Recent grad, first job, negotiate salary?

[jmbeck]

Congratulations on accepting your first job! I hope everything goes well for you.

 

[blybrook PE]

Congrats on your first position.

To Supe: I remember in Dec. '05 taking a job offer over the phone after a phone interview (first EIT position) & 2 weeks before graduating. I was even given a signing bonus / moving expense reimbursement (which REALLY helped since I was in MI & needed to move to AK before the new year). It was a fun drive across the US & Canada too!

This was all done without any help with my college career center. Although my resume was listed with their website, I only had thanks, but no thanks letters from the companies that utilized their service. Not many people at the time were looking for new Structural EIT's.

Some companies are different than others. The one that I'm with now usually has a signing bonus for most new employees; the exact amount differs based on previous experience and distance to relocate. I have almost doubled my salary in the 5 years I've been with this company, so if you are a worthy employee with whomever you signed with, you can get steady increases. I think my first raise after 6 months was 1.50 / hour, doubled at my annual.

Good luck with your new position.

 

[willsee]

Congrats on your first position.
To Supe: I remember in Dec. '05 taking a job offer over the phone after a phone interview (first EIT position) & 2 weeks before graduating. I was even given a signing bonus / moving expense reimbursement (which REALLY helped since I was in MI & needed to move to AK before the new year). It was a fun drive across the US & Canada too!

This was all done without any help with my college career center. Although my resume was listed with their website, I only had thanks, but no thanks letters from the companies that utilized their service. Not many people at the time were looking for new Structural EIT's.

Some companies are different than others. The one that I'm with now usually has a signing bonus for most new employees; the exact amount differs based on previous experience and distance to relocate. I have almost doubled my salary in the 5 years I've been with this company, so if you are a worthy employee with whomever you signed with, you can get steady increases. I think my first raise after 6 months was 1.50 / hour, doubled at my annual.

Good luck with your new position.

You probably got a signing bonus because your position was in Alaska. Doubt very many people are rushing for positions in Alaska

 

[snickerd3]

signing bonuses were all the rage until September 11 hit and then they dried up faster than you could say water...at least in IL.

 

[jmbeck]

signing bonuses were all the rage until September 11 hit and then they dried up faster than you could say water...at least in IL.

When I got laid off in March, I had three offers. One had a signing bonus.

I went back looking for more in annual salary (it was considerably lower than the other two). I was told "well, okay, but we'll have to cut the signing bonus in half. Are you sure you want to do that?"

Do people really say "Oh, well nevermind, I'll take a lower annual salary for that higher signing bonus"?

 

[blybrook PE]

You probably got a signing bonus because your position was in Alaska. Doubt very many people are rushing for positions in Alaska

Could be; but I also know of two others that were hired at the same time (one in PA & the other in WA) who also got signing bonuses from their companies. I haven't done a full poll of the gang that I'm still in contact with to see how many did get one.

 

[NashBridges]

You probably got a signing bonus because your position was in Alaska. Doubt very many people are rushing for positions in Alaska

Could be; but I also know of two others that were hired at the same time (one in PA & the other in WA) who also got signing bonuses from their companies. I haven't done a full poll of the gang that I'm still in contact with to see how many did get one.

I graduated in '07 and out of the 5 offers I received, only the one from AK offered a signing bonus. It also offered the best salary, but I didn't end up taking the position because I couldn't force myself to drag my wife up the the great 907. Like he said, they've got to offer you a little more to get you to come up there.

