Michigan-Detroit

NWR: Job Poll - What are you worth????..

Back story: Austin interviewed for a job that he is currently working for as a contractor. They asked him what salary he was looking for and he told them a figure $40000 less that what he is really worth. He lost a lot of sleep on Friday night kicking himself in the azz for not knowing what he was really worth. He will be talking to his sponsor today to see what they will be offering

Do you know what you are worth in the job market?
You don't have to list it.

Re: NWR: Job Poll - What are you worth????..

  • sunkissed212sunkissed212 member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    I don't know that I have an exact dollar figure of what I'm worth but I definitely think I'm worth a heck of a lot more than what i'm getting paid. And I think that most people are working for a considerable amount less than what they are really worth. The problem is that companies can get away with it in this economy because people are looking for any work and can't afford to be as picky in terms of salaries/benefits/etc as they were when the job market wasn't so cut throat and difficult.  With 100+ people applying for the same position, companies are going to look at equally qualified candidates and end up hiring the one that they can get away with paying the least amount of money. It's a sad reality right now. 

    I'm sure he was kicking himself for saying it but if he's really in need of a job, sometimes it benefits to take the hit at the beginning to get in the door and then work your azz off and earn raises and promotions. I think that it's a lot easier to get promoted once you're in a company than to get in in the first place. I hope that it works out for him!!
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  • edited December 2011

    Wow, 40K below? That's huge. 10K, understandable but what was he thinking?!? Did he just not know or did he really want to job?

    I know what I'm worth but really,  I'm only worth what a person with comparable experience is willing to work for. I wish people would stand up for what they are worth, even in this economy.

  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_nwr-job-poll-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:719d0bbe-7f66-479e-a91f-c3fdbe727892Post:b47f09a7-7674-48aa-88d5-e50ae57be141">Re: NWR: Job Poll - What are you worth????..</a>:
    [QUOTE]I don't know that I have an exact dollar figure of what I'm worth but I definitely think I'm worth a heck of a lot more than what i'm getting paid. And I think that most people are working for a considerable amount less than what they are really worth. The problem is that companies can get away with it in this economy because people are looking for any work and can't afford to be as picky in terms of salaries/benefits/etc as they were when the job market wasn't so cut throat and difficult.  With 100+ people applying for the same position, companies are going to look at equally qualified candidates and end up hiring the one that they can get away with paying the least amount of money. It's a sad reality right now.  I'm sure he was kicking himself for saying it but if he's really in need of a job, sometimes it benefits to take the hit at the beginning to get in the door and then work your azz off and earn raises and promotions. I think that it's a lot easier to get promoted once you're in a company than to get in in the first place. I hope that it works out for him!!
    Posted by sunkissed212[/QUOTE]

    I could no have said it any better. I do believe that there are companies that are willing to pay top dollars for top employees, especially when dealing with finance. I think this is where DH has been lucky. It'll be interesting to hear what they offer him.
  • edited December 2011
    I was an internal promotion so I know I make significantly less than what I am worth and also what my peers get paid.  You would think being promoted from within would mean you deserve more $$ lol. 

    Hopefully Austin will get what he deserves :)
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  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_nwr-job-poll-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:719d0bbe-7f66-479e-a91f-c3fdbe727892Post:e4130c2c-aee7-404e-a214-22312f62a0ee">Re: NWR: Job Poll - What are you worth????..</a>:
    [QUOTE]I was an internal promotion so I know I make significantly less than what I am worth and also what my peers get paid.  You would think being promoted from within would mean you deserve more $$ lol. 
    Posted by stebbe81[/QUOTE]

    The company I work for does the same thing (kind of). You have to really negotiate your salary in order to get what you think you are worth. I know the salary ranges for each pay level in my company, so when I do get promoted from within, I have to negotiate to get the best salary.

    I'm 99% sure I know what i'm worth (around about). When I graduated college, my family was shocked that I was striving for a salary (they thought was high for a college grad) but I got it!

