Ask HN: No experience - how much salary should I ask for? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: No experience - how much salary should I ask for?

4 pointselison6 comments

I don't have any direct tech experience, but I do a lot of open source work on the side. This startup has invited me in for an interview and I'm sure they're going to ask for my salary requirements. One website where they listed openings stated between $80K-$120K for salary. Searching online I've seen ~$60K listed as starting salary for right out of school.

Any suggestions on what to ask for or where else to research? If I ask way too high (e.g., they think $60K I'm thinking $80 or 90K), are they likely to just say no or make a different offer?

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First off, open source work "on the side" is direct tech experience. It just so happens that you donated your work rather than being paid for it.

Second you should seriously consider the cost of living, and use something like this http://money.cnn.com/calculator/pf/cost-of-living/ as a ballpark.

Third you should be candid with them, and don't offer a salary requirement unless they directly ask. Instead let them make a first offer. Generally if you offer too high they will simply offer what they had planned to see if you take it, and if you offer too low they will accept and save the extra expense of what they were really willing to pay.

Best of luck to you!

>First off, open source work "on the side" is direct tech experience. It just so happens that you donated your work rather than being paid for it.

That's good context to think about -- it's really easy to get intimidated and think myself down.

First, I'd echo people here that say to be confident. You'll never sell yourself to others if you don't believe you are capable and a good worker.

Second, try not to quote a salary or range (at least at first). Before that, discuss their plans, where they are headed, your abilities, and how you can help further their goals. Here is a great post I recently found helpful, regarding the 'don't say a number first' conventional advice: http://workplace.stackexchange.com/a/6059/2364

Third, as to what to realistically expect, it depends on where you are located, the industry, your experience/age (are you fresh out of school, etc), and more. If they have really posted that they're paying 80-120k that is a great data point and a great advantage for you to know in advance.

If you're really unsure about salary, just ask them "What is the salary range budgeted for this position?". This would be one of my questions to ask at the end of an interview. Given that you have serious Python skills, they may give you a more lucrative offer than you'd expect!

Also, if someone really pushes you regarding your salary expectations, just answer "I want to make sure this is the right fit before discussing salary."

Since you're fresh out of school, check out sites like http://www.salary.com and http://www.payscale.com as well as local job boards. Ask your friends/classmates and anyone with a few years of experience about starting salaries.

I think that you should value yourself and not cut yourself short. (Looking at the worst scenario) It's one thing to have a bad job but then to have a bad job that pays you cheaply, is worse. The best scenario (on the other hand) is having a good job that pays you well. So think of a WIN-WIN situation.

The first thing I will look at it is the cost of living of the place where this job is. If it is in Cali or NY (where the cost of living is high), I wouldn't mind aiming your aim, however if it is the South (RTP, NC) where the cost of living is low, $60K is not bad.

Another thing is, do you by any chance have any degrees? BSc? MSc? Ph.D?

What schools did you come out of? If you look good on paper and you've done open source work, they'll be glad to pay you as much your worth.

What programming languages do you know and how how proficient are you in them?

At the end of the day, give them a good estimate, and if they are not with it, then try working with them. They did invite you for an interview, so Im guessing they really want to work with you.

EITHER WAY, I HOPE, PRAY & WISH YOU THE BEST.

Thanks for the reply - that's helpful! I have an Ivy bachelor degree in a science field, it's in an expensive area, and I'm a core developer for a popular open source project...didn't think about it how you phrased it.

I know Python very well (to the point where I seemed to be at or above the level of the devs I talked to), and I've dabbled aside from that.

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