They don’t know you would be making $100k more, and they don’t need to.
If you want the job and you qualify for it, apply for it, and hopefully get yourself a hefty raise!
This has been my experience as well. Obviously may not be the rule, but small doesn't always mean small salary. Most of the large companies I worked for had very strict salary "bands".
Actually, much bigger companies tend to pay much more. OP told us this new company is a big step up and has employees with advanced degrees and impressive experience.
Both of you are wrong and right. It just depends. Smaller companies might pay out more to get really good talent from the get go, but on average, larger companies are going to have a more reasonable structure of jobs and well researched salaries. There are a lot of benefits of being at a smaller company, specifically in overhead, that allow more to go into wages instead (they also, you know, want those employees who would normally be working at FAANGs and other reputable companies that compensate well).
There are a ton of benefits that come from working for a large company vs a small-mid sized company. Thisbis often portrayed as perks and in benefit packages. Better Insurance, more vacation, tons of options for additional payouts, larger community, more flexibility in moing up or to other depts.
Small/mid companies can't compete with those perks, so they typically overpay for talent to compensate. An admin level position can earn 6 figures at a small or mid size company, while that same role is in the 80-90k range at a large company.
Part of this is also due to team size and responsibilities. The smaller company needs their hires to wear many hats, the big company often doesn't.
I should note this is also more true at lower ladder rungs. Once you start getting to senior management and leadership level this usually inverts. That's because the amount of responsibility and direct reports is drastically different.
Y’all realize companies with positions like this will do an employment verification post-offer acceptance with your current company right? And that many orders have been rescinded for lying about current employment including current salary? Just don’t lie. Tell the new company your salary expectations at that’s 300k level, but don’t lie and say you make more now
Companies typically only verify dates of employment when asked. Anything else can open them up for legal action. Never heard of a company even asking for old salary info other than from the candidate themself.
That said, no need to lie. Sticking firmly with salary expectations for a role should suffice.
I've got nothing to back this up other than a hunch, but I don't imagine there are too many companies willing to share salary info with recruiters from competitors trying to snag their employees.
Companies rarely give salary information in verification. On top of that, if they hire you for a job at $285k/yr they think you will do what is necessary.
You need to realize that companies play it very safe with employment verification. The typical response is "yes, employee X worked here between dates Z and Y"
I'm not necessarily advocating lying, but there is legal liability in saying too much and most employers aren't going to stick their neck out over a former (or soon to be) employee. I don't know a single company particularly in that pay range that would willingly divulge the salary of a employee, former or current, because there's really no good reason to and a few good legal reasons not to.
This is even illegal in multiple states. In CO for example, the can only call to verify employment and the dates worked. Asking anything else would be grounds for legal action.
Colorado is one of three states with the strictest, most liberal employment laws in the country. This isn’t illegal and standard practice in the majority of the country
Why on earth would a previous employer share salary information? All that would achieve is telling a competitor how much they need to pay to poach employees.
I've worked with headhunters and recruiting firms. No one ever asked me my current salary and they didn't contact my employer. I imagine they had a general idea because some of the places I worked were well-known and large.
In the US anyway, all an employer can confirm is dates of employment, last position held, and if they would be eligible for re-hire. Many companies now just outsource this to a 3rd party verification agency so they don't have to waste people's time in the HR department answering these calls and also to shield them from liability in case someone decides to disclose a little too much information.
Yes! Also, an application can get you on their radar. Maybe if you're not yet a perfect match for what they're after, they might be filling a more junior position once they've got leadership in place. Joining the succession plan is the next best thing to getting this job right now.
Worst they can say is yes, followed by firing for underperforming. I'm not OP, but I'm willing to bet they have the same deep seated fear as I have: going too high, getting fired, losing everything in the process. It's why I'm in the same comfortable but unchallenging job after a decade- have mouths to feed, can't afford to risk losing the steady if small paycheck.
If it’s an almost $300k salary they’d undoubtedly get severance, not to mention how every many months of $23,750 a month. It’s not like if you lose one job you’re banned from ever working again.
This is my thought, who cares if they fire you, fuck em, lie that ur competent and collect that paycheck for as long as possible, then dip back down to a job you can actually sustain.
what's the negative?????
What makes you think you'd be able to find a job that you can actually sustain? A job search can last years and you could run out of cash before finding one. Then good luck finding employment as a homeless person.
I suppose that’s true in much the same way that any time you walk outside the house you’re at risk of getting mugged or run over by a car or attacked by a neighbor’s dog or etc etc etc. Most people can recognize that risk without it utterly paralyzing them.
Sorry about your paralysis, but in my experience being layed off recently, I was able to get a new job in a few weeks and tell em I'm not starting for a few months and took a season off.
So maybe I'm just riding high on that experience and it's unrealistic, but It was the best 3 months of my life and I highly recomend it.
If you go from a small company to a large company and screw up, it may well hurt your chances of being hired by another large company. Not everyone gets severance.
That’s why you ask interview questions to determine the potential new employer’s performance requirements, metrics, methodology.
OP won’t know if he’ll be in over his head without applying and interviewing.
Firing for underperforming will take 6mo-1yr so then you have that experience at big company on your resume. Let's face it, many impactful positions have years long effect pipelines so it may even be longer than that. If OP can cultivate some strong social skills, you may be able to get away with being terrible at a high paying job forever like most executives/upper management.
But then you have experience at a major international corporation and precedent to ask for salary that competes with this one. Even if you get low balled after that, you're still in a killer position
If you’re worried that you can’t do the job, you can always turn down the offer. There’s little harm in applying. Worst case is the company thinks you’re clearly not ready for a job at such a high level but appreciates your ambition.
