Recently I have been looking for work and received an offer from a company with whom I had interviewed several times.
They made me an offer that was much more than I had expected (higher than the highball number I mentioned to the recruiter – nearly twice my previous salary). Awesome right?
Is it strange that I feel odd about this? Is there any reason to think this offer is not on the level or has some kind of catch? The company is a reputable and growing one that offers a popular service in the local area, and I am working with a professional recruiter, so it is not a fly-by-night situation. The position is to replace someone who is leaving, and I’m concerned that they want a warm body in the chair, and may lay me off when they’re less desperate. Is this a realistic possibility, should I be concerned along these lines?
FYI, the job is in Unix Systems Administration.
Also FYI, I recently relocated from the Midwest to NYC. I’m aware there’s a cost of living difference, but this offer caught be offguard and now I’m paranoid.
I’m hearing rumors that GOOD Unix admins are in short supply right now. Granted I’m not anywhere near your job market and I don’t know how absurd you’re talking, but maybe A) you got a good recruiter that’s actually looking out for you B) you’re skills are highly in demand C) you underestimated cost of living D) the last place was screwing you and/or E) RUN! It’s a hell of a lot worse than you think.
What you need to look at is the benefits. Do you get free insurance? Do you pay for it? How much. A company I worked for there favorite game was to change insurance every year, before I left we wound up with insurance that just paid for in hospital visits. What they did was also offer you another plan to cover doctor visits, but this was so high $312/month that it was out of bounds of most people. And not being smart most people never realized the $19/month was simply hospitalization
So look at the costs? Do you have to pay your own parking? 401? Look at this
Look at the hours. Ask your employer how long did the last person work per week. A 70/hr job work week, can quickly negate your salary down to what amounts to almost two full time jobs.
It happens. You may have just misjudged the market or maybe they did. I am sure it isn’t a scam. Anyone can be laid off and it usually isn’t done just by salary brackets. Take it and be happy although the warnings about working hours and conditions are words to be headed. Their are some companies in Boston that are widely known to pay high salaries because of “battle pay”.
When I was starting as a programmer, I got my first job and got paid very little. Then I went looking for a new job due to the company being bought out. I only had 15 months experience and I got offered two jobs for 50% more than I was making and had a line on a job in NYC for 85% more. NYC can definitely pay significantly more than most places.
I would not worry too much.
OP might want to google cost of living calculators, and compare old home vs NYC and then reevaluate the offer. About a year ago, I was considering a possible move to San Diego, and was astounded to learn I’d need at least 50% more than my current salary just to maintain my present, relatively modest, standard of living. It could very well be that the offer is not as high as it seems based on the difference in where you were vs NYC.
If the company is reputable, and you have no reason to fear the checks bouncing, you might also want to look at some trade publications to see if they have a salary range by region chart for you to consider…
I second recommendations to look carefully at the benefits package and cost-of-living charts and see if you really *are *being offered twice your current earnings.
I’d be a little suspicious of such a high offer, given that I’d have a feel for the market and what I could reasonably expect to make, and I think my biggest worry would be about what happens when I leave that company: it would really, really suck to have to take a 50% pay cut several years down the line because the company had priced me out of the market. Staying in a job you don’t like/want anymore sucks, too.
I wouldn’t say it’s an automatic “don’t do it,” but I definitely recommend proceeding very, very cautiously (as you seem to be doing).
Yeah, really. “Cost of living difference” is a huge understatement. Maybe you’re already figuring housing costs into your decision, but don’t forget that the whole New York lifestyle is different. You’ll find yourself paying (and paying and paying) for stuff that you never even thought about in Michigan. Like if you want to purchase something bulky, you’ll end up paying all kinds of money for a cab just to get it home. And laundry? You’ll probably end up sending it out to be done. Dinner? You won’t be eating all those nice cheap casseroles* for supper, because you probably won’t have much of a kitchen in your apartment, and grocery shopping is a contact sport and who the hell has room for a casserole dish anyway? You’ll eat takeout.**
Okay, you get the idea.
Disclaimer: Yes, I’m an obnoxious New York liberal Jew who thinks everybody in flyover land eats nothing but tuna casseroles and apple pie. So sue me.
** I’ll bet you a nickel someone’s gonna have to chime in and say that they live in Manhattan and they do their own laundry and eat casseroles every night, and lug huge packages on the subway. Yeah yeah yeah. Do I really have to explain that those are just examples of things people pay out of pocket for in New York City? I don’t mean that every single person does them all the time. And if you lug big giant packages on the subway: stop. It’s annoying. And if you absolutely have to do it, could you at least try to avoid rush hour? Thanks.
When I was a girl, we made the rats do our laundry, then we ate the rats.
But seriously, a cost of living calculator is likely to reveal astounding disparities in cost of living, even if you eat the rats, have robot monkey butlers, etc.
Actually, I’m living in Queens and my rent is quite moderate (and I have laundry in the building, lol) – and Ann Arbor has a very high COL for the midwest – as it turns out there is only a 6% difference according to the NYTimes calculator.
You have raised some good points – in my old position I had extraordinarily superior benefits (5 weeks vacation, $2-for-$1 match on retirement) and the new job has only average to maybe even less-than-average benefits.
I looked up some salary ranges and this offer would definitely be on the high end of what was reported by a trade magazine, but not totally out of the realm of reason. I plan to ask further about what kind of hours would be expected…
Remember that in NYC, salaries are based on Manhattan living, where people pay $850/month to sleep on a couch, and families of four live in one-bedroom apartments because they can only spend $2500 on rent…
That is true, but before you scare Phatlewt too much, you can find decent apartments in Brooklyn for $900 to $1100. Then you become a happy Subway commuter. If you are single, I would strong recommend Brooklyn. I like Bayridge in particular, but I am sure you can start another thread asking about good, affordable neighborhoods in NYC. The prices Barbarian was joking about is for Manhattan of course.
If they’re paying a recruiter to get you in, they are not interested in having you as a stop-gap chair-warmer – generally recruiters get a fairly large percent of your base salary as a commission once you’ve been there for several months (3-6 months). It’s a real offer.
If you’re working in the financial sector, yes, the $$$ is much greater in NYC/Wall St. than elsewhere, particularly for senior SA’s. On the other hand it is a lot of work and a lot of pressure. Expect to work weekends and late nights on a regular basis.
It’s NYC and and there’s shortage in capable people doing those jobs? Sounds reasonable. Perhaps they are trying harder to attract *and keep * a qualified person. If anything, save as much as you can and then you’ll have the luxury of taking your time changing jobs if it turns out to be bad.
