From: scott@asd.com (Scott Barman)
Subject: Re: Salary History?
Organization: American Software Development Corp., West Babylon, NY
Date: Wed, 30 Sep 1992 16:36:49 GMT

In article <92272.102759RICKI@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> Ricki Dulin <RICKI@wvnvm.wvnet.edu> writes:
>In poor times as the US is experiencing now most companies don't offer
>a lot of negotiation.

With some notable exception, the computer industry is not doing badly.
Neither are the brokerages who are paying very high salaries (but you
do earn that money) and plenty of others who have a need for technical
people.  Check out misc.jobs.offered, there does not seem to be a
shortage of jobs!

Folks, don't let this get to you.  If you want to negotiate then do so. 
If a company has made an offer to you they want you and you are more in
the driver's seat than they are.  Don't be outrageous, but don't
undersell yourself either.  If you do that, you will be regretting it
as you watch friends, co-workers and others in the industry get the
salary and perks you deserve but are not earning.

>Example:
>Let's say you currently earn $45,000.  The job you just applied for will
>only pay $25,000 (but you don't know this because they failed to post the
>salary in their advertisement) The employer must assume you would not be
>willing to take this sort of paycut (and therefore can't not afford you).
>If you are willing to take such a big pay cut the employer will make some
>assumptions about what kind of person would do such a thing.
>In times like this I wouldn't expect to double your salary by switching to a
>new employer.
>
>Not sure If I helped or not, but just wanted to give you another perspective.

Let's put another perspective on this (and I have the experience to back
this up):  If a company has a job opening and was expecting to pay $60K
or more for the person they hire, what do you think they will do when
they find a candidate that does fit their requirements who also tells
them that he/she is only making $45K?  In the negotiations the company
will tell that candidate that the company is being "more than
reasonable" by offering only $50K.  Many will accept this and lose out
on a possibility of getting a better salary.  Others will negotiate and
maybe only get a few $K more.  That means you, the employee who will do
the work that makes the company money, is being short changed (IMHO).
Remember, you are not doing this for altruism.  The rent and car
insurance has to be paid!!

My stance is that my current salary is unimportant and none of anyone's
business except for me (maybe my significant other :-) and my creditors :-).
If you want me to come work for you, make me an offer of what you think
my services are worth to your company and I will make my judgements on
that.  Why shouldn't I, or anyone else, make as much as we can!  I made
the mistake I outlined above many years ago and regretted it until my
salary did catch up with the averages I kept reading in the trade rags.

If there is a concern as the above poster mentions, then the employer
should discuss possible ranges.  I had this happen.  There was a job
that was low paying and the person was up front and said that the job
paid X and they couldn't go much higher.  I thanked them for their
consideration and we parted.  No problems.  Maybe if everyone was as
honest there would be little problems (or little use for this
newsgroup!).
-- 
scott barman			| <This space intentionally left blank>
scott@asd.com			|
 (I can barely speak for myself, you expect me to speak for my employer??)
Xref: sparky misc.jobs.misc:6834 misc.jobs.offered:11783