take what you can get

Nice. Laid off people and are hiring already? WTF?

Probably laid off some older "dead weight" (no pun intended) that was overpriced and are looking for younger cheaper talent. That's my guess.

Sorry can't answer the question at hand because I am pondering it myself.

Be honest about what your needs are and don't be afraid to justify why you think you are worth it. Be specific about what your skills are and how they can take advantage of those to make the office profitable. Young skilled employees are great in a recession because generally they work hard, don't mind putting in the necessary hours and are cheaper to hire than more senior people. You don't have the knowledge and experience but you do have value to a firm.

I was once in your place about 20 yrs back and I maintained a role at a firm for the exact same reasons. You can't be greedy not now, not ever in my mind, but you need to know your value and understand how an office can profit from that.

first, know the answer before the interview...then, answer CONFIDENTLY and honestly with how much you do want, as specific as possible...don't be greedy, but don't shortsell yourself...remember that your performance will be measured accordingly, so don't oversell...
having said that, in this market, you might want to follow your answer up with a "but that's something that we can discuss further" if you really want the job...

good luck with your interviews...remember, confidence is key...

Try starting by saying something like: "well I think based on the resposiblities you've outlined I would be billed out at about (depending on the firm & locations it's probably 60-80/hour at a "just starting" level) so I expect a salary of about (take billable, divide by 3 and multiply by 2080 hours in a year)."

That would show that you understand what the salary means to the firm, and gives some opening for negotiations "our overhead and profit factor is higher than that..."

Remember that it is not about you, it is about the position/role you are going to fill and how that fits into the firm's business plan.

Figure out what it cost you to live.....and well that is without the Porche or BMW....don't take anything less cause you will be working yourself into a financial hole.

spruce - 1/3 of $80/hr billable is over $55k/year...I don't think any firm, especially in today's economy, is going to hire someone with less than one years experience at that wage.

I would ask for what people with your experience were getting before the economy tanked. Or tell them what you were making before you were laid off and mention you'd like to make the same.

Don't reach for the stars and plan to negotiate down, not the time for that. Just ask for a reasonable wage and chances are they won't flinch.

Let them say the first number and then take it. Now isnt the time to be extremely selective. A half-year experience is good but not much of a bargaining chip.

You should try to get them to tell you what the position pays. It's a simple and proven negotiation tactic. Try to avoid throwing a number out first. That way they may indicate a salary even higher than what you were anticipating. Then, you can negotiate a higher salary, saying that you were thinking XXX more. This doesn't always work, but it is a good strategy to begin with.

Conversely, you should always come into a salary negotiation knowing what the minimum you feel you are worth and can accept. That way, if they don't want to throw out a number first, you have something to fall back on. Add a few extra thousand to that number so that if you need to negotiate, you can negotiate to that minimum salary.

Good luck.

you could start with "well AIA salary poll says....

If I had a young person just starting out I would be billing out at about $60.00/hr to maybe $75.00/hr. Anymore is just ridiculous, so I would expect that a wage of $20/hr - $25.00/hr. Would be reasonable, low end if times are really tough and higher end if things are good, even if you think the firm can bill you out at more I wouldn't expect that would entitle you to a higher wage than that.

Works out to a starting wage of $38,400.00 to $48,000.00 which is realistic.
( Based on 160 hrs /month/ 1920 hrs/yr, I use that number because it reflects holidays and normal working conditions..... not crazy hours)

It depends on the firm size, location and project type.

1/2 year experience doen't rate more than 14.00 per hour in suburban chicago. I also see 7 -10 years exp at 25 - 27 / hour.

please remember that It takes at least 2 years exp to know the fundementals of working in an office. it is hard to justify billing out more than 40 percent of their time.

with 1.5 yrs of solid experience (& barch+march) ~ i'm billed at $85/hr... & don't make 25% of it.... & my firm is "best to work for in the region"

yay AIA

anyway, it comes down to how bad you need the job. if you absolutely need this offer to work out, then throw a low'er' than market number (considering the times) and either strive to work for a raise or swap firms when the economy "re"stabilizes and there are actually jobs from which to command more salary. i'm with archmed and would not advise being too picky. only you know what you need to get out of the offer but A job is better than NO job.

coming from a different industry, I've always been told that its bad practice to even talk about $ during the interview, especially specifically. If pressed, throw out a range that you find acceptable but if you utter a specific amount, they will stick with it. you may end up low-balling yourself. beyond that, wait for them to make an offer.

Its not always easy to deflect the question, especially if its asked very directly...but that's what I've been told in regards to interviewing etiquette.

Thank you guys for all valuable replies. I am not looking for the better salary than the previous one. Also, I am not greedy either.

I always have a hard time to answer for the direct question " how much do you want?" for the first interview. I had been answering "range" of the salary - not telling them the specific number. or I asked their range of the salary. But, in this economy, I don't know. I need a job so bad.

Do you think it's likely for me to get a job if I say the lower range of salary, compared to other people who have an interview for the same job position?

I really appreciate you guy's answers! Thanks.

In the end it comes down to numbers. if the firm has employees it knows the range you should be in for that area. like my example posted above. If I think a fresh out of school less than 1 yr exp. is worth $14.00 and that is what we can justfy paying you in exchange for training you ask for $25.00 there is no meeting in the middle. it becomes awkward.

I have been there. a seasonal intern wanted a bump from 12 and wanted much much more after she graduated. she wanted more than her peers by doubble. she left bitterly.

on the upside it did make me look hard at the AIA salery poll make adjustmens for firm size and location and find out we were paying slightly above the mean (66 percent). and post our range in the employee's hand book. as part of the interview we ask you to read it between first and second interview. you know our range and it either works or it doesn't.

That said, everything is negotiable and I have agreed to higher than the range for a truly stellar candidate who it took me three years to get her in. she has
been great and is now up for a bonus!