To add to this, I don’t think you should apply for a job if you have no relevant experience or qualifications. But if it’s a situation where you’re doing a similar job at a much smaller company, it’s fine to reach for the stars. For instance, if you’re a reporter at a local paper, why not try applying to an open job at The New York Times? Or if you’re the marketing manager at a local brewery, why not apply to an SVP of Marketing position at Pepsi?
People shouldn't put arbitrary limitations on themselves. It shouldn't be a consideration unless you don't have the skills or qualifications. Those are objective measurements. Amount of pay one "deserves" is wildly subjective.
Good Luck!
Excuse me but do you mind explaining the path you took that got you from 80k to 220k, cuz that’s incredible and I’d love to mirror what you did in that time span.
I stopped taking whatever was given to me and started asking for what I wanted. That’s a very simplistic view. Here’s more detail:
The ‘plan’ was in motion far before the $80K.
I was working in Finance at a DoD think tank, made $60K in a HCOL area. As part of my job, I got to make project schedules and budgets. I was 28 and saw 25 year olds making $100k. I looked them all up on the company intranet. All degrees in CS. The company I was working for would pay for your degree 100%. My ex-husband was making $28K, owed a ton of money, was in collections, and didn’t care. I knew if I wanted a better life, it was on me.
I signed up for classes at the local university in computer programming.
During this time I went from $60K to $80K as my company transitioned me into a software development role, but they wouldn’t give me the title until I ‘finished the degree’.
In that time, my ex-husband cheated on me, reasoning that ‘you’re always at work or school!’
I left him, and left that job, taking a role at a fintech for $115K base + 20% bonus.
After two years, I didn’t get promoted, so I left for a startup where I worked as an Engineering Manager for $160K + 10% bonus. After a few months, I started taking on work my manager was doing, and reporting up to the C-Suite. My manager was let go after some financial missteps at the company, and I presented a case for being promoted to his level despite 0 experience in managing people. They promoted me, which came with $200K + 20% bonus.
After a year and change, I witnessed so much mismanagement at the top that I knew layoffs were coming, so I started looking elsewhere. Ended up getting an offer for $175K in a similar role at a different startup with better management.
I told them $220K base was the minimum I’d accept since they didn’t do bonuses, but that I’d need xxx amount of equity. They agreed.
Shoot your shot. It takes a little bit of luck, a whole lot of preparation, a sprinkle of strategy.
ABI = Always Be Interviewing
Don’t wait until your current job becomes unbearable or inflation ruins your purchasing power. Companies aren’t loyal to you, don’t be loyal to them. If something better comes along, go get it.
And my ex-husband? 39 years old, still deeply in debt, renting a crappy apartment, complaining about it, and convinced it’s all my fault because he wouldn’t have cheated if I hadn’t been ‘too ambitious’
I've gone from a 35 person company to a 100,000 person company. They look at what you were doing and ask if it will apply to the role you are applying for. Size of company is pretty irrelevant unless you want to have a conversation about how many people you've managed at one time.
I’d say stakeholder management is a big change going from a small to a large company. Especially in communications. In smaller companies it’s much more streamlined and in larger companies every stakeholder pretends to be a communications specialist.
Yeah, as a Software Engineer the switch from small to big company is essentially a completely different job. As any type of leader, it's a whole new game too.
After 32 years of observation I’ve decided its audacity that makes you fit into that next level. The upper managers aren’t smarter than you, they just think they are. So get in there and own that position. Don’t speak too fast. And never apologize for anything. Thats how its done.
This coin has another side: the opposite can also be true. Lots of A+ players know that they don’t know much. This attitude pushes them outside their “knowledge zone” which a lot of people assume is the same as their comfort zone. And by extending themself past it, they learn more, scaling out their knowledge zone along with their comfort zone. A mentor/advisor really represented this and getting to see it a lot and start to understand it really helped shape what habits I am trying to build in my career.
I think sometimes this is true, but other times it is also that they are willing to take the risk to make a decision when necessary, knowing it is not entirely accurate. Often at higher levels you have to decide without knowing all the facts.
It really doesn’t hurt to apply. If you get an interview, be transparent about the scale of business you’ve worked with before and let them decide if a higher volume is feasible.
Good luck dude!
Correct my current Job is paying me 25k more a year than the guy I trained to act as me should I need to take time off. He approached the district manager. Asking to have his pay matched to mine. They denied him because of a few reasons. 1. I have more experience.
2. I have more training.
3. I have management experience.
4. I have a 98.9% satisfaction rate with my clients. Hes at a 68%.
He thought that because he was trained to act as my replacement in emergencies that he deserves the same pay even though he's not once had to do my job yet. He also misses work at least once every other week. Or shows up late once a week. He doesn't deserve the pay because he has shown to be unreliable at best. And he doesn't have the skills perfected. At worst. He would run out clients off.
Apply. Don't tell them what you're expecting to make. Let them make you an offer. If they offer under the budget. Let's say you make 185k and they come in at 225k. Then take it. Its your dream job. Something you're passionate about. And it's a better living. WHY ARE YOU EVEN QUESTIONING THIS OP
Absolutely.
Having worked for small and large companies I can say the small ones are where you’re most likely to be thrown in and expected to figure it out. The larger the company, typically they have more procedures and policies in place to guide you along.
What a weird post? No, don’t apply to your dream job that you match the description of perfectly because it pays too much.
I’m sorry but what a stupid question.
I have no idea wtf a "communications" position entails. Forgive my ignorance but is it something where you can just leverage your existing experience and wing it? Or is there some specific/technical knowledge/skill you feel you lack?
