General Discussion - Concerning minimum salary...

Author

Concerning minimum salary...

lillian40

2002-04-19, 4:06 pm

Hello to everyone...a couple of days I made a post that I was considering applying for an Assistant PC Support Tech. Well I sent in my resume along with a cover letter...and today I received a application in the mail. Well, as I am filling out this application, I come across a question that asks " Is there a minumum salary you will accept?". Now this is my situation...I make $15 per hour 12 swing shifts...two days on, two days off, off every other weekend..production work. This job starting salary is $9 something up to $13 something per hour, also a job that I think I will enjoy, since it deals with computers, which is where my interest lies.
My question to you guys is, how should I handle this...I have no experince other than my Associate Degree, and some fiddling around at home. .. I am currently still preparing for my A+ exam...so what do I consider my worth...what should I rate my minumum salary to accept...Any suggestions will be much appreciated...

ccieToBe

2002-04-19, 6:10 pm

If this will be your first tech related job then take whatever you can get. If you can't afford to make any less then consider starting off with a part time job while keeping your current job or saving up some $$$ before you make the transition. The market's very tight for entry level positions right now.

Nicole

2002-04-19, 7:15 pm

Minimum salary shows up on most generic applications. They are budgeted for $13, and if they really want to hire you they'll pay it. You know they are at least moderately interested in you, or they would have never sent back an application. There is a small possibility that if you ask for the top of the range and everyone else asks for the bottom, someone will decide not to bother with you, and interview the cheap guys instead.

If you can afford really afford it, say no or say $9/hour. You can try to negotiate up later if they express a serious interest -- but in this market I'd take the job at $9 if it would cover the bills and eat beans and rice for a while.

But if you can't, and you need $12 or $13 or whatever, say so. It may not hurt you as bad as you think, since they are advertising that they are willing to pay that rate.

chodan

2002-04-21, 7:40 pm

I think 12 or 13 is fair for both parties.
In my expierience you will not stay at that range for long if you are a real go getter and develope real skills.
In a couple years you will probably be doing much better.

Nicole

2002-04-22, 7:16 pm

I don't think this question ever gets easier. One of these days I'm going to be in an honest mood and answer, "As much as I can squeeze out of you, of course!"

I played the gamble today, and tossed out a figure. She emailed me right back and said she wanted to interview me. Damn! I must have gone too low -- if it doesn't hurt them at least a little, you aren't asking for enough.

chodan

2002-04-22, 8:44 pm

quote:
Originally posted by Nicole
I don't think this question ever gets easier. One of these days I'm going to be in an honest mood and answer, "As much as I can squeeze out of you, of course!"

I played the gamble today, and tossed out a figure. She emailed me right back and said she wanted to interview me. Damn! I must have gone too low -- if it doesn't hurt them at least a little, you aren't asking for enough.

It als may be just a tad under what someone with equal qualifications tossed out.

Iether way in the end you have to rely on your gut reaction, bolstered hopefully by research.

Nicole

2002-04-22, 9:21 pm

They advertised on Sunday, I faxed them at about 9am today, and she emailed me back at 2pm. Talk about quick turn around! 'Course, how many people are out there with FileMaker Pro experience.

I should've asked for more money! *sigh* Maybe I can get a bidding war going? I have another interview on Friday...

quantity

2002-04-22, 9:35 pm

I have a little experience in this field. As a manager, I suggest you concern yourself with understanding and learning. No one is going to start out at 15 or higher unless they sold under a lucky star or know someone.

Be patient and, "Put in your time". An A.A. degree doesn't mean you know as much as the next person. As it is, I know MCSE's that are friad to dcpromo. (**sighs**)

My suggestion to you is to take what you can get and fight for it. Don't try and fight over a buck. You'll loose. Bigtime.

You seem confident and intelligent. Let your actions decide your wage when you are up for evaluaton in 90 days. Remember, tech support is like a war. You will learn 2 years worth of material on 6 months. Now, isn't that worth enough on its own? There is no experience like some experience.

Take care. Disregard if this if you believe it to have no merit.

eeesoftware

2002-04-23, 12:58 pm

I have a story from when I started in Germany
in a company (Telecommunication) UMTS.

I was the first IT Person in a company with 80 people helped them build Network (Cisco + VOIP) NT/2000 servers + User installation. I started at 100.000 DM a year and see people comming in after me less knowledge getting 20-30 % More + bonusses and lots more..

I started as a consultant 3 years ago with around 30% lower salery.

Get in there for no matter what price and hang in get the knowledge and change company in 1 - 1 1/2 year....

ps. If you dont get payd hi then see if you can get knowledge.

dhcpserver

2002-04-23, 4:26 pm

Uffe, you say you started at 100.000DM/year = US$45K/year = 51K Euro/year... you should be proud of it, it's a lot of money for a networking job (mcse, ccna, no degree)

eeesoftware

2002-04-23, 5:16 pm

Honestly I started out in Denmark and got all my knowledge by strungling every weekend attend to extra courses for about 1 year.

In Denmark I made about 70.000 DM a year.

worked my way up to the level I am today by sweding blod last year worked sometimes 32 hours in a row not even lying. Last year I had a total of about 300 overworking hours + standby team for 20 weeks never received a penny yet for that.

But it is true what they say hang in there and maybe your next employeer would appriciate you..

Best Regards
eee

Nicole

2002-04-24, 10:52 am

I had an interesting salary conversation with this employer yesterday. She said that she was receiving resumes from people all over the country, fresh out of some tech school with their MCSE, asking for $70k, $80k and $90k! And this is in Sacramento, where the cost of living is about as low as it gets on the west coast. Obviously lots of folks hallucinating, believing tech school propaganda, or just thinking that Silicon Valley in the Mecca of all tech workers and the cubicles are paved with gold.

I got the impression that they were ready to pay whatever it took to get the right person (I *knew* I should have asked for more money). She's had bad experiences with younger workers (no work ethic) and was leery of hiring older workers because she felt that the company didn't have enough to offer and they would leave as soon as the IT market turned around. I guess I fell somewhere in between in her mind.

Great interview, though. I was there for an hour and a half, got to see the server room and the IT person's office and look at their new database. I really expected to leave with a job offer, but I get to call the developer consultant today for some reason and talk to her, too. These folks have had short-timers filling in for months and their new server has never quite been set up all the way. Meanwhile, they've hired a professional developer to create a new database for them that should be ready to be rolled out soon. If it weren't for all the transitions going on, it would really be kind of a junior position -- one of those new MCSEs could handle it if they also had relational database training and were really on the ball. With all the changes, though, I think they'd be better served with someone who can instill some confidence in the users, who are a bit scared right now.

But the pay is decent and the people are super nice and the hours are flexible and it's near my house.

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