Negotiating for Higher Pay as a New Grad

woknblues · Oct 12, 2008

I was told once that it never hurts to ask. I was young at the time, but the philosophy stuck in my mind.

Several jobs and 2 careers later, I can honestly say that asking for more may be hard or embarrassing at first, but I really think that your biggest pay raise comes when you enter a job, and not during it. It would seem that in hospitals, most avenues are closed for "negotiation", and your manager may have been alluding to bennies, shifts, etc. Keep yourself open for the opportunity, and yes, if asked, I would not hesitate to ask for a couple more dollars than offered. Just keep a dollar number in your head like say "4$"(for example), and add that to the number that they give you. Also be prepared to justify why you are worth more.

If you get the bump, make sure you intend to earn every bit of it, and pat yourself on the back. I think too many people sell themselves short.

AirforceRN, RN · Oct 12, 2008

The squeaky wheel gets the grease right? (or gets replaced...don't be too squeaky)

glitz411 · Oct 13, 2008

I agree with woknblues... Once you take a job, you will get raises but the raises are a % of what your are making in most cases. The higher you start the more you will also get in your raises! I would ask for at least 2.00 more. I feel like HR starts low anyway...

chocolateheals · Oct 15, 2008

This is a very timely thread for me, because I had my first interview yesterday, and another tomorrow. I think it is a safe guess that, after I'm done with all my interviews, I will have to decide between several offers. (There are a lot of hospitals in an area about 60 miles North/South, and I haven't moved here yet, so I can move close to whatever hospital I end up working at).

My older, wiser sister recently sat me down and wanted me to know that a lot of women have a hard time asking for a raise or salary negotiation. She wanted to know if I felt that it would be hard for me to talk with management/HR about money. My reply to her was that we learned in our last nursing class that you just take the job you want, and don't get to pick your salary/ $ per hour as a new grad.

I appreciate everyone's feedback, as I'm still not sure. At this point, though, I am encouraged that it really wouldn't hurt to ask for a few more dollars per hour. They could always say no, but it's not like they would take back the offer altogether.

woknblues · Oct 15, 2008

This is a very timely thread for me, because I had my first interview yesterday, and another tomorrow. I think it is a safe guess that, after I'm done with all my interviews, I will have to decide between several offers. (There are a lot of hospitals in an area about 60 miles North/South, and I haven't moved here yet, so I can move close to whatever hospital I end up working at).
My older, wiser sister recently sat me down and wanted me to know that a lot of women have a hard time asking for a raise or salary negotiation. She wanted to know if I felt that it would be hard for me to talk with management/HR about money. My reply to her was that we learned in our last nursing class that you just take the job you want, and don't get to pick your salary/ $ per hour as a new grad.
I appreciate everyone's feedback, as I'm still not sure. At this point, though, I am encouraged that it really wouldn't hurt to ask for a few more dollars per hour. They could always say no, but it's not like they would take back the offer altogether.

I must preface my comments that I have not worked in the health care business yet, but have worked in fields that had "set wages" that I was "somehow" able to overcome.

I am under the assumption this is not a union shop, etc. In that case, or course, the union has done the negotiating for you.

Any experienced HR or manager in charge of this situation already knows EXACTLY what they are allowed to offer a candidate. They are also given accolade for keeping overhead (you) as low as possible. That was where my emphasis on being able to justify your worth comes in, because likely, if your offer does come in high, the HR/manager will explain the higher amount saying, "Yeah, this guy was a pro. Seemed like a real team player" etc. Less experienced will need to get "approval" (kinda like that offer on a used car scenario) from their superiors. I feel that this will often give you the opportunity to sell yourself as an employee to your manager. I have NEVER heard a manager say, "YOU ARROGANT ASS!! You asked for $4 an hour more!! THE NERVE!". Most would say "Gee, you seem like a real "go-getter", I wish I could give you more, but.....".

I routinely ask for more than I estimate that they will give, just to negotiate to somewhere in the middle. It is a game, and you either "play it", or "get played" as they say. Out of the 8 jobs I have held in the past, all but one was not open to any negotiation, only a couple could not get me more money and none of them would have if I had not asked. Conservatively, this could bring you 10s of thousands more over your working lifetime. It's a pretty lucrative hurdle to overcome, IMHO.

Best of luck.

Ilovemywife · Oct 29, 2008

RD Congo, How did it play out?