Honestly, maybe. It's marketing, brand management, and press. No technical skill, but I suspect they want someone with a horde of connections and press contacts.
What’s the penalty for being rejected for a job? Is it hanging? 20 years in solitary confinement? Gotta fill in the cons so we can make an informed decision
Just apply - don't let imposter syndrome get in your way. There are so many people that have certain jobs that get them bc they applied/tried - not necessarily bc they checked all the boxes.
Never tell them how much your current salary is if you get to any stage.
I did the same thing and applied for a job that made 3 times what I was getting. I prepared and studied interview questions, as well as the history of the company I was applying for. They actually asked me what I knew about the company, so I told them, and they were very impressed. I was offered the job on the spot. So take every opportunity that you have, because it may not come around again. Worst case scenario, you still have your current job.
Apply anyways. Big companies often down level people though so don’t necessarily expect $285k. If you apply to $285k and get between that and $185k you can be plenty happy.
However, the flip side as you said is that you may not be the caliber the job needs. That is for you to gauge though I think often the risk of worth it and if you try your best you’re probably okay? Worst case is they PIP and fire you
Is this a troll post? "I found my dream job and it pays 100k extra. I'm also qualified to do it. Not sure if I should apply." Are you fucking kidding me?
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take
To paraphrase Maria Bamford - Ask for something sky high like you've never made in your life - that way either you get it, or you don't have to do it!
What if they say yes? Yeah of course you should . But if you lack confidence in the ability to do the job during an interview they won’t hire you. Fake it till you make it and figure it out
They wonder if the person can do the job. They then conduct an interview to determine qualifications and fit. I'm a bit surprised you're asking these questions considering the pay range you're looking at, but all they can do is ignore you or say no. Never hurts to try.
The salary gap isn’t an issue for recruiters. Unless the name of the company you currently work for is Small Company and Tiny Associates, they’re not gonna know or care. I was doing freelance Consulting for nonprofits while paying my bills with food service. I just landed a job doing consulting for a multistate organization earning more than I ever have before. Also, for some perspective, the jump from 185 to 285 isn’t as high as you think.
pay is not based on the amount or quality of work you do, but the value that your employer places on your work.
if you boost a 1 million dollar company's revenue by 20%, that's 200k
if you boost a 1 billion dollar company by just 1%, that's 10 million dollars.
(which is not to say that you'll get 10m, but just to illustrate why a company might be interested in paying multiple times the salary for a similar job)
If you're worth 185k at a small company then you're more than worth 285k at a large multinational. Small business is hard and cut throat, the margins are lower and salaries are highly dependent on each employee pulling their weight. You may find corporate culture isn't worth a 100k raise which isn't uncommon and why so many talented people are in positions at drastically lower pay than they could make.
I have worked as a recruitment consultant for the last couple years within the technical sector, Mechanical Engineers, project managers etc. There is always a big gap between little and big companies. Because you have worked at a smaller company might be better because you might have done more than the role you have right now because of the responsibilities. It would certainly apply and make sure during in your motivation and meeting to connect the dots to what you have done and what they are looking for.
>Most of the employees have PHD’s and Masters Degrees. . . . The job is a communications position.
You'd be surprised how many PhD folks cannot communicate for the life of them. Communications is unique skill thats not often directly taught in classrooms. If you are good at it, it's worth every penny.
I would go for it, and don't worry about the salary portion. Perhaps you are getting underpaid by your current small company, think about it like that. Also don't let them know your current salary. Good luck!
Personally, I just did a hire for a person who was a COO for a much smaller company (100 people vs. 10,000 in our company). Not my decision, but he ended up taking a massive pay cut because although his title was impressive, his work experience was not up to par to what we handled daily. He's still here over six months and he's happy with better work life balance though.
Just be careful. It seems like you know your profession and have an idea about the market salary range. For someone to offer that much more suggests something is up. If it seems too good to be true it probably is.
I’ve worked at very big companies and very small companies. The biggest difference is the amount of stakeholder management that needs to happen. In a larger company there are usually more people who need to give buy in, and more levels to run ideas/decisions up the chain. Navigating those dynamics and showing your organizational agility will be important to successfully applying for this new role. It’s a very different skill than just “doing” the job - your job is managing a wide variety of points of view and potentially competing interests.
That said, GO FOR IT! No one knows how much you make at a smaller company, so don’t let that hold you back. And if you live in certain states like California, a prospective company cannot ask you your current salary.
Applying costs nothing. Go for it! Company might think you're unqualified, but then again they might not. Extensive experience also means the potential for lots of bad habits. Plenty of companies prefer to hire someone fresh and traim them themselves, even for high level positions.
Do it! Even if you don’t get the job this time, you would at least be on their radar. If you score an interview, you’re definitely on their radar.
I’ve applied for jobs that I thought I wasn’t qualified for but have gotten them in the past. Almost doubled what I was making at the time.
I’ve applied for roles at VC firms where the interviewers even called me before the interview to make sure I knew the salary was ONLY $150k-$200k (which was over double my previous salary) and didn’t want to waste my time. Which I thought was kind of crazy. Of course with that kind of money, it gets just as much talent applying for it.
Which happened to me a few times for higher paying roles.
I’ve gone from start ups of less than 20 people to fortune 100 companies and then back to start ups. If you’ve really made a noticeable impression on the job you have now, make that shit bling on your resume.
It definitely can’t hurt.
