Subject:
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Getting a job - advice from the experts (was: Re: What happened?)
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate, lugnet.off-topic.geek
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Date:
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Wed, 23 Jun 1999 03:26:50 GMT
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Reply-To:
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c576653@cclabs.missouri^IHateSpam^.edu
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Viewed:
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961 times
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Larry Pieniazek wrote:
>
> In lugnet.off-topic.debate, Christopher L. Weeks writes:
> > Larry Pieniazek wrote:
> > >
> > > Why salaries and comp are closely guarded may be an interesting .debate
> > > topic.
> >
> > I'm in the process of finding a new employer now, and I'm using
> > recruiters (headhunters) for the first time. What am I supposed to
> > answer when they ask what I make? I'd rather not tell them, but I also
> > don't want them to fail to pass on my resumes as a result of my being
> > difficult. The truth is, that I make about half of what I'd like to be
> > making at the next place, but if I admit how little I'm making I'm
> > afraid I will be taken less seriously.
> >
> > Any advice anyone?
>
> Don't answer specifically until and unless you are about to get a job offer
> from a specific firm. Do your research about what you are worth, then answer
> the "what do you make" question from a headhunter with "well below market,
> which is 90K for a programmer with my skills" or whatever. Make sure 90K is
> about the right answer... don't claim market is a lot above what it really is.
>
> However, a 100% jump is a very hard jump to achieve, even in a jobseekers
> market like now. You better have a really really good story as to why you are
> so underpaid.
I would say that it's the norm for a midwestern public university in a
town where the ACCRA cost of living index is .9 or so. People move from
here to industry in St. Louis or Kansas City and typically pick up a
%50+ raise. Moving to the west coast usually includes a 100%+ increase
for programmers and sysadmins.
> > Oh, and while I'm at it, anyone hiring in New Jersey?
>
> Yes. People are hiring everywhere. What is more accurate is to ask if anyone is
> hiring your skills, which without more info is hard to answer.
Well, I meant that mostly in jest, but I'll try to take advantage of
this attention and learn a little more...
I have a hard time answering that. I work on the management team
operating a 150 employee (mostly face to face) help desk and system of
student computing facilities. I'm an advanced user with a whole slew of
common software and I've hacked around with Basic, 8-bit Atari
assembler, Pascal, C++, and perl but I am by NO means a real programmer.
Mostly, I manage (hire, discipline, fire, train, help, backup,
schedule, etc.) these help desk employees. I do informal project
management (when a recruiter asks about life-cycles and full-range and
MS Project I don't know the jargon) as a matter of course, and I am
especially good at interfacing the three groups of people that I work
with: techie geeks in the back room, non-technical clients asking
questions, and management doing whatever. I can do delivery and
creation of technical training, but I haven't been a full-time trainer
in a few years.
So, I would have a hard time listing skills in a straightforward way as
with a RPG character. Basically, I'm not sure how to sell myself.
Now, is anyone hiring my skills in Jersey? I can find sites like
dice.com and headhunter.com, I'm just not sure about strategies. I've
thus far been hired by people who've seen my work and know that I'm all
about innovation, personal responsibility and getting my work done.
--
Sincerely,
Christopher L. Weeks
central Missouri, USA
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Message has 1 Reply:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | Re: What happened?
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| (...) Don't answer specifically until and unless you are about to get a job offer from a specific firm. Do your research about what you are worth, then answer the "what do you make" question from a headhunter with "well below market, which is 90K (...) (25 years ago, 22-Jun-99, to lugnet.off-topic.debate, lugnet.off-topic.geek)
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