Offered new job: How do I negotiate where on the salary scale I start?

[ThePartyArtist]

Finally, after over a year and a half of job searching, and 15 interviews I have got a new job! The salary is advertised at £22.5k - £25.5k, and currently I earn £19k. The job is for 18 months so I am unlikely to progress through that scale (by normal increments ralated to length of service) in that time. I would like to negotiate so I don't start at the lowest end of this scale - any tips for how I can do that, given that the new employer is aware I currently earn less than the low end of the scale?

First of all, Congratulations!!

It is difficult to say where you would sit without knowing what the job is and your experience but I would say you could ask for £24k. People like to chance there luck and are very rarely honest about how much they are currently on (have you told them already?) If they are giving a scale of how much they are willing to pay, i very much doubt anyone would say 'great thanks, I'll just take the least amount'. If they aren't willing to pay that for whatever reason, they will make an offer of what they deem reasonable. Have they asked what you would be looking for?

just heard from them that they have a company policy of starting you on the lowest if you're an external candidate (or matching if you're internal) so question answered really. Thanks though!