Salary Question for New Job, Please Advise

[Geoff]

Ok so things are looking up for me at this new place Toyota Dealership I have been working part time for, for a few months and now they want me to give them a full time schedule around my school hours. They want to know how much I would like to make working there full time. So here is some info about what's happening right now.

-Website Design
-Build, Fix, Repair, and Software installations
-Network Setups
-Photography for the Cars
-Newsletters

Currently I have been working 20 hours a month for $600 a month

They want me to work full time now instead of me working at the music store and the dealership. So far this is what I am guessing. I want to ask around $45,000/Yr and come down to $40,000/Yr I dont know if I am even shooting in the right range though.

If they hire me full time I will also be managing my own department for Scion and go through training for some type of Training for other stuff including the work I am doing now.

I dont want to sound ignorant and I don't want to cut myself to low either. This is a first time for me on this kind of job. I just need some advice.

 

[Botch]

If you're making $600/20 hrs/mo right now, $40K a year for full time is a big drop! Shoot higher, much higher; since you're already working there, see if you can get some ideas from your coworkers, especially those that already have the same kind of responsibilities that you will.
Good luck!

 

[macem29]

dealers like to structure comp packages around performance,
ie: sales, and how what you're doing is going to push the
numbers....so I'd expect some language to discuss that to
come up, if you could be prepared for that it would help you
in the negotiation...particularly with this Scion division you
mention getting going, something like 1-2 % of gross sales,
this sounds like a position you could negotiate a vehicle into
as well, a company car can be worth as much as 20K/year,
although your personal use is considered a taxable benefit...
with many roles you could end up putting in a pile of hours,
so don't sell yourself short...a skill set like that in a strong
market should be worth minimum of 60K IMHO, and it may
end up being a combination of salary, bonuses and perks
to get there, good luck

 

[lonesoldier84]

Open with 55k. Push it hard to see how they react, then play the "okay I guess I can be reasonable card" and settle with the most you think they will pay.

Then probe for other jobs after you start work.

 

[RJ2112]

$600/20 hours = $30/hr.

FT = 2080 hours/yr (52 x 40 hour weeks)

30 x 2080 = $62,400.......

FT without benefits? Insurance, stock options, IRA contributions?

 

[Geoff]

I forgot, they said they needed some ideas in what kind of benefits I would prefer, never had a job with benefits...

Dental, ER, Health? lol

 

[macem29]

one large advantage you have here in the negotiation is
that they approached you, and they want you, unlike most
positions where there are typically numerous candidates
competing for a role

last comment: I've worked in technical and sales roles in
a dealer environment for many years, not automotive but
the dynamics are similar and if you start too cheaply it will
take you years to ever get it up where it should be

 

[Geoff]

Everyone, thanks for the advice, if you have more info let me know, its very beneficial for me and others who may dig this post up later. I was feeling pretty nervous asking for 45k, but I think I will shoot for 55k now instead. I dont see why they would turn me down to much, I have already learned their network, their software for that dealership, and just about everything else. I learned on a curve to teach myself how they work.

 

[RJ2112]

It's good to know what the options are for holidays, and how they would address overtime. Is that in the form of comp time, flat rate, or time and a half?

401k contributions... do they match 1:1, up to some percentage of your wages (most of the time this is up to 6%, some companies still do 1:1, many more do 1:0.5)

How is medical covered? Do they offer a plan?

How is your performance rated -- someone else mentioned perks for exceptional effort. Good to see what they think that means.

 

[tcmalker]

Looks like they didn't offer you anything yet. Why don't you wait until they offer you a number, then go from there. Who knows, they could offer you $60k right off the bat. Listen to what they have to offer, then make a counteroffer.

As for working 20 hr/month for $600 a month. Though that might be $30/hr, it's very little hours. I would settle for $25/hr if I could work full time. Do the math:

currently, you are making 600x12 = 7200/yr

at $25/hr, full time you will be making 25x40x52 = 52,000/yr, plus you will probably get benefits like health insurance, 401k, etc.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

Hey I'm Vegas! I'm setting the over-under at $42,500 with benefits starting.

Start a poll!