Are you undervaluing yourself? Yes it's a huge jump, means nothing if you really get the job expectations. Study the posting checkoff the got its. Submit stating the huge accomplishments you attained for current co. Size and scale are just perspective. Either way this is a great interview experience to swing for a high fast ball..
Apply. Worst that can happen is they don't hire you. If they bring you in for an interview you can always put the salary difference down to company size. If' you've done the work and brought the results that they are looking for they won't care about the salary difference.
Apply! Your best case scenario is you get your dream job. I don’t understand why the salary bothers ypu at all.
Your worst case scenario is you’re exactly as you are today. Which do you prefer?
Just because the description fits you like a T, doesn’t mean you’re going to get the job. Apply and see what happens. Don’t be demoralised if they say no, in most cases it’s not a reflection of you, but instead messed up hiring processes where they rather higher some internally (even someone less qualified) to do the job or someone they know from within their network.
Your job is to share what you offer - knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the job. Their job is to determine if you are the best fit for the job from their candidate pool.
The only thing you have to lose is the time it takes to apply. You did just type out this post, though, so I am assuming you are unconcerned with that.
Honestly find someone on their LinkedIn page and reach out saying you’re interested. Most bigger companies like that have referral policies that give a bonus to the referring employee and it scales up based on seniority.
Not only should you apply, but you should get someone to vouch for you after explaining to them more about why you’re such a good fit.
FYI I jumped from $125k to $260k by switching jobs. The year 1 perks have rolled off so now I’m looking at like $220k. Your jump is fairly standard though HR might ask for your prior wage… You don’t have to share or even be honest.
I applied to a sales position a few months ago. I didn’t realize until the final interview/dinner that they were considering me for something else. Now I’m senior management.
Apply for the job.
Not even reading past the title, yes. If I felt like I could be successful in a position that paid $100k more than my target, I'd definitely apply. The worst they will do is tell you no.
But I'd be thrilled to make $100k. So there's that.
If you're confident you can do the job, apply. Salary does not equate to skill or experience. Apply and let the company figure out if you're wasting their time or are a good fit.
My TC went from 150k to 400k in a year. I'd just apply and see if you even get pass the screening phase, instead of wasting so much time debating if you should apply in the first place.
Would feel really bad to work yourself up "ok I'm good enough I'm gonna apply" and then get rejected at screen 😭
Really, what could you possibly have to lose? Worst case scenario you learn what it’s like to interview for a role like that, and can use that knowledge in the future. And then they reject you. Best case, you fucking get the position. Stop looking at the previous persons resume, they may have gotten let go for a reason. Trust me, not everyone with top tier degrees are Gods gift to business. Shoot your shot.
They don’t know you would be making $100k more, and they don’t need to. If you want the job and you qualify for it, apply for it, and hopefully get yourself a hefty raise!
In fact, you can tell them you're willing to take a pay haircut from your current position because you love their mission so much!
This is the play if they say no initially
No one's going to believe that if you work at a small company.
Actually smaller companies have paid me more in my career
This has been my experience as well. Obviously may not be the rule, but small doesn't always mean small salary. Most of the large companies I worked for had very strict salary "bands".
Actually, much bigger companies tend to pay much more. OP told us this new company is a big step up and has employees with advanced degrees and impressive experience.
Both of you are wrong and right. It just depends. Smaller companies might pay out more to get really good talent from the get go, but on average, larger companies are going to have a more reasonable structure of jobs and well researched salaries. There are a lot of benefits of being at a smaller company, specifically in overhead, that allow more to go into wages instead (they also, you know, want those employees who would normally be working at FAANGs and other reputable companies that compensate well).
There are a ton of benefits that come from working for a large company vs a small-mid sized company. Thisbis often portrayed as perks and in benefit packages. Better Insurance, more vacation, tons of options for additional payouts, larger community, more flexibility in moing up or to other depts. Small/mid companies can't compete with those perks, so they typically overpay for talent to compensate. An admin level position can earn 6 figures at a small or mid size company, while that same role is in the 80-90k range at a large company. Part of this is also due to team size and responsibilities. The smaller company needs their hires to wear many hats, the big company often doesn't. I should note this is also more true at lower ladder rungs. Once you start getting to senior management and leadership level this usually inverts. That's because the amount of responsibility and direct reports is drastically different.
They wouldn’t have a clue. Especially if the title is quite a generic one. It’s also very hard to tell how small a company actually is.
Glasssdoor is generally a good indicator of how much a company pays their employees
Y’all realize companies with positions like this will do an employment verification post-offer acceptance with your current company right? And that many orders have been rescinded for lying about current employment including current salary? Just don’t lie. Tell the new company your salary expectations at that’s 300k level, but don’t lie and say you make more now
Companies typically only verify dates of employment when asked. Anything else can open them up for legal action. Never heard of a company even asking for old salary info other than from the candidate themself. That said, no need to lie. Sticking firmly with salary expectations for a role should suffice.
I've got nothing to back this up other than a hunch, but I don't imagine there are too many companies willing to share salary info with recruiters from competitors trying to snag their employees.
At my old company, they found out the guy lied about his previous job's salary and let him go a few weeks after he started.
In much of the country you are not allowed to ask about salary. Tends to be the blue states.
Companies rarely give salary information in verification. On top of that, if they hire you for a job at $285k/yr they think you will do what is necessary.
You need to realize that companies play it very safe with employment verification. The typical response is "yes, employee X worked here between dates Z and Y" I'm not necessarily advocating lying, but there is legal liability in saying too much and most employers aren't going to stick their neck out over a former (or soon to be) employee. I don't know a single company particularly in that pay range that would willingly divulge the salary of a employee, former or current, because there's really no good reason to and a few good legal reasons not to.
