Re: OT: game programmer SALARY

From: Miss Elaine Eos (Misc_at_*your-shoes*PlayNaked.com)
Date: 09/23/04 

Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 08:23:10 -0700

In article <scott-B20A0D.15275122092004@news.west.cox.net>,
 Scott Ellsworth <scott@alodar.com> wrote:

> > I will discuss job offer with a game company soon. Please post how
> > much I should bargain for.
>
> Good luck, and congrats. This would be many people's dream job.
>
> > -job title: port engineer (j2me, Brew phone games)
> > -at San Francisco
>
> Ok - the very best thing you can do is ask friends who graduated the
> year before with your major and grades what they are getting. They may
> tell, they may not.

Or you could ask the HR person at the company "what is the salary range
for this position?"

There's really nothing you can do about it, anyway -- but if you know
that the range is from X to Y, you can at least get a feel for what they
think of your skills by where they offer you in that range.

While I agree with the other poster that ~40k is about right for a
college hire, they might try to come in slightly below that, on the
thought that giving you a raise from 39,800 to 40,200, while it's
ridiculously small (1%), has a large "feel" to it, in that it crosses
the 40k boundary.

Also, don't get caught up in nit-picky -- if you want 40k and they're
offering 39,800, don't make a big deal over $200/yr ($4/week!) What you
MIGHT do, if they offer less than you indicate you'd like, is ask "what
incentive programs are available to me to help me make up the difference
(bonuses, etc), and what do I have to do to get them?"

The question's not as flip as it may sound -- if a company thinks you're
worth $35k and you think you're worth $45k, but they obviously feel that
SOMEONE is worth $45k (or more -- even $55k!), ask point blank "what
skills do I need to demonstrate to be the kind of person that you pay
$55k?" Or, if you're feeling fancy, "I feel I'm worth $45k, and I'd
like a chance to prove it to you. Tell me what skills I need to
demonstrate in the first three months in order to get a retroactive
salary increase." (No one will offer you a retroactive salary increase,
but they may be willing to offer a normal increase, and a bonus for the
difference.)

The point is: everything is negotiable. Don't try to over-sell what you
have, and don't let them try to under-bid what they're getting.

Luck! 

-- 
Please take off your shoes before arriving at my in-box.
I will not, no matter how "good" the deal, patronise any business which sends
unsolicited commercial e-mail or that advertises in discussion newsgroups.

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