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LogisticBlues t1_j5rssld wrote

As others have said, it will be near the bottom of the range. Also, as someone who worked for them for a while, consider this a stepping stone to better things. They don’t pay well, don’t promote often, and will burn you out unless you’re hot shit.

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TinyOnion1074 t1_j5rto94 wrote

Would it backfire if I asked for 65k or would they just tell me they can’t do that. As much as I want good pay, the job itself is my priority so I don’t want to test them by picking a high number but I also don’t want to low ball myself.

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jackmcgu t1_j5s35n3 wrote

Universities typically have fairly quantifiable criteria for where in the pay range you ought to be, e.g., years of experience. I don't think it will hurt you to try because they will just say whether they are able to accommodate it or not. The criteria are designed to limit discretion.

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ilovedonuts4 t1_j5s8ru3 wrote

it will never hurt you to ask for more and it’s great practice for when you change jobs in the future, all of your bargaining power is at the beginning. They’ll counter so you may want to ask for 68 and see if they come to 65. Even if they countered with 63-64, sounds like that would work for you. Good luck!!

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technicolourful t1_j5uzxof wrote

What grade is the job? A 53 won’t pay more than 50k, starting.

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tamirabeth t1_j5yf7lv wrote

Asking the real question. It depends on the grade, not the spread. You'd have to be a 53 for over a decade to go above the middle.

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TinyOnion1074 t1_j5v1ma1 wrote

Well then I guess there’s no point in asking for a higher number when I’m asked for what salary I’m looking for

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kangaroospyder t1_j5shpvk wrote

Ask for what you want/ think you need. If they reject that, that's a them problem. Especially if what you are asking for is in the listed range. They will either say we think we can pay X, agree, or not hire you. If they actually wanted to hire you from the get go you'll see option 1 or 2.

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SnooBooks5315 t1_j5slsgb wrote

It never hurts to ask for more. If you have to settle for less, ask for a review that is earlier than they would normally do. So if you get a 6 month review you probably won't get a raise but you will know what they are going to judge you on and be ready when you get your annual review. I used that trick a few times, it worked to my benefit. Wish you the best of luck

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Chippopotanuse t1_j5txfkh wrote

What’s your prior salary history? If you have been making $60k, it’s a very fair ask.

If you’ve been making $40k…it’s gonna be tough.

Key to salary advancement in Higher Ed is change jobs every few years (it’s fine to stay at same school) and work under folks who are very ambitious. They will often take you with them as they progress up and into VP/Dean positions.

But if you sit in one job for 5+ years and accept the 3% annual raises…you end up being viewed as a potential “lifer” who is happy with the lower-end entry level pay. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but just saying that loyalty and good work won’t necessarily get rewarded with your department proactively giving you big raises and promotions.

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orangusmang t1_j5tr6ji wrote

Burnout is not a consideration for these cushy union jobs, but agree that pay and promotions aren't really there

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InfiniteJessica t1_j5wabhl wrote

That’s not what I’ve heard specifically about Harvard.

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orangusmang t1_j5wasep wrote

I'm sure everyone has a different experience but mine was that basically everyone below middle management was on easy street with occasional upticks in activity corresponding to important academic calendar dates, and most of the managers weren't killing themselves either

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