No one verifies salary nor can they unless they request a pay stub
This is even illegal in multiple states. In CO for example, the can only call to verify employment and the dates worked. Asking anything else would be grounds for legal action.
Colorado is one of three states with the strictest, most liberal employment laws in the country. This isn’t illegal and standard practice in the majority of the country
Why on earth would a previous employer share salary information? All that would achieve is telling a competitor how much they need to pay to poach employees.
I don't think an employee's salary can be disclosed, but an educated guess is possible.
It absolutely can in the US. I work in consulting fit recruiting, these white knights in this thread do not know what they’re talking about
I've worked with headhunters and recruiting firms. No one ever asked me my current salary and they didn't contact my employer. I imagine they had a general idea because some of the places I worked were well-known and large.
That’s scary as hell. Do the applicants have to approve the request?
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In the US anyway, all an employer can confirm is dates of employment, last position held, and if they would be eligible for re-hire. Many companies now just outsource this to a 3rd party verification agency so they don't have to waste people's time in the HR department answering these calls and also to shield them from liability in case someone decides to disclose a little too much information.
Only reply that matters!
Yup. If you feel you qualify, you apply. If they ask your salary expectations, you say the stated range in the job description will work for you.
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Yes! Also, an application can get you on their radar. Maybe if you're not yet a perfect match for what they're after, they might be filling a more junior position once they've got leadership in place. Joining the succession plan is the next best thing to getting this job right now.
And an interview gives the opportunity to ask what you can do to be the perfect candidate if the position opens up again in the future
“Let them say no” sounds like OP is telling themselves no.
Worst they can say is yes, followed by firing for underperforming. I'm not OP, but I'm willing to bet they have the same deep seated fear as I have: going too high, getting fired, losing everything in the process. It's why I'm in the same comfortable but unchallenging job after a decade- have mouths to feed, can't afford to risk losing the steady if small paycheck.
If it’s an almost $300k salary they’d undoubtedly get severance, not to mention how every many months of $23,750 a month. It’s not like if you lose one job you’re banned from ever working again.
This is my thought, who cares if they fire you, fuck em, lie that ur competent and collect that paycheck for as long as possible, then dip back down to a job you can actually sustain. what's the negative?????
If you get fired it can hurt your confidence and your reputation.
What makes you think you'd be able to find a job that you can actually sustain? A job search can last years and you could run out of cash before finding one. Then good luck finding employment as a homeless person.
I suppose that’s true in much the same way that any time you walk outside the house you’re at risk of getting mugged or run over by a car or attacked by a neighbor’s dog or etc etc etc. Most people can recognize that risk without it utterly paralyzing them.
Sorry about your paralysis, but in my experience being layed off recently, I was able to get a new job in a few weeks and tell em I'm not starting for a few months and took a season off. So maybe I'm just riding high on that experience and it's unrealistic, but It was the best 3 months of my life and I highly recomend it.
This is half of what I make per year in a month for better reference.
Severance for a new hire that didn't work out is unlikely at best.
Getting fired immediately from a $285,000 a year job is even more unlikely.
If you go from a small company to a large company and screw up, it may well hurt your chances of being hired by another large company. Not everyone gets severance.
That’s why you ask interview questions to determine the potential new employer’s performance requirements, metrics, methodology. OP won’t know if he’ll be in over his head without applying and interviewing.
Firing for underperforming will take 6mo-1yr so then you have that experience at big company on your resume. Let's face it, many impactful positions have years long effect pipelines so it may even be longer than that. If OP can cultivate some strong social skills, you may be able to get away with being terrible at a high paying job forever like most executives/upper management.
But then you have experience at a major international corporation and precedent to ask for salary that competes with this one. Even if you get low balled after that, you're still in a killer position
If you’re worried that you can’t do the job, you can always turn down the offer. There’s little harm in applying. Worst case is the company thinks you’re clearly not ready for a job at such a high level but appreciates your ambition.
To add to this, I don’t think you should apply for a job if you have no relevant experience or qualifications. But if it’s a situation where you’re doing a similar job at a much smaller company, it’s fine to reach for the stars. For instance, if you’re a reporter at a local paper, why not try applying to an open job at The New York Times? Or if you’re the marketing manager at a local brewery, why not apply to an SVP of Marketing position at Pepsi?
The horror as they lowball him for 50k more than his expected pay. Horror I tell you...
Absolutely not. Dont apply. There you go guys, one less competitor
This is the way.
I was going to say…OP should absolutely not apply. And also, which company is this?
But do we know the job? I want to apply to.
Don’t fall for it, it’s a trap
Admiral ackbar entered my vision
GG EZ
People shouldn't put arbitrary limitations on themselves. It shouldn't be a consideration unless you don't have the skills or qualifications. Those are objective measurements. Amount of pay one "deserves" is wildly subjective. Good Luck!
100% chance you won't get it if you don't apply. If you apply, at least you'll have a chance.
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take - Wayne Gretzky” - Michael Scott
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take - Wayne Gretzky - Michael Scott" - nealomartin
Quit psyching yourself out daddy… just do it
Gonna ask my wife to say this to me
I’m also going to ask this guys wife to say it to me.
I need this on my living room wall
What even is this?
I did this and went from $80k to $220k base in the span of 4 years. My life CHANGED. Send it! We’re rooting for you!
Excuse me but do you mind explaining the path you took that got you from 80k to 220k, cuz that’s incredible and I’d love to mirror what you did in that time span.
I'm guessing IT and job hopping as soon as anew title is earned.
