Please help, salary says competitive. How much to ask for?

[bytheriverofBabyLoo]

Here's the role

https://www.totaljobs.com/job/personal-assistant-to-managing-director/anderson-wright-consulting-ltd-job83480186

I have been invited to interview. My current role is in London so I have no idea what to ask for in terms of salary because it's outside of London. It's so tricky.

How can I find out what the going rate is locally? I can't find any expired jobs for some reason and PA roles in the area are very few and far between, generally.

I have been given short notice so I'm wanting to get myself prepared 

Are you going to be moving outside of London for the job (eg lower living costs)?
I'd make them aware of your previous salary (if you want to) and let them make you an offer. Don't bother saying you know it was high due to London etc.

It says "competitive basic salary" so I wonder if that means it's at the low end but with lots of extras like medical insurance etc.

Same job appears (think it’s the same) on monster.co.uk 20-40k, quite a wide range!

I would say a job like this could be £30-60k, really depends on the size of the organisation.

I work for a Dr so my salary is, in short, shite (£25K) in London.

I've recently moved to the area. I can't really get an idea of what these PA roles generally offer because they are like gold dust it seems. No other PA roles have been posted in over a month or so.

celtie You absolute star! That is the very same job 

Wow... £20K to £40k dependant on experience? That's an odd jump.. surely if you are after someone good enough to command £40k, you aren't going to also be okay with someone as junior and inexperienced to take £20K? 

Maybe they’re just covering all bases, prepared to take on someone with potential?

If you’re experienced I’d def aim for the higher end - ok it’s not central London but not far away, so not cheap.

Good luck.

‘Competitive’ could well mean ‘as little as we can get away with paying’. I’d ask before the interview if possible.

I reckon you want to go in at 28k minimum

I'd ask for £35k unless you can speak Czech or Slovak.

In that area for that role, with your experience I would go in at c35k

I don't speak Czech or Slovak 

I was going to go in asking for £32K but I think that might be a bit high in this area.

The fact they're advertising £20k to 40k makes me wonder if they're just trying to get someone as cheap as they can...

I’d go £35k then and be open to negotiating down. Always go in higher than you want expecting a little negotiation.

If you're looking for £32k ish then don't tell them you're on £25k just now. If they ask what you're being paid just politely say you'd rather not disclose that.

It won’t go down well if you don’t say what you’re currently on, I work in recruitment. Better to say what you want and why you think that’s fair if pressed, not a good idea to refuse to disclose current salary.

I've also worked in recruitment and there is no need to disclose salary. It's just a way for companies to get you for as cheap as possible.

Another recruitment professional here. IME the purpose of the £40k will be to attract as many applicants as possible, but the chances of anyone being paid that will be almost nil

To me it would be a red flag, though it might be interesting to hear their no doubt well rehearsed story at interview (the last time I heard of this, the employer smirked that it was "a typo")

I'd be asking for 38k and accept 35. The chances of getting a pay rise once you're in an organisation decrease so go in with that expectation