I interviewed for a job on Monday for an admin position with a mental health team for deaf people. I like the organisation and am well qualified for the job, but I am unsure whether or not to take it. The two factors which put me off are:
It’s in South London (Balham) and very difficult to get to.
The salary was offered at 15-16K depending on experience and that’s below what I was looking for.
I’m being made redundant soon and really should be looking at accepting a job, especially in the current job market. But I am reluctant to accept if the offer is at 15K. It was not mentioned what the starting salary would be in the email saying I’m being offered the job.
How do I go about politely enquiring what the salary would be and implying that 15K is not enough?
They need a decision sharpish so any help would be appreciated.
Are they taking you on on a 3 month contract or probationary period to start off with?
As far as i know, its perfectly acceptable to enquire back through e-mail before accepting what the starting salary will be.
We recently got a pay rise by showing a trade mag with salary scales for our types of job and how much we were below those job specific scales. if you could back up and justify that you’re worth more than what they want to pay you, that may work.
And also, will they pay for your travel? going from Wokingham into London, and then needing a travelcard to get to Balham (zone 3) is going to be crippling on the pocket. It may not be worth your while with travelling times/cost etc.
If you’re experienced, then it should be at the top end of what they’re offering. Or, politely, you could just say you’ll take it on condition you get £XXXX per year and see what happens. they may be willing to compromise if you are who they want.
hope that helps. and please don’t pull me on my grammar.
Decide what the minimum you’ll accept is, ask for a thousand/yr over that, and make them think you’re compromising when you’re really holding the line on your actual minimum.
Actaully, nevermind. But thank you, Paul and Garius.
I think I’ve decided not to take the job. It’s just not enough money, even at the higher end, and that plus travel costs (no, they wouldn’t subsidise) would be crippling. Plus, it’s a bog-standard admin job and I don’t think I would be happy there. I deserve to be in a better job than that, or at least better paid than that. I’m going to hold out for something better.
Fran - have you been looking atcivil service jobs? there’s a surprising variety, the pay ain’t bad and the benefits are excellent.
Even if you can’t find anything that is in the areas you want to work, you’ll at least get a “bog standard admin job” that’ll pay you a decent salary until you can find something better.
No problem - drop me an email if any of them ask you to write a personal statement addressing “essential criteria”. There is a certain trick to writing CS app forms like that, and i’ll give you some tips.
I know this is a done deal, but I wanted to interject some advice for future reference: contrary to suggestion, you really really don’t want to negotiate anything via email. You want to be there in person. Email just makes it too easy for the other party to say no and walk away.
When negotiating anything, you always want to keep things open and options available until you’re certain you want to discontinue. If the other party walks away, there’s nothing left to negotiate, and re-engaging puts you at a distinct disadvantage.