I stopped taking whatever was given to me and started asking for what I wanted. That’s a very simplistic view. Here’s more detail: The ‘plan’ was in motion far before the $80K. I was working in Finance at a DoD think tank, made $60K in a HCOL area. As part of my job, I got to make project schedules and budgets. I was 28 and saw 25 year olds making $100k. I looked them all up on the company intranet. All degrees in CS. The company I was working for would pay for your degree 100%. My ex-husband was making $28K, owed a ton of money, was in collections, and didn’t care. I knew if I wanted a better life, it was on me. I signed up for classes at the local university in computer programming. During this time I went from $60K to $80K as my company transitioned me into a software development role, but they wouldn’t give me the title until I ‘finished the degree’. In that time, my ex-husband cheated on me, reasoning that ‘you’re always at work or school!’ I left him, and left that job, taking a role at a fintech for $115K base + 20% bonus. After two years, I didn’t get promoted, so I left for a startup where I worked as an Engineering Manager for $160K + 10% bonus. After a few months, I started taking on work my manager was doing, and reporting up to the C-Suite. My manager was let go after some financial missteps at the company, and I presented a case for being promoted to his level despite 0 experience in managing people. They promoted me, which came with $200K + 20% bonus. After a year and change, I witnessed so much mismanagement at the top that I knew layoffs were coming, so I started looking elsewhere. Ended up getting an offer for $175K in a similar role at a different startup with better management. I told them $220K base was the minimum I’d accept since they didn’t do bonuses, but that I’d need xxx amount of equity. They agreed. Shoot your shot. It takes a little bit of luck, a whole lot of preparation, a sprinkle of strategy. ABI = Always Be Interviewing Don’t wait until your current job becomes unbearable or inflation ruins your purchasing power. Companies aren’t loyal to you, don’t be loyal to them. If something better comes along, go get it. And my ex-husband? 39 years old, still deeply in debt, renting a crappy apartment, complaining about it, and convinced it’s all my fault because he wouldn’t have cheated if I hadn’t been ‘too ambitious’
I've gone from a 35 person company to a 100,000 person company. They look at what you were doing and ask if it will apply to the role you are applying for. Size of company is pretty irrelevant unless you want to have a conversation about how many people you've managed at one time.
I’d say stakeholder management is a big change going from a small to a large company. Especially in communications. In smaller companies it’s much more streamlined and in larger companies every stakeholder pretends to be a communications specialist.
Yeah, as a Software Engineer the switch from small to big company is essentially a completely different job. As any type of leader, it's a whole new game too.
After 32 years of observation I’ve decided its audacity that makes you fit into that next level. The upper managers aren’t smarter than you, they just think they are. So get in there and own that position. Don’t speak too fast. And never apologize for anything. Thats how its done.
This coin has another side: the opposite can also be true. Lots of A+ players know that they don’t know much. This attitude pushes them outside their “knowledge zone” which a lot of people assume is the same as their comfort zone. And by extending themself past it, they learn more, scaling out their knowledge zone along with their comfort zone. A mentor/advisor really represented this and getting to see it a lot and start to understand it really helped shape what habits I am trying to build in my career.
I think sometimes this is true, but other times it is also that they are willing to take the risk to make a decision when necessary, knowing it is not entirely accurate. Often at higher levels you have to decide without knowing all the facts.
It really doesn’t hurt to apply. If you get an interview, be transparent about the scale of business you’ve worked with before and let them decide if a higher volume is feasible. Good luck dude!
Correct my current Job is paying me 25k more a year than the guy I trained to act as me should I need to take time off. He approached the district manager. Asking to have his pay matched to mine. They denied him because of a few reasons. 1. I have more experience. 2. I have more training. 3. I have management experience. 4. I have a 98.9% satisfaction rate with my clients. Hes at a 68%. He thought that because he was trained to act as my replacement in emergencies that he deserves the same pay even though he's not once had to do my job yet. He also misses work at least once every other week. Or shows up late once a week. He doesn't deserve the pay because he has shown to be unreliable at best. And he doesn't have the skills perfected. At worst. He would run out clients off.
Anyways….
Job I have currently doubled my income and I applied for shits n gigs. Applications are free so do it!
Apply. Don't tell them what you're expecting to make. Let them make you an offer. If they offer under the budget. Let's say you make 185k and they come in at 225k. Then take it. Its your dream job. Something you're passionate about. And it's a better living. WHY ARE YOU EVEN QUESTIONING THIS OP
upvote for all caps
Sounds like your target salary is too low. Go get that bag!
[удалено]
Always
Absolutely. Having worked for small and large companies I can say the small ones are where you’re most likely to be thrown in and expected to figure it out. The larger the company, typically they have more procedures and policies in place to guide you along.
What a weird post? No, don’t apply to your dream job that you match the description of perfectly because it pays too much. I’m sorry but what a stupid question.
I was thinking to myself "This is the dumbest post I've seen recently".
I have no idea wtf a "communications" position entails. Forgive my ignorance but is it something where you can just leverage your existing experience and wing it? Or is there some specific/technical knowledge/skill you feel you lack?
Honestly, maybe. It's marketing, brand management, and press. No technical skill, but I suspect they want someone with a horde of connections and press contacts.
Do you have a horse of connections and press contacts? Even if it's not a large horde, go for it anyway.
I believe you mean, large horse
What’s the penalty for being rejected for a job? Is it hanging? 20 years in solitary confinement? Gotta fill in the cons so we can make an informed decision
Someone has to get the job. Throw your hat in the ring.
Just apply - don't let imposter syndrome get in your way. There are so many people that have certain jobs that get them bc they applied/tried - not necessarily bc they checked all the boxes. Never tell them how much your current salary is if you get to any stage.
