after being four months laid off. But they offered me six grand less a year than I was making at my last job. And its not like I was making top of the market bucks, anyhow. I’ll have to think about it, but I’ll probably take it, anyway. This is what I get for
lowballing myself on the “minimum salary requirement” field.
Is it ok to counter a salary offer?
Yes, I don’t see anything wrong with a counter salary offer on your part. You don’t want to do it in a whiney or agressive way - you should be completely business like. They’ve offered you X salary, and you say “thank you very much, this is an excellent opportunity and you’re company is wonderfull (general suckup lines) I’ll accept the job if you give my Y salary”. You do the dance, and arrive at a satisfactory conclusion.
You might offer as evidence, your salary at your last position, your experience, your stunning good looks, etc.
What’s the worst thing that could happen? They toss your sorry butt out in the street!!! Ha! Not likely though. They’ve already made a commitment to you… they’ve taken you off the shelf, and have you at the cash register. They’ve spent considerable time and money on the recruitment process. They don’t want to do that again.
Now if you actually take my advice, and they give you the big punt, please note that I’m not a trained professional. I just play one on TV.
You’ve been out of work for four months. Can you afford to lose the job if they refuse your courter offer on salary?
I’ve found it’s easier to find another job while you’re working. I would suggest taking the job, but keep looking.
How likely is it that they’d say:
“More salary? Get out of my office right now, you pathetic armpit stain! And clean my toilet bowl with your tounge on the way out!”
They might say “Gee sorry, but we can’t really afford to pay you any more than that.”
At which point the O.Poster says: “I think I’m worth more, but I definitley will take the job. I’m sure you will be very impressed with how hard I work. When do I start?”
It’s not going to make the price difference, but what about asking if there are other things they’ll throw in? I got a company car that way…
Or how about accepting the salary, but asking upfront for a raise at the end of 6 months? (P.S. Get any promises in writing)
Any by the way, why is this a Pit Thread?
Asshole company low-salary offering asshats! There.
Its a pit thread cuz I’m lame and can never sort out exactly where to put my threads. I figure the pit is kind of a catch-all.
Here: this’ll make it more pit-y. Jesus H. Christ on a piece of god-rotting toast! Fuckity fuck fuck fuck.
thx
A month ago I had an interview for a general admin position with a local window company. At the interview, they asked what kind of salary I was looking for, so I told them I was looking in the region of UKP 12-13K per annum. That’s the going rate in this area for that kind of work, so that’s what I asked for.
After a few seconds silence, she replied that the company were only looking to offer a UKP 10.5K salary. Well below what everyone else is paying. She then had the nerve to remark that they were looking for a candidate who would be a stayer, giving 110% every day, and not buggering off to accept a better offer six months down the line!
Oh-kayyyyyyy. Sure, I’d love to come and work for you for an insultingly low wage, and then be made to feel like a deserter should I ever take up the offer of a higher paid job in the future. I hope for your sake you don’t call to offer me the position, because you’ll be told to shove it up your crack.
Well, they laid you off, too. 
6 grand is a very relative figure, being slightly more important if it’s the difference between $14k and $20K than it is if it’s between $106k and $100k.
That said, you should very seldomly offer any firm number when asked for a minimum. Learn phrases like “It’s hard for me to tell how much money it takes to make me happy with a position until I’ve gotten a feel for it.” And, if you’re feeling generous, “But this is what I made at my last position.”
Let them offer you what they think you’re worth, not what you think you’re worth.
Not sure what I’d do in your case right now.
-lv
You told them what you would take, and now you want to renegotiate?
This may not be the best time to try to engage them in salary negotiations. But there are a lot of unknowns about your situation that might affect this.
If the job market is so tight that it took you 4 months to land a replacement job, it might be a good idea to go with their offer and re-evaluate down the line a bit.
You <could> take their offer and keep yourself on the job market if it is feasible for you.
I’ve renegotiated salary a couple of different times, but I was in a decent position to do it 'cause software developers were in demand.
Also, what did you initially tell them your salary requirements were? If you told them “X”, and then they offered X (or close to it) then you’d be acting kinda weird to go back in and say you wanted more than you originally asked for. But, if they lowballed you, then maybe it’s an option. Obvious bottom line: weight the upside against the potential downside, and then decide.
The overall job market is very tight. While the latest unemployment figures out today did not change since last month (5.8% unemployment nationwide), first-time claims for unemployment jumped and the country lost another 108,000 jobs. The unemployment rate did not go up because quite a few dropped off the official unemployment rolls - they ran out of unemployment and/or quit looking for work.
While five percent unemployment is often considered full employment (meaning the job market is good), these days it’s not. The hidden unemployed, and under-employed are just not in the figures anymore. The actual employment rate is probably between 8 and ten percent nationally these days. Some 2.5 million jobs have been lost in the past two years.
Specific industry sectors continue to be really bad. The professional IT jobs market is still around 50 percent unemployment according to some trade insiders.
I’d say take the job and do your best. Just keep looking.