negotiating salary - have I blown it?

patchouli

I have an interview on Friday(with company A). I am confident that I will probably be offered this job. They asked me some questions via email yesterday. One of these was what salary was I on in my last job and what was I currently expecting. I emailed them back. Told them what I was on and said that I'd expect "similar" for the contract that they were offering me.

This morning I got a call from another company(company (which it probably wouldn't suit me to work for), and they asked me what salary I would expect. Confident that I will be hired by company A, I quoted a salary 3 grand higher than what I had been on with my old company a few months ago, and was told that they would pay me at least this amount... (company B have to get back to me later).

But it's company A that I really want to work for. And I feel a bit sickened now that I might have sold myself short - I really should have asked for more money than I was on before!!!! (The reason I didn't I suppose was because I need to get a job asap and I have been off "the market" for a while now).

I'm just wondering is there any way that I could raise the issue of salary again at my interview on Friday?
Could I contradict what I said in my email to them by saying something like "that figure was the least that I would be expecting"? Or pretend to forget that they'd already asked me about salary and ask them "what is the salary"?
Or could I mention that I was offered more by another company..?
What if they already have a contract printed out with the salary I asked for agreed to?

Thanks for any advice

sector

After you are offered the job formally then you can haggle a bit more on salary.

for example, congrats we'd like to offer you the job at say 30k, right & that's what you indicated, then you thank them for the "offer" & ask about all the other perks working for the company & if they come short your in business for upping the salary, for example, pension, medical, do they pay all/any of your mobile? a laptop, a car blah blah you get the idea.

BossArky

They would obviously want to be paying you more than your last job if they were thinking about trying to motivate you.

Also, they wouldn't have a printed out contract with a fixed salary on it... sure they can just fire up word, change the amount and print off another copy... it will cost them €3,000.05 altogher (5p for the paper sheet and 3 grand for increasing the salary)

fatboypee

Whats the story with Company B ? Why can't you work for them ?

IF a definite offer came in from company B for the higher amount then you could mention it in the meeting on Friday........

I've always been a bit careful of quoting an 'im earning xxxx' comment as if you get employed by that company then you need to give them your P45 and thereby they will find out what you were actually on.....

Tazz T

On average people who move job increase their salary by 5% while doing so. You should factor this into any salary negotiations - why would any company expect you to work for them at the same salary instead of your current position?

RainyDay

Don't make your final decision based on salary. There are more important things in life.

fatboypee

RainyDay wrote:

Don't make your final decision based on salary. There are more important things in life.

Very true, but if you accept a job and already feel undervalued its not a good thing either...

Fatboy..

shakaman

RainyDay wrote:

Don't make your final decision based on salary. There are more important things in life.

But if there's two v similar jobs on offer with one paying more than the other I know which one I'd be taking!

[Jackass]

Re-quote them. Tell them you have been offerd a job at another firm (Company B, even though this may not be true) and they have offerd salary of e.g.€100k, but tell them you are very interested in working for them (company A), so would they be willing to match it, and if so, you will go to them.

There's no point working somewhere if you're not earning your best salary...especially now, while your already moving job, you should deffenatly take time to find the best offer...negotiation is always about playing 1 off the other

Peace

DubGuy wrote:

There's no point working somewhere if you're not earning your best salary.

Thats not true at all.... there may be a number of reasons he may choose to work somewhere for a lesser salary that he may get elsewhere.