How do you handle this?
 

So, as I mentioned in the headhunters thread, I recently interviewed for a job that....quite honestly, I was given the impression it was just short of a sure thing. I know that nothing ever is, until an official offer is on the table, but I wish you guys could have heard what the interviewer said....It was basically, just short of "I just need to make it official, and the job is yours..."

A little background so you guys can understand where my question is coming from. My husband received a phone call from this company wanting to interview him. He was told the job description (it was for a payroll coordinator) and the price range ($14.50 an hour, with a possible raise in 6 months). He told the lady he was no longer in the job market, but that his wife was, and did she mind if he forwarded along the information. She told him that would be fine.

So, I wrote up my cover letter and emailed it and my resume to her, and within 10 minutes, she had emailed me back asking for an interview. Now, $14.50 an hour is a little bit less than what I make now, but not so much that I wasnt open to the opportunity. I'm not happy where I am, I definitely need a change, and I saw this opportunity as a good thing, a chance to grow, and it was still enough money to pay my bills, which honestly, is all I care about at this point.

So I went to the interview, the interview went great. I really think it was probably one of the best ones I've ever done. I felt good, I felt GREAT about it, and I was very confident I was going to be offered the job.

I had filled out an application with my previous experience and current payrate. Thinking about it now, I think that my current payrate is what lost if for me. The lady flat out said in the interview "I've interviewed one other person, but I'm leaning towards you. I just have to make it official with my boss..." She said that before she reviewed my application with my current payrate on it.


So. All of that being said - I still dont truly know what the reason why I wasnt offered the job is, but I think it's a very real possibility that they saw my current payrate, and thought "well this person is probably not going to be happy taking a pay cut, we can't offer them more, they are going to end up in this job unhappy cause they aren't making enough and leave in a few months for something better... so I am going to take this other less qualified person because I can justifiably pay them more..."

My question is this: how do you handle this? I mean, I was willing to take the paycut. I already knew what they were probably going to offer, and I was completely okay with that. I dont think it's appropriate to bring that up in the interview itself, but how do you let the employer know "yes, I'd be taking a paycut, but I'm OKAY with that? I 'm still very very interested in this job, please choose me!" Do you somehow mention it in your follow up "thank you for the interview" letter?

I just....dont want this to be a problem the next time I have an interview. Has anyone dealt with this before? if so, how would you handle it?

Thanks for listening....

I've had it happen before, and there's really nothing you can do. In the long run, they're probably right - you aren't going to stay at that job when you're used to making more money, and can find a jobn with better money elsewhere. If they can get someone less qualified in there, and pay them less, it's just a matter of training. Let's face it - it doesn't take a genius to run a payroll, especially with all the software they have out there.

i think it depends on how bad you want the job. taking a pay cut sucks, but if its for the good (ie, you really want to make moves from your old job, or the position is more what you wanted) then you should say, "well, i'm making X right now, but i am flexible on the salary, given that I _____________" (you fill in your reasoning there).

this coming from someone who has has steady hourly increases, only to be currently interviewing for positions that pay roughly what i made when i came out of school. youre right, employers are intimidated and ive flat out gotten rejected at the end of interviews, saying "oh we'd never hire you if you're asking for X." but then if you say, "oh, well i'll take what youre offering" then you look super desperate. and that may not even work.

I've had prospective employers look at my salary history and let me know that they would not be able to match that. At that time I say (if I really mean it) that my interest is in getting in that line of work and the experience would be worth the difference in salary. However, you can only really make that clear if they ask you about your thoughts on the topic.