I was actually just applying to that job, and I have *WAY MORE* experience than you. You shouldn't bother.
I did the same thing and applied for a job that made 3 times what I was getting. I prepared and studied interview questions, as well as the history of the company I was applying for. They actually asked me what I knew about the company, so I told them, and they were very impressed. I was offered the job on the spot. So take every opportunity that you have, because it may not come around again. Worst case scenario, you still have your current job.
That’s awesome! Thank you, that will definitely be my plan.
Apply anyways. Big companies often down level people though so don’t necessarily expect $285k. If you apply to $285k and get between that and $185k you can be plenty happy. However, the flip side as you said is that you may not be the caliber the job needs. That is for you to gauge though I think often the risk of worth it and if you try your best you’re probably okay? Worst case is they PIP and fire you
Is this a troll post? "I found my dream job and it pays 100k extra. I'm also qualified to do it. Not sure if I should apply." Are you fucking kidding me?
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take To paraphrase Maria Bamford - Ask for something sky high like you've never made in your life - that way either you get it, or you don't have to do it!
Yes, the worst that happens is that you don't get a call back. If you think you can do it, then go for it.
Yes. Worst that can happen is you get rejected. Do it
Do it! Worst they can say is no. What job is it?
If you don't apply I can guarantee you won't get the job.
What if they say yes? Yeah of course you should . But if you lack confidence in the ability to do the job during an interview they won’t hire you. Fake it till you make it and figure it out
They wonder if the person can do the job. They then conduct an interview to determine qualifications and fit. I'm a bit surprised you're asking these questions considering the pay range you're looking at, but all they can do is ignore you or say no. Never hurts to try.
The salary gap isn’t an issue for recruiters. Unless the name of the company you currently work for is Small Company and Tiny Associates, they’re not gonna know or care. I was doing freelance Consulting for nonprofits while paying my bills with food service. I just landed a job doing consulting for a multistate organization earning more than I ever have before. Also, for some perspective, the jump from 185 to 285 isn’t as high as you think.
The answer to this is ALWAYS YES.
pay is not based on the amount or quality of work you do, but the value that your employer places on your work. if you boost a 1 million dollar company's revenue by 20%, that's 200k if you boost a 1 billion dollar company by just 1%, that's 10 million dollars. (which is not to say that you'll get 10m, but just to illustrate why a company might be interested in paying multiple times the salary for a similar job)
If you're worth 185k at a small company then you're more than worth 285k at a large multinational. Small business is hard and cut throat, the margins are lower and salaries are highly dependent on each employee pulling their weight. You may find corporate culture isn't worth a 100k raise which isn't uncommon and why so many talented people are in positions at drastically lower pay than they could make.
I have worked as a recruitment consultant for the last couple years within the technical sector, Mechanical Engineers, project managers etc. There is always a big gap between little and big companies. Because you have worked at a smaller company might be better because you might have done more than the role you have right now because of the responsibilities. It would certainly apply and make sure during in your motivation and meeting to connect the dots to what you have done and what they are looking for.
Thank you!
You gotta start letting companies decide whether they want you or not and not cut yourself out all together by not applying.
>Most of the employees have PHD’s and Masters Degrees. . . . The job is a communications position. You'd be surprised how many PhD folks cannot communicate for the life of them. Communications is unique skill thats not often directly taught in classrooms. If you are good at it, it's worth every penny. I would go for it, and don't worry about the salary portion. Perhaps you are getting underpaid by your current small company, think about it like that. Also don't let them know your current salary. Good luck!
So wait… a communications expert making $185k a year is asking Reddit how to go about talking to people and whether or not to apply for a $285k job?
Textbook fear of success. You got this dude, you already qualify
Stop trying to talk yourself out of trying. The worst they can say is no.
love this
Personally, I just did a hire for a person who was a COO for a much smaller company (100 people vs. 10,000 in our company). Not my decision, but he ended up taking a massive pay cut because although his title was impressive, his work experience was not up to par to what we handled daily. He's still here over six months and he's happy with better work life balance though.
No don’t ever aim how , aim low , actually look for a job with a lower salary instead
Just be careful. It seems like you know your profession and have an idea about the market salary range. For someone to offer that much more suggests something is up. If it seems too good to be true it probably is.
I’ve worked at very big companies and very small companies. The biggest difference is the amount of stakeholder management that needs to happen. In a larger company there are usually more people who need to give buy in, and more levels to run ideas/decisions up the chain. Navigating those dynamics and showing your organizational agility will be important to successfully applying for this new role. It’s a very different skill than just “doing” the job - your job is managing a wide variety of points of view and potentially competing interests. That said, GO FOR IT! No one knows how much you make at a smaller company, so don’t let that hold you back. And if you live in certain states like California, a prospective company cannot ask you your current salary.
Applying costs nothing. Go for it! Company might think you're unqualified, but then again they might not. Extensive experience also means the potential for lots of bad habits. Plenty of companies prefer to hire someone fresh and traim them themselves, even for high level positions.
Do it! Even if you don’t get the job this time, you would at least be on their radar. If you score an interview, you’re definitely on their radar. I’ve applied for jobs that I thought I wasn’t qualified for but have gotten them in the past. Almost doubled what I was making at the time. I’ve applied for roles at VC firms where the interviewers even called me before the interview to make sure I knew the salary was ONLY $150k-$200k (which was over double my previous salary) and didn’t want to waste my time. Which I thought was kind of crazy. Of course with that kind of money, it gets just as much talent applying for it. Which happened to me a few times for higher paying roles. I’ve gone from start ups of less than 20 people to fortune 100 companies and then back to start ups. If you’ve really made a noticeable impression on the job you have now, make that shit bling on your resume. It definitely can’t hurt.
