Okay, I got a letter the other day from the school I attended in Israel. They’re recruiting for their NY office, and even though I just got a new job, I would love to work for my old school. I would even move across the country to do it; I need a change, anyway. Anyway, their recruitment letter says to send them a resume and salary requirements. Help me, what should I say my salary requirements are? I know that it is expensive to live in New York, but no more so than here in the Bay Area. I would prefer to make enough to live on my own, or would that require a ridiculous salary? Should I just write “negotiable”? Is that too wishy washy? I need opinions!
Here’s some figures according to the Consumer Price Index (1999 figures):
All items
US city average 166.6
NYC area 177.0
SF area 172.5
Food and beverages
US city average 164.6
NYC area 170.5
SF area 170.8
Housing
US city average 163.9
NYC area 179.6
SF area 185.6
Transportation
US city average 144.4
NYC area 152.3
SF area 135.8
Medical care
US city average 250.6
NYC area 265.3
SF area 232.6
Fuel and utilities
US city average 128.8
NYC area 116.1
SF area 145.3
Apparel and upkeep
US city average 131.3
NYC area 125.5
SF area 114.2
Hm, so it really is pretty similar.
Maybe I should have just titled this “Question for Employed Dopers”, then. I still don’t know what to put. Naming a number seems almost gauche. I don’t want to put down a really high figure, but I also don’t want to starve should I get the job.
Chances are if you put in “negotiable”, you won’t be contacted. Employers don’t want to waste time pursuing people they won’t be able to afford. Think about how much you want the particular job and what would be the minimal amount of money you’d be happy with. There’s no point to lowballing them if you’re unhappy with the salary amount in the end. There’s no reason why you can’t give them a range…say $100k+ or $40k-$50k, etc., depending on what is appropriate. That way they’ll know if you’re interests are in the right salary range, and you’ll know you’ve provided a number you can live with that is potentially still open to negotiation.
Based on my former NY roomates living in SF, salaries in both areas are comparable when it comes to cost of living.
Good luck!
If it is an entry level position for a for-profit company, do not accept less that $32,000 per year. It is difficult enough to live on $32k. For a nonprofit, the entry-level minimum is $28-$30k. If you ask for anything less, you are seriously undervaluing yourself.
Also, do share what kinds of work experience you have, as that will seriously alter the equation.
It also depends greatly on what you will be doing for them. There can be large differences in average pay within similar job descriptions. If they start you in some sort of general office capacity, expect it to be low. If they want you to do something more specialized, ask for more.
I’ve found that I’m much more comfortable giving a big range, but making it conditional. I would ask for something like “30,000-40,000 depending on benefits”, it gives you more wiggle room, without sounding obnoxious.
Put ‘open’ or ‘negotiable’. If your resume looks like what they want they’ll call. It isn’t like they’ll read the resume and say “wow, Kyla is ideal! Too bad we don’t know what the required salary is. Next.”
Negotiating salary is a game anyway. You always try to get the other party to throw out a number first. Sometimes you gotta go first, but you try not to. The thing is that the number they throw out may be very different from what you had in mind and that can be a big value to you. Say you’re thinking of $35k and you’d go as low as $26k. If you get them to go first and they say $48k, and you’ve got more than you would’ve got if you went first. This logic is true for both sides of the table; employers want you to go first for the same reason.
The more important thing is your resume and followup. They’ll probably be getting a lot of resumes (it’s not a great time to be looking for a job), so make yours stand out. And call them a few times to follow up. Tell them in your cover letter and phone calls how excited you are about the opportunity, and how proud you are to be an alumni of your school.
Also, as you went to the school, perhaps you still have contacts there among the teachers and administration. Call everyone you can think of who works there. Tell them you’re excited about the opportunity and ask them for their advice on pursuing this job. People like to be asked their advice and will be likely to put in a call themselves to whoever is hiring on your behalf. Also, perhaps they can introduce you to the hiring manager or people close to the hiring manager. Talk to them as well.
Good Luck!
Kyla,
Also note when you say NYC the assumption above is live/work in Manhattan, which is higher than, say, Brooklyn, Queens, or Jersey. Where is the office you would work out of?
Go take a look at Salary.com. They have salary ranges for tons of different job descriptions broken out by city or zip code. The information is compiled from surveys they send out to people who actually hold these jobs, so you should be able to get a pretty good idea what salary range to ask for. (BTW, you can get a personalized report for about $20, but the basic info is free.) Good luck!
Thanks for the responses, guys. I think I’m gonna go with 35,000 range, but open for negotiation. I’m dealing with Israelis and people close to Israel, and Israelis are very fond of bargaining and haggling, so I think that will work okay.
- I did go to the school, but that was in Israel, and this is their New York office. I don’t know anyone there.
- I don’t know what borough it’s in. I suppose I could find out on Mapquest or something, but I don’t have the letter with me at the moment and I can’t recall the address.
How feasible is it to work in one borough and live in another? I have never been to New York, unless you count my thrilling visit to JFK airport.
Many people commute from the outer boroughs into The City. Commuting times vary, but I’d guess average about an hour - it takes me about as long to get to school when I take the train from New Jersey as well.