How to ask for the top offered salary - job application related

[donotknowhownottomind]

Hi

I am currently on 21K and went for an interview for a role which is similar but I would say broader and more challenging. It was advertised as up to 30K according to qualifications etc.

The interview went well and they told me they really liked me and had been looking for months and to expect a call. They had a couple of other candidates to see.

They also asked me what I am earning currently. I said 21K but I should have said that my current boss has asked me to stay and is upping my salary (not sure by how much, will find out on Monday).

If and when they do offer me the job, due to my being on 21K now, I don’t think they will offer me 30K.

However, this is what I want and need. When they don’t offer me 30, what justification can I give for wanting and needing that much without sounding pushy.

I think my experience warrants 30 (how long is a piece of string) but I am also a single parent to three on tax credits, so I really need to earn more and receive less in credits before I become ineligible. I wouldn’t tell them all that, but that’s the general situation.

I am prepared to carry on looking for another job if I don’t get the 30, but I don’t know how to imply that. Any advice appreciated 😊!

It depends on your current role. If this new role is more skilled then it’s unlikely that you will have the experience needed to succeed straight away - this is especially the case if both roles are in the same city - so the lower salary would take into account the higher costs of training you.

I would suggest 21K to 25k and then 25k to 30k are more realistic salary jumps outside of London for non-professional roles. You could do it within 2 years.

Be straightforward and honest.

‘Given my skills and qualifications and the profile of the role, I won’t be able to accept the offer for less than £30k. I am currently working in a role that I’m overqualified for, and they have made me a counteroffer to keep me. I really want to take this role and work for your organisation, but I can’t make it work for below the £30k you advertised.’

I don't think you would be successful /look reasonable asking for that much more. They might make you an offer of say 23k, you tell them your current employer is offering you 24 to stay and they might up their offer to 25k etc but if they think you are asking for too much they will just move on to someone else.

Totally depends on the job. My ExH doubled his salary when he was head hunted, depends how much they want you!

No not more skilled - just broader. It’s an admin role. I have heaps of admin experience, and now quite a lot of school admin experience as well (it’s in a school).

If my current boss offers me 24K which I think she might, can I go back to the people and say look I can get 24 where I am so would like 30 please? My school has less resources - is much smaller - so pays less.

I agree. They may also decide that if they are offering 30k and all the applicants are earning 21k that the role was incorrectly advertised and thus reduce the salary.

“I’ve now been offered £26k by my current employer in recognition of my skill set and as the role was advertised at £30k this is the salary I’m looking for.”

In future I wouldn’t necessarily be as honest about your current salary! You don’t have to tell them or you can obfuscate by saying “I’m looking for x, which is what you’ve advertised” or “the package adds up to around x”

Sorry missed some posts.

Maybe it won’t look reasonable, I don’t know, but I am prepared to move on to a job
where they are offering 30.

Thanks for the suggestion for the suggestion Jassy.

Oops typo.

In future I wouldn’t necessarily be as honest about your current salary!

I agree!

It really depends on how desperate they are (they say they’ve been looking for months) and how clear you are about £30k being your minimum. Once you’ve worked out your minimum, there isn’t a downside in playing hardball - you know you won’t change jobs for below £x amount so they potentially have much more to lose than you if they’re more desperate than you are.

Okay thanks. Will be straightforward.

If it comes to it.

Another question - they asked me for a completed application form as I had only sent in a CV. When I send it, should I at that point say what salary I am looking for, or wait until they potentially offer me the job?

I am an employer - here is how I would approach this siutation.

If I decided that you were my preferred candidate - I would probably open with offering you £25K and be willing to negotiate up to £27K.

I would really have to think long and hard before offering you £30K.

It would depend on what I thought of the second placed candidate. If there was a good second choice and you wouldn't accept £27K then I may move on to my second choice.

If there wasn't a good second choice then I would be weighing up the cost and hassle of going back out for recruitment against whether you are worth £30K.

BTW if this doesnt work out please dont lie on application forms about your salary. Salary confirmation is often asked for on references - it will also be obvious when you hand over your P45 to your new employer. If you lie, you will probably be found out and will then lose your new job.

You can leave salary info blank on a form - a lot of people do but don't lie.

Thank you that’s very helpful.

It wouldn’t be my natural inclination to lie at all but two people have already told me I should have. They were saying there is no way they would find out. Not that that necessarily makes it better!

Given my skills and qualifications and the profile of the role, I won’t be able to accept the offer for less than £30k. I am currently working in a role that I’m overqualified for, and they have made me a counteroffer to keep me. I really want to take this role and work for your organisation, but I can’t make it work for below the £30k you advertised.’

This^!

Ignore all other comments. It doesn’t matter whether you’re experienced enough for the job or not. (That’s their problem if they hire you) or whether you’re worth the 30k. What matters is that they need to believe you will walk away at anything less than £30k. That’s it. Bottom line. £30k or no deal. be super confident (not arrogant but not desperate) when putting this to them. You’re not justifying your request- you’re presenting your terms, they can take it or leave it.

Don’t tell them what your current employer has offered. Just tell them they have offered and 30k is what you need to take the new job.

You've had some good advice already and I agree that you need to make it clear that your experience warrants £30k and if they offer less then you should counter offer.
If it helps I went from £18k to £30k in a job move so its definitely possible!

I hate this situation. I was offered a new job and the money was actually less than what I was on and my current job at the time were willing to negotiate to keep me but I definitely knew I wanted to leave so it was slightly easier for me.

I’d be clear, honest and polite. Or if you could come up with some sort of agreement eg £25k rising to £30k after a year? Something like that.

Good luck OP! Being willing to walk away is a pretty good negotiating position.

Don’t lie in future, if you did that at my workplace, the job offer would be withdrawn when we discovered during pre employment checks.

I think you might be pushing it to get £30k at this point and would aim for high 20s, being the 24 you are hopefully going to be on, plus an incentive to move. Perform well and ask for another pay rise in a year or so.

Does the new role have a salary scale? If it does, and 30 is the top of it, they'd be unlikely to recruit for 30 as then you wouldn't have any progression.

It’s so easy for people who aren’t in your position to say ‘just lie about what you earn’ but it’s not as easy at that when you’re the one having to tell them lie.