Ok, I need some serious, experienced job hunters advice. The situation:

I am currently working for a non-profit doing all their communications/marketing and some other items. I have a job offer at the best ad agency in town in their PR dept. It's a great move, and I'm 80% sure of taking it. However...

it's a bigger cut in salary than I was hoping. 11% to be more specific and I was hoping to only have to take 7.5% at most. We're talking a difference of roughly $2,000 here between what I was hopping to be offered and what I was offerd, so it's not like it's a LOT of money. The thing is the offer is a good one (title-wise) and they've put me near the top of the payscale for the title, asking for what I wanted would literally top me out compared to anyone else with the same title throughout the company.

I've come up with a number between theirs and mine that would be acceptable, but I've never had to negotiate a salary like this. How do I do it without sounding greedy (but without sacrificing my bottom line)? Do I go in and give them the number I had hoped for (7.5% less than what I'm at now), or the number that I think is reasonable between theirs and mine?

Any help and advice would be greatly appreciated!

~A

This is confusing. Why are you changing jobs?...why would a for profit pay less than a non-profit?

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

davester Wrote:
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> This is confusing. Why are you changing
> jobs?...why would a for profit pay less than a
> non-profit?

Because I have little to no opportunity for advancement where I am currently at. However, at an agency I could move up exponentially as well as move into a major agency or into the corporate side due to my increased exposure. and a for profit pays less than a non-profit pays when a non-profit is willing to do anything to keep you around. I stuck it out for longer than many corporate VP's on my board thought I would (they've all been recruiting me to move to Las Vegas and come work for them, to bad I hate Vegas summers!)

Let them know you're aware that you're taking a hit in pay, and that you're happy to in exchange for opportunities to advance--but before you take the job, sit down with them and map out those opportunities.

Get a career path going. Lay down objectives on both sides, with an action plan to meet them and move forward, step by step.

You're willing to do this now in exchange for life moving forward for you later. They have to accept this and agree to it.

If they balk...don't take it.

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In the words of DharmaDog: "it may or may not be utter horse@#$%&, but it shouldn't be dismissed simply because it doesn't agree with your opinion."

Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.

Trying is the first step to failure. -- Homer Simpson

tahoedrew Wrote:
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> Because I have little to no opportunity for
> advancement where I am currently at. However, at
> an agency I could move up exponentially as well as
> move into a major agency or into the corporate
> side due to my increased exposure.

Well, that answers it for me.

Stepping back a couple of thousand to get on a path that allows a substantial move forward vs. staying at a place where you are topped out... Seems pretty easy, assuming the personalities work and you've got the right feel about the place.

I would shoot for the mid-point. It doesn't sound greedy to respond to their offer with the point that it would be a hit and ask for a compromise salary.

You might also consider negotiating non-cash perks that would supplement a lower salary.

I agree with elmo on this one. As long as they fully understand that this is a non-trivial pay cut for you, and you both agree in writing as to what to expect from each other in the forseable future and commit to it on paper, then go ahead.

I can't even begin to count on the number of times my wife and I have been burned by promises that have never occured with job changes. A supervisor can always find a way to make it look like it is beyond their control, but if HR signs off on it, there is no one who can back out of the deal.

This is why I am self empoloyed now. I trust no one who pays me unless I get it in writing. I don't have to.

And for the record, lots of non-profits pay far better than for-profit business when you are above a peon position. They always try and act poor, but they are just cheap with the outside help.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/23/2006 06:31PM by Racer X.

You can be about 99% sure that whatever verbal promises are made now will be no good later. Now (before you have signed on) is the time to set the baseline salary for the rest of your career at the new place. A year from now, nobody will remember or want to know that you took a pay cut to come there (the same people may not even be negotiating your future salaries). If this is their initial offer then you still need to do some negotiation...generally the initial offer is expected to be negotiated. I would advise that you not name a figure but tell them what your prior salary was and tell them that you would like them to come as close to that as possible. You've got nothing to lose with such a strategy.

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"In science it often happens that scientists say, 'You know that's a really good argument; my position is mistaken,' and then they would actually change their minds and you never hear that old view from them again. They really do it. It doesn't happen as often as it should, because scientists are human and change is sometimes painful. But it happens every day. I cannot recall the last time something like that happened in politics or religion." (1987) -- Carl Sagan

lifeguard on weekends?