    Hopefully Austin will get what he should, and the company knows what someone with his skills should be paid. Best of Luck!
  • Sue-n-KevinSue-n-Kevin member
    Seventh Anniversary 5000 Comments 25 Love Its First Answer
    edited December 2011
    I totally agree with the comments regarding the employment market and the economy. But having been employed for a LONG time, I also know that most companies have salary bands and try to stay within them when hiring. The salary bands may have changed, up or down, depending on the economy, but they do exist to make sure companies attempt to pay what the job is worth, not just undercut salary offers to new hires. They have these bands for a few reasons, but mostly to pay competitive salaries to hire and keep qualified people and to make sure they cannot be accused of discriminatory practices when it comes to pay inequities. I also know this is a simplistic explanation and many companies veer from it. Having said all this, the current economy and high unemployment have pushed salaries down, I know.

    My last job paid way too little, a fact I knew from checking salary.com. This local Detroit company historically pays too little, doesn't care that they do, but has a lot of "perks", so for a while it was ok. The job paid 30% below comparable jobs in the same field and geographic area. But after looking for a year, with interviews, I found a new job that pays a salary in the range of what's acceptable. Thankfully I'm not looking now.
     

  • Julz629Julz629 member
    2500 Comments Combo Breaker
    edited December 2011
    I agree with PPs regarding the job market having an affect on pay.

    I more or less know what I'm worth, but I also believe that I am paid less than that.  I graduated college 4.5 years ago and worked in retail for almost 2 years (as well as retail experience in college).  I realized it wasn't what I wanted to do long term and was looking to make the change to advertising.  I had a very tough time because I was a couple years and jobs out of college, with no relevant experience.  When my current company hired me 2.5 years ago, I was so happy to get into the right industry that I took a significant paycut (25%) to get this job.  Now, 2.5 years later, I have had raises and promotions that have helped me out, but I still believe I am getting paid less than I deserve.  However, I like my job and I feel very secure so I am willing to accept a little less money in exchange for job security.
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  • edited December 2011
    Yikes - $40K is a ton to lose, hopefully they offer him more than whatever he suggested. I have an idea of the salary range I should be in but I know I could be making more. However I also have a very nice benefits package, so that balances out the salary.
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  • edited December 2011
    This is a really hot topic for me.  I'm a social worker (and I think that the other human service people would agree) that we are overworked and underpaid.  It's well known that social workers are paid dirt and when you go into the profession you accept that you'll never make 80-100K/yr.  I got my masters degree to open more doors and get more money in the field but the search for the right job with the right money is long and gruelling.  It just seems so silly to me that in a lot of social work jobs (specifically the ones I'm interested in) you're really putting you're life on the line and in dangerous situations, commonly alone... for that you would think that I'd be getting paid some phat dough... unfortunately not.  It's kind of the same thing as the police officer salary thing.

    Ok, sorry - end vent.
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  • edited December 2011
    In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/local-wedding-boards_michigan-detroit_nwr-job-poll-worth?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Local Wedding BoardsForum:88Discussion:719d0bbe-7f66-479e-a91f-c3fdbe727892Post:d638046b-3e39-47ff-9649-0fc19542bca1">Re: NWR: Job Poll - What are you worth????..</a>:
    [QUOTE]Wow, 40K below? That's huge. 10K, understandable but what was he thinking?!? Did he just not know or did he really want to job? I know what I'm worth but really,  I'm only worth what a person with comparable experience is willing to work for. I wish people would stand up for what they are worth, even in this economy.
    Posted by mordacious[/QUOTE]

    Oh yeah thats huge, thats why we both lost so much sleep over the entire thing. He was working in telecom and was way under pay. He actually forgot what he was really worth as crazy as that sound. He was thinking about starting his own consulting business and I think he just wasn't thinking about it .

    I told him, you have to be on top of it regardless of the situation with the economy. He has the potential of making 6 figures in his field and this salary will put him pretty darn close.
  • ms nobodyms nobody member
    1000 Comments
    edited December 2011
    i'm not sure what i'm worth on the job market in general. i'm in a field for which i have no relevant degree (i work in libraries). even with my experience working in libraries on both the public service side as well as a academic researcher, and my level of education, i am certainly not paid as well as i should be. (i'm barely paid a living wage, to be honest).

    basically the only way to make more than 32-25k in a library is to get a masters degree, but even then you wouldn't be paid very well unless you worked as a corporate librarian or were a director of some sort.
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