 

[Bob Engineer]

I've just been offered a position for a very big construction company. As a recent grad with a civil engineering degree, I'm beyond excited and I am definitely interested in this entry-level position. The salary they offered is within the range of what I was expecting, but according to websites like glassdoor.com, the average salary for this position is around $1,000-2,000 more than what I have been offered, and there are usually sign on bonuses that was not mentioned to me. Should I try to negotiate for more money? How do I go about asking for a sign on b\onus? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

if u dont mind... or want to get more and more salary.. why not u go to middle east or asean like malaysia, singapore and qatar...

luxury there... they really appreciate engineer from us and uk

 

[ironman]

I've just been offered a position for a very big construction company. As a recent grad with a civil engineering degree, I'm beyond excited and I am definitely interested in this entry-level position. The salary they offered is within the range of what I was expecting, but according to websites like glassdoor.com, the average salary for this position is around $1,000-2,000 more than what I have been offered, and there are usually sign on bonuses that was not mentioned to me. Should I try to negotiate for more money? How do I go about asking for a sign on b\onus? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

if u dont mind... or want to get more and more salary.. why not u go to middle east or asean like malaysia, singapore and qatar...

luxury there... they really appreciate engineer from us and uk

They typically look for experienced people for those positions, thoes are usually project based jobs and you have to hit the ground running. I have looked into fat money over seas positions and they typically want at a minimum 10 years experience.

 

[alyx]

history repeats itself...I have almost the exact issue today...Should I negotiate, I would like to have a small (3.3%) raise...

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

You can always negotiate, but don't get carried away. If you'll be working for a general contractor in the field, be sure to ask questions about "fringe" benefits like company vehicles. Perhaps they may offer you $1k-$2k less in salary, but will give you a take-home company vehicle...

 

[inktomei]

Thank you for all the helpful advice and wisdom from everyone, I really appreciate it. I have to admit, the idea of negotiating really just came from every career book I've read and a bit of it came from my college career officer. They tell you that you ALWAYS negotiate when presented with an offer because they say companies usually expects you to negotiate, and the offer is usually lower than the average salary for the position to make room for negotiation. However, given everything everyone's said here, as well as the economy, and the fact that I know I want to work for this company and stay awhile, I decided not to negotiate and just accepted the offer. I'm really happy about my decision and will be starting in January. Once again, thank you, it was very interesting to hear everyone's point of view.

Hey congrats on taking the job. I agree with the sentiments of many others. A couple thousand bucks won't matter in the grand scheme of things. The important thing is joining a firm you like and getting your experience.

I did an internship at a firm and I was offered a job before I graduated. I took it without negotiating even though I had several other offers. I felt that I really wanted to work for them and I didn't bother with which firm offered a couple thousand more.

I definitely believe you've made the right choice. Enjoy the ride cause it's gonna be pretty freaking awesome.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk 2

 

[Pranit0503]

yes of course you can try to negotiate salary , if you are a freshers and you know the market condition as what others offering a salary with respect to that field then you can try to negotiate salary. There are many tips available on negotiating a salary on the internet, you can try one of them. I have found the best guide on How To Negotiate For Your Salary Hike? which will be helpful for you.

All the best.

 

[deezcornuts]

Just curious, it's been 7 years.  How's your career now?

 

[GaryD]

I've just been offered a position for a very big construction company. As a recent grad with a civil engineering degree, I'm beyond excited and I am definitely interested in this entry-level position. The salary they offered is within the range of what I was expecting, but according to websites like glassdoor.com, the average salary for this position is around $1,000-2,000 more than what I have been offered, and there are usually sign on bonuses that was not mentioned to me. Should I try to negotiate for more money? How do I go about asking for a sign on b\onus? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!

Don't worry about money too much.  All middle class lifestyles are practically the same whether you are at lower or higher end.  The only differences between a much higher salary and your current would be having less luxury items (cheaper car, cheaper housing situation, etc).

 

[smith4756]

If you feel that the salary they offered is lower than what you expected and you have found information suggesting higher average salaries, it's reasonable to negotiate for more money. You can politely express your interest in the position and mention the average salary you've seen. Ask if they can reconsider the offer or if there are any sign-on bonuses available. If you've pursued an Online Master's in Civil Engineering, you can also mention your advanced education and how it adds value to your skills.