 

[krid80]

I would think you would be lucky to get $45k in our area and market. Shoot for the moon, but I would imagine with dental, medical and 401k you will be in the $32k area.

 

[cookies]

umm, i think you are all taking it a little to the extreme, imo. Keep in mind he's a student, so he can't DEDICATE the ammount of time needed to do what's needed. Also note the dealership pays him that much NOW because he IS full time, i would not expect to see 30 bucks an hour at full time, it's just not really common, i say this because ( for example ) i got a degree in bus law, and now i work for a steel company full time, i WAS part time, and i made about 32~ bucks an hour, but when you become full time and have higher responsibilities, you have to take into account a company car is a given, when you sign a contract, make sure you sign a " full payoff" contract ( they will HAVE to pay you your contract price even if they let you go, unless you are fired. that's more important than getting a nice salary, 60k is alot, but not if they "let you go" id much rather have 45k in an economy that's bad, beacuse if they DO let you go, you would still get your severence meaning, the rest of the 45k a year. and im not downing you, because looks like you are a big use to them, but don't forget MANY people can take pics, and manage a website. i would shoot in the 40k range, and get a car / phone / bonuses, and 2% of gross sales in your dept. if it's a non sales dept ask for 1% of all scion sales, gross sales will easily hit 20-50k a month, NOT gross profit, but sales companies LOVE to hear about stuff like that, to them it's like, if we give him money off the sales, the dealership won't be directly held responsible for paying off a severence or a high salary for that matter. I guide people within our company legally, i make a meh 39k a year. but i get a var / phone / company account / and i fly all over the world. think real hard about what you want, if you sign a REAL contract, don't expect to go work for another dealership anytime soon. contracts almost ALWAYS have a NON competition clause, which means you can't work for the other team lol, read it twice, and make sure you know what your doing, Ive often found myself working 80+ hours managing a department ( ford dealership ). Anyways, good luck

 

[Nelly]

I think cookies input are the most grounded. We are all living through a recession; and that fact that there is a job out there is amazing. Any diligent employer is looking for value for money.
You should ask them what they are offering so you know your scope of negotiation.

I wish you all the best with this.

Nelly

PS how will FT affect your studies?

 

[Geoff]

I got off the phone with my father, he said "be honest, tell him the numbers run up and down. Put the offering back in their lap instead of mine." and "Be honest with them, you dont want to cut yourself short, but you dont want to be leeching the company either and they will appreciate that was taken into consideration."

 

[Evitzee]

I got off the phone with my father, he said "be honest, tell him the numbers run up and down. Put the offering back in their lap instead of mine." and "Be honest with them, you dont want to cut yourself short, but you dont want to be leeching the company either and they will appreciate that was taken into consideration."

Listen to your dad, it really is up to your employer to lead this discussion. You can certainly have input but they should be coming to you with what they have in mind for benefits and salary. Perhaps you would rather have upfront dollars instead of a 401k and maybe you don't need medical if you can still stay on your parents plan until age 26. I would not be going in and throwing a number at them, instead I would sit down with them and explore what is available benefit wise and balance it out with the salary. At the end of the day your position has to fit in with their business model and prevailing wages in the area. You can't take your part time pay/hr and just jack it up to a full time equivalent. Good luck.

 

[macem29]

guys, they asked him for a number, ain't nothing insulting
about providing one, and while this can be a dangerous
move for a new hire, he isn't, they know him and like him,
in any negotiation you should want to go first

 

[TampaFZ6]

If the salary seems good, 45k per year would come out to about $22.50 an hour over a 40 hour work week, than take it and not make any kind of issue of the exact amount. If you are a good employee and provide value to the company than you can expect your salary to increase and that increase comes much easier if you are focused on doing the job well and not focused on on how much you make. If you like the job, enjoy doing the work, and you make enough money to be comfortable than by all means you are one lucky person.

 

[VEGASRIDER]

There is also a term called pricing yourself out, anyone is replaceable.

 

[PeterK]

If I was a full-time student, I would not be looking for a full-time job. Different priorities. I would ask for more hours if that...
As for leeching... There's a fine line between leeching on the company and being leeched... All things considered, I would go for the former.