How to ask for a pay raise???

I don't know how the job market is in your area, but you might just want to take what you can get..especially if you don't have any other offers right now. either way, I'm not sure how the best way to go about asking is, but good luck!

5% is very little in comparison to what this employer is offering you on the up-side. You will be getting into the specialty that you want, they are willing to get you through the NCLEX AND will give you essentially a $5,000 signing bonus. Ne grad jobs are now falling out of trees right now, so my best advice would be to forget the 5% and take snap this offer up before they offer it to someone else. Besides, if the 5% is really that important to you, once you have the job and have proven to them that you are a valuable asset to their oganization, perhaps then you can ask for more money. Right now, you have little to bargain with so you position would not be strong (especially with many others lining up behind you for an opportunity like this).

Hi everyone,

I'm a first time poster, long time reader.

I will be graduating this December from a BSN program in Illinois. I have been applying to many hospitals and want to make my first nursing position as positive as possible. I recently received a job offer from level 1 hospital in the ICU. They will reimburse me $5000 of my tuition for a 1 year commitment, they will pay for my NCLEX test and review courses. After I get all my certifications I will be making about $25/hr. I still have other interviews coming up, but they are only giving me 5 days to make a decision. I would really like to start in an ICU, however I would also like to be in the Chicago area and this hospital is in a rural setting. I want to ask for a 5% increase when I call the HR person back. How should I go about doing this?

Thanks,

Kurt

Sorry, I have no advice to you, I just wanted to ask: how did you receive a job offer for an ICU position? I'd like to work in ICU, but as I heard they do not hire new graduates right after school.

I would NOT ask for a raise.

This is your first RN position, right out of school?

Thank your lucky stars you have such a great job offer. Kudos to you.

In this economy I would be happy to get a job offer at all, let alone two to decide from. Don't push it.

I concur fully with all of the above positions. As a new grad, you are not in the position to negotiate. There are dozens (or hundreds) of others who will gladly take your job at the salary offered.

You are in a better position to negotiate salary after 2-3 years at the hospital when they are eager to retain you.

I would take the position and not even think of asking for more money. I graduated in May 09 and still haven't found a nursing job. I would be happy to take $25/hr right now. I am making about a third of that at a job that has nothing to do with nursing. Consider yourself VERY lucky!!!!

You should count yourself lucky you are getting a job offer without having taken your boards yet. I would take that job in a heart beat. New grad jobs here in California are so scarce and so many of my classmates are struggling to get jobs and they have their licenses. I had to take a job in a small town 2 hours from my home and am not getting paid what I would back in the big city, but it was a job and I wasn't going to turn it down.

Darci