Taking a job with lower pay

ruelle

So I'm through to the second - and final - round of interviews for this job. It's a few grand lower than what I'm on now. I was asked my salary expectations after I applied and was told that they could only offer so much.

I think I have a really good chance of getting this job. If I do how would I go about negotiating higher pay considering they told me they couldn't equal my pay now?

It's an amazing company and it would be too good an opportunity to pass up.

BJV

If they have already told you that they will not be able to match the salary it will be a judgement call for you. It will also depend what you mean about an opportunity?

Is there career progression? Will you enjoy it more? Can you afford to take a lower salary? What makes it such a good opportunity and is it worth taking a lower salary?

lincroft1710

By proving to the employer you are worth more than the salary being paid, in the work you are doing for them. Of course you will have to wait a few months maybe a year even.

Trying to negotiate a higher salary before you've been there 5 minutes and you may be very bluntly told that you were aware of the salary before the second interview, and that's the amount you will be paid.

ruelle

Oh man, so no chance of asking if there's any room for negotiating when/if they offer it to me now? Could I not ask if there's any chance of reappraising my salary in 3 months time? Or asking for extra annual leave instead?

lincroft1710

You can ask for whatever you want. Whether you get it or, perhaps more importantly, it is wise to ask before proving your worth, are different matters.

TELLIT01

ruelle wrote: »

Oh man, so no chance of asking if there's any room for negotiating when/if they offer it to me now? Could I not ask if there's any chance of reappraising my salary in 3 months time? Or asking for extra annual leave instead?

I don't think asking about more money at this stage is a good idea. You have stated that they told your the maximum they could offer. It's up to you whether you want to accept at that figure or not.

London50

Agree with above, if the t & c's you have been offered do not suit then don't take the job, just stay where you are.

Sharon87

If I was offered the job I would ask them if that's the amount they are willing to offer and maybe ask for another 1k a year or something, if they say no then that's your answer. Just ask politely and maybe ask about career progression. I have taken on jobs on lower pay than my previous work to gain different kinds of experience. So the lower pay sometimes is worth it for career gains.

[Deleted User]

Do check if you can for any Restrictive Covenant Agreement in operation, in advance - that could certainly dampen pay issues even further.

Be clear on the workload as well - even if it pays less/lesser hours you may end up with a lot more duties/much more expected of you
(I have been in this situation and it never occurred to me to look beyond the pay decrease until it was seriously far to late) more at stake here than money sometimes. Just my tips.

ruelle

Sharon87 wrote: »

If I was offered the job I would ask them if that's the amount they are willing to offer and maybe ask for another 1k a year or something, if they say no then that's your answer. Just ask politely and maybe ask about career progression. I have taken on jobs on lower pay than my previous work to gain different kinds of experience. So the lower pay sometimes is worth it for career gains.

So, you would ask about the possibility of a £1k pay rise in a year? That could be a good idea. Thanks. I would take this job even with the lower pay as it would be a great company to work for and I need a change!

Detroit

ruelle wrote: »

So, you would ask about the possibility of a £1k pay rise in a year? That could be a good idea. Thanks. I would take this job even with the lower pay as it would be a great company to work for and I need a change!

If you're set on taking the job regardless of pay, and won't turn it down even if they say no, there's little point in asking the question.
I think I'd find it a little annoying as an employer after making myself clear about the salary from the start.
The advice to wait until you've proved your worth is good, but I don't think you can put a time on this.
Don't forget, you don't just need to prove yourself competent, they expect that for the salary they're offering. You need to show that you're significantly better than others on that scale, or otherwise bring something unique to the position that the employer will want to retain.
This is not easy to achieve, and probably not going to happen in 3 months.
If this is a role where others do the same or similar work, there would need to be strong justification you deserved more money than colleagues.
I would suggest you look at overall performance in the team and collate hard evidence to show you are achieving more before making any request.
You should also bear in mind that often employers have a fixed idea of what a role is worth to them and base salary on this, not the person in the role.
If there's a ceiling on that job, no matter how great you are, you may not ever be paid anymore.
If this is the case, rather than get too focused on increasing your salary within this role, perhaps work towards promotion within the company to a position carrying a higher salary scale.