was laughed at and sent packing.

Would $42K sound like a good starting point? Too many variables to tell?

Too many variables. What do you make now? What do you bring to the table? How bad do you need the job?

[ab]

a co-worker some years ago at different job told me how much he made after he left.  we were in the same team but his skill set at the time was lot less.  but he made more money.  He thought I would be mad when he told me that.  I told him, you negotiated a lot better than me.  i have no reason to be mad.

i am horrible at that.  i can't master that art. 

I wish i had a word of wisdom, but honestly I don't.  I am eager to hear others response.

good luck.

[Timmy Tucker]

I don't make shit now, got laid off in Nov. Was making about $34K. It's a warehouse manager job, and I have about 7 years experience supervising/managing up to 20-30 people. However, I don't have any significant warehouse experience, a few months at best. I'm playing the "fresh outlook/new set of eyes card", cause I know that they're very dissatisfied with the way their last few managers have run things. I'm also hitting them with the whole cost cutting/maximize efficiency/kaizen mantra, as my previous job title was quality control but I was basically acting as an industrial engineer.

[DoubleEagle]

I think your best bet is to tell them what you can do for them , like how you can make things better , faster, save them money in their operation , your eagerness to help improve the staus quo.

Your vision for how you will be a better Manager than the others.

Ways to streamline the operation, possibly cost cutting by using technology and may be doing the work w, less labor.

Be willing to work over time as most salaried personnel are asked to do.

Don't ask about perks like " when do I get a vacation and how many weeks is it " until after you get the job.

Remember, the Company can hire a person right out of College for what amounts to an hourly wage.

If you can convince them that you are more valuable than a newbie fresh out of school then you have a chance to negotiate for a salary based on your worth and experience.

Bullshit won't get the job done, ......don't even think about bsing them.

Ask for $800 a week.

Tell them you are moving up in the world and that is where you need to be.

Dolph     

Everything must be honest and sincere.

[hbliam]

I don't make shit now, got laid off in Nov. Was making about $34K. It's a warehouse manager job, and I have about 7 years experience supervising/managing up to 20-30 people. However, I don't have any significant warehouse experience, a few months at best. I'm playing the "fresh outlook/new set of eyes card", cause I know that they're very dissatisfied with the way their last few managers have run things. I'm also hitting them with the whole cost cutting/maximize efficiency/kaizen mantra, as my previous job title was quality control but I was basically acting as an industrial engineer.

So you'll take whatever they offer I would guess. Not the best position and they probably know it as they have your application/resume. That being the case I would go in with the following:

-You know from researching the job of their dissatisfaction with the last few managers.
-You have a successful managerial background
-You believe there is money to be saved, efficiency to be found, etc
-You believe you can prove it and are prepared to back that claim up by...starting at 35K for 3 months (or 6 months) and then after your claims show to true, you get an automatic bump to 40K on your 3 (6) month anniversary.

[Timmy Tucker]

I think your best bet is to tell them what you can do for them , like how you can make things better , faster, save them money in their operation , your eagerness to help improve the staus quo.

Your vision for how you will be a better Manager than the others.

Ways to streamline the operation, possibly cost cutting by using technology and may be doing the work w, less labor.

Tell them you are moving up in the world and that is where you need to be.

We're on the same page here, as this was the exact content of my cover letter.

So you'll take whatever they offer I would guess. Not the best position and they probably know it as they have your application/resume.

Personally, I would take a beating from Mike Tyson for a decent job. However, my answer to to them when they ask what I've been doing since Nov is that I had savings put away and have been remodeling my house. It's completely true, but they don't need to know that I only have 6 weeks of unemployment left and I'm almost out of $$.

-You believe you can prove it and are prepared to back that claim up by...starting at 35K for 3 months (or 6 months) and then after your claims show to true, you get an automatic bump to 40K on your 3 (6) month anniversary.

This idea had crossed my mind as well.

[metallimonster]

Why not let them make an offer first?  They might be closer to what you want than you think.  If not, Hbliam's idea is really good.  Never thought of it and wish I had tried it for my current job. 

[redxblack]

I also hate the game of negotiating wages. I'd rather just do my job than play with financial BS that's not in my field. Fortunately, I have a spelled-out salary schedule that I'm happy with. Transparency is nice.

[JEFF_H]

I think youre going to have a tough sell negotiating a salary increase from your previous job while also transitioning to a new field

If you were making 34, and they offer you 35, take it (if you want this job)
i bet they offer you 34.

[hbliam]

So what happened?

[Timmy Tucker]

Didn't come up, turns out I've got at least one more interview to get thru. I appreciate everyone's input though, I'll update this when I know more.