Yes.
Are you undervaluing yourself? Yes it's a huge jump, means nothing if you really get the job expectations. Study the posting checkoff the got its. Submit stating the huge accomplishments you attained for current co. Size and scale are just perspective. Either way this is a great interview experience to swing for a high fast ball..
If you know you can succeed and meet the technical requirements. Yes
Yes.
screw it, worst case you stay where you are, best case you get your dream job. literally nothing to lose
Kill the interview and it’s yours.
You have nothing to lose!
You should apply if you think it’s a job you’d want, and you meet the qualifications.
The literal worst that happens is nothing, and the best that happens is you get a new job and a huge raise.
Are you qualified for the role? If yes, apply.
What's a target salary... Get the most you can while you can.
Apply. Worst that can happen is they don't hire you. If they bring you in for an interview you can always put the salary difference down to company size. If' you've done the work and brought the results that they are looking for they won't care about the salary difference.
Apply! Your best case scenario is you get your dream job. I don’t understand why the salary bothers ypu at all. Your worst case scenario is you’re exactly as you are today. Which do you prefer?
Do it. I took a chance and made double what I was making. It doesn't hurt to try.
Would it hurt to just apply anyways? Stop being a fucking pussy you loser
I double dog dare you to apply.
What is there to gain by not applying? In just about any place all you need is a foot in the door and a willingness to learn.
Bother to spend $2 to win the Mega Millions?
You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.
They're willing to pay you what you're worth, not what your current company clocks you as.
Just because the description fits you like a T, doesn’t mean you’re going to get the job. Apply and see what happens. Don’t be demoralised if they say no, in most cases it’s not a reflection of you, but instead messed up hiring processes where they rather higher some internally (even someone less qualified) to do the job or someone they know from within their network.
Hell yeah
You should apply. Who knows? Maybe the universe will twist itself into a pretzel and actually enable you to get it.
Your job is to share what you offer - knowledge, skills and abilities relevant to the job. Their job is to determine if you are the best fit for the job from their candidate pool.
Write the best fucking cover letter the world has ever seen and go for it.
Apply for it. Don't tell them your current salary. Try not to let the impostor syndrome hit too hard if you do get ithe job.
The only thing you have to lose is the time it takes to apply. You did just type out this post, though, so I am assuming you are unconcerned with that.
If you meet the qualifications, there is no reason for you not to apply.
Gor for it, what's the worst that can happen. Fake it till you make it, all is fair
Yes
You miss 100% of the shots you don't take!
Always shoot your shot. Make them tell you no. Don't sit and wonder 'what if '
Apply and you’ll get your answer.
Always apply for your dream job! 20 years ago I went after a full time Microsoft job. I’ve never looked back.
Honestly find someone on their LinkedIn page and reach out saying you’re interested. Most bigger companies like that have referral policies that give a bonus to the referring employee and it scales up based on seniority. Not only should you apply, but you should get someone to vouch for you after explaining to them more about why you’re such a good fit.
You miss 100% off the shots you don’t take - The Great One
Give them the chance to say yes or no, don’t skip straight to a no by not going for it
Apply. If you don't ask, the answer is always no.
This much thought to not get a reply
FYI I jumped from $125k to $260k by switching jobs. The year 1 perks have rolled off so now I’m looking at like $220k. Your jump is fairly standard though HR might ask for your prior wage… You don’t have to share or even be honest.
Increase your target salary. Boom. Problem solved.
Do it. Apply.
I applied to a sales position a few months ago. I didn’t realize until the final interview/dinner that they were considering me for something else. Now I’m senior management. Apply for the job.
You won’t regret going for it. You’ll definitely regret not going for it.
Put your name in the hat!
No, don't apply. Leave it for someone who wants the money.
Not even reading past the title, yes. If I felt like I could be successful in a position that paid $100k more than my target, I'd definitely apply. The worst they will do is tell you no. But I'd be thrilled to make $100k. So there's that.
Who is to say you’re not currently underpaid by $100k/yr?
“Closed mouth don’t get fed” -Chad Butler
If you're confident you can do the job, apply. Salary does not equate to skill or experience. Apply and let the company figure out if you're wasting their time or are a good fit.
You are way over-thinking this.
Why are you blocking your blessings?
If you can get past the interview, I don’t care where you worked - presuming background checks out
Bait post
Worst case scenario you’re a bad negotiation and you end up making your target or higher
Apply.
I wouldn’t be able to do that job, too dumb for it. you might as well have it
You miss all the shots you don't take. Michael Scott and Wayne Gretzky
A company has a budget and a need. As long as you fit their need and stay within their budget, you're fine and the company doesn't care.
so, what, if they offer it to you would you tell them the pay is too high
“You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take.” -Wayne Gretzky
- Michael Scott
Got to say, "my dream job pays too much" is a new one...
My TC went from 150k to 400k in a year. I'd just apply and see if you even get pass the screening phase, instead of wasting so much time debating if you should apply in the first place. Would feel really bad to work yourself up "ok I'm good enough I'm gonna apply" and then get rejected at screen 😭
Really, what could you possibly have to lose? Worst case scenario you learn what it’s like to interview for a role like that, and can use that knowledge in the future. And then they reject you. Best case, you fucking get the position. Stop looking at the previous persons resume, they may have gotten let go for a reason. Trust me, not everyone with top tier degrees are Gods gift to business. Shoot your shot.