Good morning FairyGoddbossers,

Anonymous

September 28,2022 at 12:46PM UTC

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Good morning FairyGoddbossers,

I have a question for the group. After numerous interviews, I have finally secured a job offer, and it is within the same university I work for, just an entirely different department and side of campus. The opportunity for growth is excellent on both a personal and professional level. Here are my humdinger questions: They have offered me $19.50 an hour and two working days a week at home. While this is good, it is only $1.84 more than I make now, but I get the bonus of not having to drive an hour each way two days a week. Is it foolish of me to try and push for an extra $.50 to make it an even $20 per hour, which is what I was hoping for? Or should I leave it alone? I realize that is only an extra $1,040 a year, but I am currently putting two kids through college, one at the university I work for. I have another who wants to enroll in university here in another year and a half. I don't want to lose this opportunity, but I don't want to sell myself short. Any help is appreciated. They are excited that I am interested in the position and don't want to ruffle feathers by asking for too much. But am I asking for too much? Thoughts appreciated.

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Lorna Rose, J.D., M.S.September 28,2022 at 1:23PM UTC
Congrats on the offer! I don’t think you’re asking for too much, and if it seems that they’re excited to have you then I would personally go the way of a little humor-grounded-in-reality: “Can the salary offer be rounded up to an even $20/hr? With midterm elections right around the corner, I’d like to be on the safe side in case of a spike in the cost of fuel (both gasoline and coffee).”
Debra SesholtzSeptember 28,2022 at 1:38PM UTC
Agree with Lorna. It can't hurt to ask. The worse thing they can do is say no. If you don't ask, you'll never know if you could have gotten what you wanted.
Lorna Rose, J.D., M.S.September 28,2022 at 2:22PM UTC
YES to what Debra said: the worst thing they can say is no (and will likely blame it on “the budget”). You won’t lose the opportunity over a 50¢ ask!
Kristie WhiteSeptember 28,2022 at 2:09PM UTC
Ask. Men always do, women often do not. If your research shows the range is comparable with market, ask. You are in the best negotiating position right now and all future raises will be a percentage of your new salary. Ask.
Becca CarnahanSeptember 28,2022 at 2:28PM UTC
1) Congratulations!
2) Totally in agreement with @Kristie White on this. You're in the best negotiating position right now and the starting salary will have an impact on your future earnings.
3) You've got this!
yvette finley PHRSeptember 28,2022 at 2:34PM UTC
Yes ..ask. I would even recommend going higher as the position could have budget flexibility. Do well!
KatSeptember 28,2022 at 2:54PM UTC
This is tough. Most universities have set pay ranges for jobs, often with little wiggle room in the budget for the position to offer more. However, it doesn't hurt to ask for more. Maybe they can meet you in the middle (19.75) or offer you some other enticements, like 3 WFH days instead of 2. You might be able to get a raise and/or a title change that puts you in a higher salary range after a year or so, depending on the department budget and university policies. Then you'd be in your preferred range, just not right away. Good luck and let us know what happens.
Crystal HowellSeptember 28,2022 at 3:11PM UTC
Since you are negotiating your income, I would just ask the range if its possible to add $1, then they may say yes or say .50 is good, or no. If they are excited, lets see how excited.
AnonymousSeptember 28,2022 at 11:34PM UTC
You should negotiate your salary, the worst that can happen is they say no. Go for it, nobody but you knows your financial situation and what you need.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 29,2022 at 12:31AM UTC
I recommend starting the conversation with something like "do we have any wiggle room on the compensation" or "is there any room for negotiation on the compensation".
Some companies present their best offer up front, some companies expect you to negotiate.
Also, do you know what the salary range is for the position? Since this is an internal opportunity, I'd think you'd have access to that information. Why are you asking for $20 specifically?
Stephanie Malcom, MBASeptember 29,2022 at 12:55PM UTC
I would negotiate. That amount is only a couple dollars more than McDonalds. It’s a university. They need to take pride in their staff and raise all salaries to level of economy. This is not saying anything about employers at McDonalds. I use it for comparisons as entry level employment.
Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterSeptember 29,2022 at 3:34PM UTC
Higher education typically doesn't have as much room for negotiations as corporations do...but they do have some. You are asking for very little additional money; I would go for it.
Jocelyn LyonsSeptember 29,2022 at 8:23PM UTC
Agree with Lesa Edwards. Higher Education budgets are typically much more rigid and don't allow for too much wiggle room, however since what you're asking for is minimal, you should definitely try!
AnonymousSeptember 29,2022 at 9:27PM UTC
Update: I asked, but they told me that was the most they could offer. The initial offer as I said was good I was just striving for where I wanted to be. As a lot of you have said you never know if you don't ask. They did sway me with the learning opportunities as a way to invest in me as an asset and the room for growth within the department. Did help sway me a bit. But most of all the ladies I interviewed with and knowing they're who I will be interacting with on a daily basis is what swayed me the most.