[Gllug] Vacancy: MySQL DBA (London)

[Jose Luis Martinez]

On Thu, Jul 10, 2008 at 10:04 AM, Vidar Hokstad
<vidar at aardvarkmedia.co.uk> wrote:
>
<snip>
>
> I find it annoying too, but on the other hand I've seen first hand
> that in some cases it really makes no sense - I've interviewed for
> positions where the original salary suggestion from the employer was
> significantly below what I'd consider, but where the recruiter told me
> after having seen my CV he thought they could push it up.

Recruiters *always* say that. They have a not so vested interest in
trying their luck.

> Sure enough,
> I've had offers in excess of 50% above the stated ranges twice after
> negotiations (and on that point: I long ago stopped accepting a first
> offer - if an employer really wants you they'll come back with more,
> often more than once)

Lets say somebody is offering £30K, if I can push it up to £45K
(seriously? A company meddling so much with a salary offer are  acting
in bad faith, have no control of their budget or have no idea about
the market rates for a given set of skills) it is still way below what
 senior positions in some specific industries will offer. So knowing a
range of the money on offer is extremely helpful.

In the other side of the scale, if a job is offering £70K you must
really know your stuff if you are going to apply (although the skill
set should make this also obvious).

An "offering" that is too vague is not  an offering, it is a fishing
expedition and should be treated as such.


>
>> As for claiming
>> that the salary on offer is dependent on the candidate's current
>> salary? What possible relevance does that have? Pay the going rate
>> for the role and the level of experience. What someone is being paid
>> for a different role at another company really has no bearing on the
>> matter.
>
> I agree with you, but at the same time it does have _some_ relevance:
> It's a way for hiring managers to assess what others have thought
> you're worth. As such, if they offer you something in the same
> ballpark they feel more confident that they're not overpaying you.

It doesn't, or should not have. A serious company has a budget,
investigates the market and offers a salary based on those
considerations. The candidate's previous salary should have no bearing
in how much they are willing to pay.

>
> But at the same time people should keep in mind that it's a
> negotiating tool, and whether or not you tell them your salary it will
> often be used as a negotiating tool if you don't accept their first
> offer ("Why do you think you're worth so much more? And how come you
> were unable to convince your current manager to give you a raise if
> it's really what you're worth?")

Q. Why do you think you're worth so much more?
A. Because my skills are x,y,z and my expertise industry is this, this
and that and I am certified in this, this and this.

Q. And how come you were unable to convince your current manager to
give you a raise if  it's really what you're worth?
A. Because the budgetary constraints of my company did not allow him
to do so, in spite of him wanting to.

Go on, it is not difficult to play this game, I personally always say
how much I want, not how much I am earning, because in reality such
information is nobody else's business.

>
> Vidar
>
>
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