An Anonymous Geek's Diary
I talked the HR person. The company sounds interesting. The job is pretty much what I am doing now. Conditions? Much worse. I’d have to work more for less, and likely be on-call permanently. I’ve told the guy that I’d definitely need to negotiate those terms. I seriously doubt they’ll offer me a decent package though.
Let’s hear some opinions: Would you guys accept a fun job if it effectively means a 15% salary cut?
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September 21st, 2007 at 2:22 pm
notmarcus
A fun job? Yes.
The same job you’re in, just for a different company… I doubt that there’ll be enough fun.
September 21st, 2007 at 6:09 pm
Sandniggah
No, no and thrice no.
There’s abolutely no reason for IT people to take cuts these days (depending on Geography).
I would do my current job in Thailand for a 15% cut…but that’s because cost of living over there is more than 15% cheaper than here (It’s also a much more civilised place to live).
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:53 pm
secretgeek
It’s not like I hate what I am doing, Marcus, the environment I have to do it in is a large factor in my dissatisfaction.
I have thought about the issue some more, and I think I would not mind a pay cut if there are other advantages, say a very generous training program or something like that. So far, this position doesn’t seem to offer that. I think I am sticking with what I told the headhunter: If they indeed wish to talk to me, they’ll have to be prepared to negotiate the pay.
And if they don’t want to – hell, I am not in that much of a hurry to get out of my current company. I have another year or so.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:17 am
Rover
If the working environment was good and the cut not bad enough so that I’d lose quality of living, I’d take it.
But like Sandniggah said above, Geography should be the only reason for IT people to take cuts. Try to negotiate at least a 0% salary variation. Ask “what can you offer me to offset the fact that I’d be making 15% less?” and see what happens.
September 26th, 2007 at 9:24 am
secretgeek
For the record: I haven’t heard back from them yet. I am not sure if that’s good or bad (I think the company who does the screening for them is probably professional enough to also send rejections; but of course you never know), but in the end I think I tend to agree.
They didn’t really offer very good arguments for the pay cut. But in the end such things are always negotiated. The company tries 15% lower, I’ll hit 20% higher, we agree on a modest increase over my current salary. That sounds about right.
But I am not even sure I would want to sign up for it. As Marcus said, it’s probably not really that different, and I am quite fed up of IT. Still, if the company is good, it might actually be fun.
November 18th, 2007 at 3:11 pm
Lessons from Job Search « Geek’s Secret Life
[...] of responses you get. Remember the people who actually had the guts to ask for me to take a stiff cut on my salary? Well, guess what – it’s been six weeks and they never got back to me. Am I asking too much [...]