to ask for a higher salary?

[uhOhOhDear]

I have a job interview tomorrow afternoon. It's part time and local and the work looks interesting, it's what I'd really like to do. However, on the job spec the salary being offered is a lot less than the market rate for someone qualified in this profession.

If I were offered the job, by the time I'd paid childcare at market rate, I'd be taking home next to no money due to the salary being under market rate. Aibu to mention this if I got to the stage of being offered the job? Obviously I may not be offered the job etc, but I'm a bit unsure what to do if I am and when to mention it...

The recruitment consultant is encouraging me to keep quiet, prove my worth and get a pay rise in time etc, but I know the job is underpaid for what they are expecting.

The best time to negotiate a higher salary is upon job offer, not when you are already on be job and being underpaid. It is difficult to catch up from this in my opinion. At a pinch, you might negotiate a pay review in 3 months as part of the process. Unfortunately your recruitment consultant's advice might be taken with a pinch of salt as he will get commission if you get the job and accept it. He can't necessarily be relied upon to be an advocate for you- not all RCs are like this of course.
On the other hand just because you are not making profit fom working right now doesn't mean it won't be worth while. If you will like the job then you might decide to suck it up for now and reap the benefits in a few years time when Dc are at school.

Of course the consultant is encouraging you to keep quiet - it's better for them if you quietly take the job. And of course you should negotiate on salary if you are offered it. One of the reasons for the male/female pay gap is that women are far less likely to argue for a higher salary upfront, even when they are highly qualified candidates.

It sounds as if you know how much the market rate etc is, and are in a good position to negotiate. Go for it. Be calm and confident. Don't mention the childcare issue, which has nothing to do with the company. Make your case on its merits re your qualifications, market rate etc.

Depends how desperate you are for a job, I guess.

Are they offering under market value for the advertised job, or for what you could offer in that role? Because if it's only the latter you would struggle to convince them in my experience.

I was once offered a new job on the same headline salary as the job I wanted desperately to leave, but it was based on a longer working week (37 instead of 35) so effectively a pay cut. It took a lot of negotiating to squeeze an extra couple of thousand out of them because it was a big company with a fairly rigid pay scale, and it would have been very politically complicated for them to pay that money for that job title. I was worth it but they didn't know that.

Anyway, the tl;dr version: if you are offered the job it's worth considering what you can actually afford to work for, taking into account immediate expenses and also "investing in your future". And don't listen to the recruitment agent - they'd rather have 10% of not-much than 0% of what-you're-worth.

I would ask for the market rate. I took a job, didn't negotiate & now I resent the fact I am woefully underpaid for what I do.

Thanks, I won't mention childcare costs then :-)

I have a part time job already, which pays over the market rate but isn't in the field I want to work in long term (though same profession). I would expect to take a pay cut, but not to less than the minimum for someone qualified in this profession. Hopefully the employer will like me and my experience and will be willing to increase the base salary, but I will only ask at the point of a job offer - probably best to ask the employer directly at that point rather than the biased recruitment consultant I suspect.

It's not all about money but I need to be able to afford to live, I agree this is why women get underpaid too.

If the recruitment consultant is actually any good at their job rather than just being a glorified administrator then they should negotiate a better rate for you if you are offered the job.

But yes you should negotiate at the point of offer.