Well, congrats on your choice, if not on your future success. Interviewing is always awkward, even if you do it regularly, so don't think of it so much as an interview but as a business discussion. I'll try to provide some suggested approaches to the concerns you've outlined.
While you don't want to "leave money on the table", there is a fairly wide range of compensation options that you will likely be comfortable with. And getting compensation that you are comfortable with, but turns out to be 5% less than you *could* have gotten, is still highly preferable to pricing yourself out of contention. Start simply: Look at *Salary.com* and similar sites to determine what is a reasonable range for your area and skill set. Make sure this is a number you are generally comfortable with, and put it into a range format. Then tack on anticipated bonus, call it total compensation. Let's say, for example, that you'd like to make $60K, but are comfortable with $55K. And you understand that there is a 5-10% bonus potential. Then, your range for total compensation (not counting benefits) would be $65K-$80K plus benefits. If you have to negotiate, you can back down a little and still be in your comfort range. This obviously requires a bit of research on your part, but shouldn't be too hard to do. Having said all that, you can turn the question back to them by phrasing your answer as follows: "I'd like to hear more about the position you're offering, so I can better > understand how to compare the total compensation package with what I have > now. As you can well imagine, there are various non-monetary aspects to my > current compensation plan, so once I understand what your organization is > offering in salary, bonus, and benefits, I'll be able to better present an > number that will be equitable to both parties." If pressed, you can always resort to, "In the absence of other details about the role, I'm sure that total compensation in the $65K-80K range, plus benefits, should be fine, but I'm flexible, and I'm sure your organization will be fair in this regard." (Use the range derived from your previous research). Things like your medical plan, transportation/commute, vacation days and sick days, all have an impact on your compensation, and until you know what they are, you can't make a good comparison. The question you really want to avoid answering is, *"How much do you make now."* Companies like to ask this one, although IMO, it's none of their business, and if you feel you can't get around the question, be sure to point out the differences in the work you are doing vs what you would be doing, or factor in the perks you have today that you won't easily get. And stick to a broad range, or include the benefits # in your calculation. As for questions to ask, I tend to focus on the business questions: How is the company doing, and what are its plans. You can also ask what the plans of the department are, and how they contribute to the organization's overall goals. See the following doc for some potential interview questions that I like to use: https://www.box.net/shared/xedmi5kxki I suspect that given the relationship you have with them, they won't spend as much time on salary, as on other areas. And let them bring up numbers. You don't need to. The more successful you are at making them talk during the meeting, the better. Whatever you are promised, always get it in writing. If it's not on the offer letter, then it is merely a story of legend. *Closing thoughts/suggestions:* - Always assert your enthusiasm at the end of the meeting, and your willingness to be a part of the organization. - Never verbalize your decision on the spot. "I'll talk this over with my family and get back to you first thing in the morning" is *always* a valid answer. - If you don't know something, or cannot remember it, just say that. No excuse is necessary, regardless of how simple the question is. - Follow up with a thank you note. Hope this helps -ASB: http://XeeSM.com/AndrewBaker On Mon, Jul 19, 2010 at 12:02 AM, C64/DEC Baby <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Everyone, > > I respect so many of you who have spoken up on this list on technical and > non-technical issues alike. I am humbly seeking non-technical advice if you > are so inclined to provide it. If not, I understand. I won't hold it against > you. :-) > > I've participated in this list for a while now, but am sending from an > alternate, unknown address for reasons that will be obvious if you continue > reading. I'm also being vague, for those same reasons. I cut my teeth on a > Commodore 64 and a DEC Rainbow 100A with one whole Meg of RAM, hence the > pseudonym C64/DEC Baby. > > I have been in my present position for more than a decade, and haven't > (seriously) interviewed in more than a decade as well. I built my present IT > infrastructure from literally nothing (two servers, a handful of windows > workgroups, Frame Relay, no Internet or email, to a sizable network (well > over 500 workstation and server nodes, Exchange 2007 for hundreds of users, > Citrix XenApp, VMware, Metro Ethernet, Cisco 802.11n with 802.1x > authentication, etc). Along with that growth, I've grown the department from > just me, to a fairly robust/talented group over the years, spanning 24x7 > Help Desk, desktop, application, server, and network support. I finally feel > it is time for me to move on and I believe that I have grown the department > and the organization to the point that, with appropriate notice for a > transition, I would be leaving them in good hands. > > I actually have a lunch meeting with a prospective new employer this week, > who also happens to be a long standing vendor (I approached them, and they > responded that they were interested in speaking further). I've already had > an initial conversation with one of their hiring managers face to face, and > the gentlemen to whom I would be reporting directly has invited me to lunch > to speak further. I know there are tons of questions I should be asking, but > I'm not sure where to begin. While money is certainly a factor, it is only a > part of the equation. If I'm asked to provide my salary requirements, I'm > hesitant to offer that without knowing what the entire compensation package > would entail. I'm not greedy, but at the same time I am essentially the sole > income earner in my family, and I don't want to leave money on the table. I > would be moving from a mainly administrative, partly hands-on position, to a > full time IT engineering position, which I believe would keep me more > interested and engaged than the administrative work I have been doing in > recent years. I also want to gain more depth in Network and Server > administration, and this role would likely be a good fit for that goal. > > I'm interested in any advice you all are willing to offer in terms of > questions I should ask and how I should prepare for this meeting/interview. > It is somewhat interesting, as I've been working with this person for many > months, and the organization in general for nearly a decade in a > client/vendor relationship. I have a great deal of respect for many of the > people in the organization from the top down, both personally > and professionally, and I believe (and hope) that the feeling is mutual. > > Thanks very much for any time, insight, and advice you are willing to > offer, no matter how large or small. > > Humbly and respectfully yours, > > C64/DEC Baby > > > ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
