Salary Question

[Jennifer Brehm]

Here’s some advice from a fellow Canuck. Given that it is Toronto and it is a more expensive city to live in I would not hesitate to ask for the high 40’s…if not $50K. The Canadian economy has not suffered as much as the American economy and it sounds like the firm is in a healthy state. Also keep in mind, that once you make a offer with a company your raises happen very slowly after that.

 

Good luck! 

[ykonwanderer]

Ah, finally!  Where have you been? haha.

 

I’ll just have to play it by ear I guess.

[Blake Guidry]

In my experience, small firms pay more.

I graduated 2.5 years ago, still employed by same company and I can tell you that you shouldn’t even entertain the thought of a salary in the $50,000 range. That is just very unrealistic.

 

I read a little about your situation in the thread, your skills do not justify that large of a salary. You seem to think you have a lot of experience but really you don’t.

 

You should be content with anything over $40,000. Anything over $45,000 should feel like a Christmas present. In my experience, colleges tend to fluff up the profession with both job opportunities and salary compensation.

 

A lot of people have given good advice so far. Just be realistic.

[ykonwanderer]

yes, yes, yes, you have said the same thing time and again.  More lecturing about humbleness, lowering my expectations, and the shitty economy.

 

Other people have kindly offered figures, taking into consideration the different economic situation in Canada, the different cost of living, and the higher inflation rate/prices across the board. 

 

After discussing this with my profs and recent grads they tell me anything under the low 40’s is pretty low-ball.

 

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

Have you heard back from them yet?

[nca]

I dont think anyone is ‘demanding’ anything here as far as I can see.

 

Aside from owning the company, and being licensed there are many circumstances where employees can and should, in my opinion, request more compensation.

 

You seem to subscribe to the notion that firms hire people out of charity and goodwill. Companies hire people to meet a demand and often to bring in a set of marketable skills that they did not previously have, be it drafting labor, gis, or illustration.

 

In my humble opinion, it is ultimately better for all of us that we expect better compensation and working environments. One day you or I may own a firm and we can decide what is important to us, that’s true, but I also think the same point resonates with owners and their respective goals.

[Pat S. Rosend]

Would you still take the job if that is what they offered?

[nca]

I’ll give my answer- Yes.

 

My only point here is that the original poster can be humble and know what he or she is worth. If that means accepting a job that pays lower than what was expected, then so be it, but they still need to weigh costs and incentives.

 

I know that just in the state of colorado, salary and cost of living vary greatly almost from county to county. An entry level designer may expect anywhere from say 32k to 48k starting out, irrespective of their ability.

[Pat S. Rosend]

I am hoping the OP will answer too.

[ykonwanderer]

If they offer me what?  If they offer me low-mid $40’s then yes I will take it.  If they low-ball me then I will not take it.  I know from past years of experience that if I feel like I am not being paid fairly at the going rate or fairly compensated for my skills than I am miserable, and I have worked too hard since returning to school to be miserable at a job.

 

There are other opportunities popping up that I can try to get, in better regions with more challenging work…

[ykonwanderer]

and for the 5th time now there is no interview.

[ykonwanderer]

yes, I emailed her last week and now regret it – I wish I had given myself more time to try to line up another offer, because she is “eager to have me back” and I am supposed to call her “at my earliest convenience”.

 

I feel like this is going to be almost a game of chicken.  Who’s going to dive first?

 

I just have no idea what to expect during the call.  I assume we’re going to catch up on eachother’s lives since I left, and then she is going to offer me a job?  If she asks me what salary I was hoping to get – what is the best (non-canned) way to redirect this question?

 

How much time is reasonable to ask to think it over?  a couple days?  If I’m not graduating until April does that change anything?

[ykonwanderer]

Thank you Nick!  Yes – a person can be humble and respectful and also know their worth!

[Andrew Garulay, RLA]

From everything that I see in the job market in my region and everything that I read here and elsewhere …. a bird in the hand is pretty hard to come by. Opportunities are pretty rare in this field these days. Having a job is a pretty good position of strength to work from.

 

There is an old story about a very religious man in a flood. When the waters start to rise the National Guard drives a big truck through the water to the man’s house. They ask if he would like to evacuate with them. He says no because he has faith in the lord. When the water gets to the windows some people come by in a canoe. He says the same thing. When he is forced to the roof, a helicopter comes by.He says that he’ll remain because he has faith. He drowns and gets to the pearly gates  and says “I had faith that you’d save me, but here I am”. God says, “I sent you a truck, a boat, and a helicopter what else did you want!”.

[ykonwanderer]

haha, great story!

 

I do think our regions are different though.  I think in general the whole country is not as saturated as the U.S. is with landscape architects, it’s a much smaller community (only one or two BLA programs) and our economy is doing much better.

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