Need advice re: negotiating salary for potential job
 

I had an interview today that went extremely well. The manager who interviewed me is a HUGE dog lover, and we talked about our "babies" for nearly 30 minutes alone lol. She pretty much offered me the job right then and there, but for technicality purposes, I have to do a second interview with corporate.

Here's the problem...she caught me off guard when she asked me what salary I was looking for. I thought that question is typically reserved for the final interview, so I wasn't sure what to answer with. I didn't want to go too high, nor low-ball myself, so I told her I honestly wasn't sure. She then gave a range, and I told her that would be acceptable.

Well now I'm doing some calculations, and I'm not very comfortable with accepting that proposed salary offer. I would really like to ask for $1 more/hour at my second interview, but would it be inappropriate to re-negotiate now? I don't want to appear greedy, but at the same time, I feel I'm worth more than what I unexpectedly "agreed" to.

I don't want to ruin my chances...I really liked this position and company...and the people I'd be working with. So I'd truly appreciate some advice as to how to bring this up at my second interview, or if you think I shouldn't. If you have a similar experience to share, please do!

Is there room in he range she gave you to get you to the salary you want. If she gave you a range of lets say 15-18 an hour when salary is mentioned in the second interview, you could say you were expecting in the higher end of the range. I did a lot of hiring as the director of a claims dept and salary amounts were negotiable within the job grade and experience of the candidate. Good luck sounds like you would have a great boss!

Why don't you send her an email thanking her for meeting with you and let her know that you were caught a little off guard with regard to the salary and that you are really looking for something more in the range of something to something (with the bottom amount being what you are interested in). That way she can think about it and discuss it with you at your next interview. Tell her you are looking forward to your second interview and possibly working with the company. Besides...my theory is "it never hurts to ask". The last job I got I asked for 2 weeks vacation to start immediately and that I wanted insurance the day I started and I was given both of those. EVERYTHING is negotiable!! Good Luck!

YorkieLove, congratulations for a successful interview. If you re-open the subject of salary, I wouldn't use the words, "I was caught off guard..." That isn't a good phrase for any job candidate. No matter what kind of work you will be doing, you want to give the impression that you are never caught off guard.

I would make the case for why you are the best candidate for the position and how you will make a valuable contribution to the company. Then I would bring up salary and say that you were expecting something closer to the range of XXXX, as Patti suggested above.

There is some risk in doing this in the current job market. You have to weigh the risk against the benefit and your other prospects.

Good luck!

Thanks everyone. I know the job market is tough right now, and I'm incredibly blessed to not only currently have a job, but to also have a potential offer for a new one. I know there are many out there who are unemployed and I really feel for them.

As far as the range that was offered, I should have been more clear...she said "I'm thinking between X and Z per hour", and I said "Z amount would be satisfactory". So I chose the higher amount. Also, I should mention that when I told her I was bilingual, she shouted "You're hired!!" LOL...so I have a pretty good feeling I was the strongest candidate. She also mentioned that when she saw my résumé she knew I was it. It's just a matter of getting corporate to agree to my asking for a slightly higher salary than what I agreed to with her. I'd rather not give a range, because I'm really only looking for $1 more, so I'm afraid saying "between x and z amount" might sound worse than saying "a dollar more". Or am I wrong? I'm not good at this kind of thing as you can tell lol!

Excellent! Bilingual is a huge plus, and she was really excited about it -- you definitely have room to negotiate with confidence. Highlight your strengths again in the interview with corporate and re-open the subject of salary. Say that you "gave it more thought."

Good luck!

ETA: I think you can be specific about $1 more.

I agree with all of the comments above! As mentioned already it would be really good to send an email thanking her for interviewing you! It's good etiquette and also shows that you are not cocky but confident! If they really want you (and it clearly seems that they do) then you definitely have room to negotiate! If it's reasonable they will go that extra mile to scoop you up! So just humbly ask and about the salary but first, make sure you shoot off that thank you email tonight! And make it more personal than just a generic thank you note! Tell her what you loved about meeting with her personally, why you are excited about potentially being offered the job, what you love about the company etc. Believe it or not sometimes even the best candidates drop the ball on this step and going the extra mile by thanking her pushes you to the front and keeps you there!! Good luck! Can't wait to hear if you got the job so keep us posted!! Yaay!!

All very good advice, trust me I am a professional job interviewer (I have been on a lot of them in the last 4 years and have always received an offer).

Yes send a thank you email but I would wait until the second interview to discuss the salary.

I will keep my fingers crossed for you, good luck and good karma.

You guys are awesome, thanks!

I actually did send a thank you email, and I did mention some things that were discussed. I kept the tone fairly informal since that was how the actual interview was. I guess I'll just wait and see who/what I encounter on interview #2 and decide then how to (or if I should) discuss the salary issue. Like I mentioned earlier, I really want this job. It's a great position, but most important they would be flexible with my school schedule, and that's the #1 thing I'm looking for in my new employment. It's hard to find a job like that these days, so I'm very happy about that. :D

I'll let you guys know what happens and if I get that extra buck!! :p

Congrats on the good interview! I just wanted to tell you about an experience I had. My first real "adult" job, I was recommended by my friend that was already working there. I asked him how much he was getting (we are good friends) and he told me, so that was how much I asked for when they asked me what I was looking for. They lowballed me, and what I ended up asking them was to put me on a 3 month "probationary" period at the lower salary, and if they were pleased with me to bump me up to what I had asked.