I'm an 8 year data center network engineer who recently broke 100k for the first time. When I got asked my salary requirements I actually only asked for 90k as my highest previous salary was 80k with lots of travel, then I found out they gave me 100k because it was the minimum they could pay someone in my position. I've read before about people making crazy salary increases (150%-300%) and am wondering if I played it incorrectly and how I could play it in the future. I plan to stay with my company for the next few years and upskilling heavily and am eyeing a promotion in my first year as I've already delivered big projects by contributing very early. I've progressed from call center/help desk/engineer etc (no degree, just certs) so my progression has been pretty linear, are people who are seeing massive jumps in pay just overselling their competency and failing forward? Or are there other fields in IT like programming/etc that are more likely to have higher progression scales?
Unless you have enough knowledge of pay for your position and industry you are operating at a disadvantage. You are not obligated to provide a number to start the negotiations, and asking them what the budget is is not “denying the negotiation”
You are interviewing and the interviewer usually asks the questions. After all the interviewer already has a job and you are supposedly looking for one. In this scenario you are always operating at a disadvantage, because I know the budget and you don't.
You are not obligated to provide a number by law or anything, but if I ask for one and you go "no you" that is just… Weird and unprofessional.
I'll end the discussion here though and wish you all the best with your future negotiations. I just wanted to provide a counter point from the perspective of an IT manager.
I’m also an IT manager. I lead a large team and manage managers and engineers from entry level to staff engineer. If I interviewed with you I’d skip out the door and tell everyone to avoid your company like the plague.
It’s dishonest to say “it’s ok for me to ask the candidate to name a salary but not ok for them to ask me.” That’s how we get pay inequity and ensure that workers’ power is diminished. “Usually the interviewer asks the questions” is WILD. I make sure to give candidates multiple opportunities to ask questions and provide honest answers. The idea that they would begin to ask a question and I’d say “well thanks for your time but we’re done here” is legitimately hilarious.
Maybe you’re hiring for extremely entry level positions (like…cashier) or something where the job is extremely well defined and you’re looking for a pair of hands to do a job but I want to hire the kind of people who ask these questions.
Lmao I did never say that. You can ask questions but I cannot tell you about confidential information, e.g. the exact budget. After all you could just be someone sent from a competitor.
Something you probably should know as a manager.
Ehm no, as a manager you can circumvent that very easily by just paying people the same amount or offering the same amount at least.
That is a very euphemistic way to describe a lack of roles and responsibilities within your company. That is something I would avoid like the plague.
Yeah I think the most generous interpretation here is that we have very different management styles. May our paths never cross professionally.