Throw in an Extra $11K and you've got yourself a deal

In My Humble Opinion
1

I interviewed for a social services position last week. It’s a medium sized non-profit, and the position is new. The called me the following day to schedule my second interview (which is this Thursday), however, I compared the salary they presented with what I’m making now, and they’re coming up $11,000 a year short compared to my current salary. Needless to say, there’s no way I can take a $11K cut in pay, so I have to insert it gracefully, yet professionally, into the second interview on Thursday. My question is, okay, how to do this?

I should say that during my first interview they began it as the following,“Since this is a new position, we weren’t sure what we wanted. When we recieved your resume, you had everything we thought we wanted, and we also realized that you have stuff we didn’t even realize we’d need!” I think both of the people who interviewed me really, really, really liked me and I have a good shot at getting this job.

And, I’d take it in a heartbeat, except for the salary. When he told me, he asked me if it would work for me. I told him I’d have to put some figures together and consider it. (Math, especially in the spot, is not one of my strong points.) When I figured it out later, I almost died at the difference.

Any suggestions? Also, anything I should ask about in the second interview?

2

Be polite and upfront. Tell them that you would really like the job, but it’s 11K short and you will take it conditional on them meeting your current salary.

The only thing to be wary of is if your skillset is not worth the extra 11K to them. If they have a fixed budget amount for this position (NP’s often do) you’ll be back on the street. What some people do who are “too expensive for the house” is to strike a bargain, and to work at the offered rate for a specified (but limited) period of time, with the promise (in writing) that the salary will be increased to the spec necessary by xx time.

This assumes you all get along great and they like your work.

3

How about, “I’m very interested in the position, and I believe your company would be a wonderful place to work, but I’m afraid the salary is significantly lower than my current salary, and I can’t take that kind of pay cut.” Then ask if they would consider taking you at your current salary. It’s possible they don’t realize what that position pays in the normal market.

And good luck!

4

Been there, done that, negotiated better pay.

Is this 11K with better or worse benefits?

I answered an ad a few years back for a position. Went in, interviewed, got the idea that they didn’t know what they wanted. I told them what they wanted, what the salary range generally was, and what skills they needed to seek in a candidate.

The put the ad back in the paper, this time as if I’d written it.

I interviewed again with and adjusted portfolio (my original one was pretty plain) and got the job.

At lower than the minimum salary range I’d said anyone with a brain would take. (not in those words)

I said that I’d like to take the job, but that the offer was way below what was acceptable for that position, for those duties, skills, and experience. We decided to split the difference and renegotiate in 90 days.

When I got there, they immediately raised me up to the bottom we’d discussed (about 10 k more than I had been making at my previous job instead of the 5k we’d agreed on) and put me on benefits early.

Is the position new totally, or just a new drone_level_3? Are there other non-profits in the area with compatible positions that you can say “well, comparable work elsewhere nets” or other companies that can/do pay that? Non-profits usually have to have salaries and such approved by a board, IIRC.

You may not have much wiggle room, there, pardner.