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Interview Coming - a few questions
Mr Khan
Not EveryoneWAHHHRegistered User regular
Not EveryoneWAHHHRegistered User regular
I got laid off from my job back on the 8th, budget cuts, so now i'm stuck looking for work in the August doldrums when everybody's on vacation. Pumping out a lot of applications with few responses (also because the layoff means i've held two jobs in a 15 month span of time which makes me look like a flight risk, but the one i left to change cities from Pittsburgh to DC Metro area), but I got one interview with a place on Tuesday that seems pretty eager (invited me to an in-person interview 20 minutes after the phone interview). It's pretty close to my old job, would be able to match or slightly exceed my old pay, and it hits before my severance runs out (September 8th)
So I kind of need this. I know better than to be desperate, nobody likes that. The skillset for the job is all stuff i've done before, and it's a very similar organization to where i was working in Pittsburgh before i moved here, so i know the lingo.
My two main issues are pushing questions of pay: ideally i'd want to make $2,000/year more than where i was at before, but i blurted out in the phone interview a range of "x to x+$2,000" where x was my old salary, and i know they always go for the lowest number you tell them, i've learned that now. Am i stuck on that? Or could i push a bit to try to get $1k or $2k more, or would that jeopardize me in my situation?
Second, smaller one, ideally i'd get the Tuesday after Labor Day off so that i could enjoy Labor Day with my family without having to spend half the day driving back to DC. Would it be an issue to ask for that (either as a pushed-back start date, or as a day off), or should i just say that i have no commitments, can start immediately, and just leave it at that?
So I kind of need this. I know better than to be desperate, nobody likes that. The skillset for the job is all stuff i've done before, and it's a very similar organization to where i was working in Pittsburgh before i moved here, so i know the lingo.
My two main issues are pushing questions of pay: ideally i'd want to make $2,000/year more than where i was at before, but i blurted out in the phone interview a range of "x to x+$2,000" where x was my old salary, and i know they always go for the lowest number you tell them, i've learned that now. Am i stuck on that? Or could i push a bit to try to get $1k or $2k more, or would that jeopardize me in my situation?
Second, smaller one, ideally i'd get the Tuesday after Labor Day off so that i could enjoy Labor Day with my family without having to spend half the day driving back to DC. Would it be an issue to ask for that (either as a pushed-back start date, or as a day off), or should i just say that i have no commitments, can start immediately, and just leave it at that?
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Obviously any negotiation is going to be tough if they know you're unemployed though
Thanks for the advice. I think with the vacation thing, i'll emphasize that i'm willing to start whenever but had previously planned to take that Tuesday off.
The other happy-sad story is that i paid off my student loans due to my grandmother's passing (small inheritance) early this year, so my old budget has over $250 allotted to something i no longer need to pay for, so there's room for decrease, but i've gotten used to having that money to spend or save every month.
For the other question, I'd just say you're available after Labor Day but might be able to come in a few days the week before if they need you.
You should also just be able to say you were nervous and blurted the wrong number. I mean, until I've starting the ball on processing you, it's just a number in spreadsheet next to your name. If you're not within 2k of another, comparable candidate, then it won't change the ranking, and it certainly won't irritate me.
Put another way: I already decided what I could pay for that position before I posted it. You're either in tolerance or you're not. Only an asshole would level judgement on you for wanting to be paid as much as possible.
Standard disclaimer: I am apparently not a typical hiring manager, per experiences often relayed on this forum. Your hiring manager may, in fact, be an asshole.
But it's a baseline, and they're going to start on Wednesday so i'll get some nice overlap with my severance pay and horde up a bit.
Only issue with the Wednesday start is now there's no time for the interview tomorrow to call me back before the temp job starts, so i might have to piss off the temp agency by taking the job and dropping it a few weeks later (basically had to lie to them about the possibility of that happening when talking earlier today).
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
Started the temp job today, pretty nasty commute (not the worst DC could offer, but up there). Seems like a pretty mild work environment though.
Interview yesterday went well, but they want to do a third round and won't even call me about that until next week. Got a call today about a position that skipped straight to voice mail and the caller apparently never answers his phone, but i can run them down tomorrow.
Phone interview for a *different* temp position (but a one-year gig at a pay rate that matches my old job, rather than this current gig which is slightly below), which would be a more expensive commute, but it would be all Metro line, so much less stressful and not chewing up my car. That's tomorrow.
Non-profit fundraising. Right now i'm doing a 2-3 month temp gig in Database work, but i can also do regular fundraising (mail, online), donor relations, and some grantwriting experience. Interview options on the table run the gamut, a do-it-all job at a small operation, donor prospecting/research for an international org, sales of non-profit software technology, and bulk mail for a gigantic organization.
I've tended to favor a light touch in operations where i've had a say, focus on people with a connection to the organization, meaningful content that doesn't patronize.
At my new temp job i was sorting through Return To Sender letters sent from an acquisition campaign (e.g., one where my temp employer bought a list of addresses from another charity and cold-mailed them) and you get a ton of responses from elderly constituents, some sad, some hilarious.
I really dislike my new commute. Hopefully the interview from Tuesday pulls through for the next round next week. I'd hate to have to do this for more than a month.
@mr khan HEY THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Well, the job isn't posted yet, but we are going to be shortly looking for a database manager for our fundraising, volunteer, and donations databases.
Here is our website: https://lawyerscommittee.org/career-opportunities/
Check back there periodically for the job posting, and I'll try to remember to update you when it goes live (if I'm aware). I'm the IT Manager.
PSN/Steam/NNID: SyphonBlue | BNet: SyphonBlue#1126
Nice. I'll keep my eye out.