tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post4421029554179394512..comments2024-03-27T21:23:40.339-04:00Comments on Chemjobber: Job Hunting in Unprecedented Times, by HappyChemist (Part 3)Chemjobberhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15932113680515602275noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-35565497610105790802021-06-18T10:45:48.310-04:002021-06-18T10:45:48.310-04:00This has been a great series and I really apprecia...This has been a great series and I really appreciate having it as a resource as I start to go through the process.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-88472538685386974652021-05-27T11:58:49.456-04:002021-05-27T11:58:49.456-04:00Hi, Anonymous. HappyChemist here. Now I can't ...Hi, Anonymous. HappyChemist here. Now I can't speak from experience, because the offer I accepted was a little better than my expectation. Three of the companies I interviewed at told me the salary range for their open positions up front, and my offer was in line with the high end of those values and had much stronger benefits, so all in all I was happy with the offer and withdrew my applications from the other roles. My advice to you is if you get an offer that is lower than you had in mind, do your research. Reevaluate your expectation and make sure it is a reasonable expectation. You can do this by looking up the average cost of living for the area, look up the average salary for your expertise and skill level in that location and go from there. Many locations have a much cheaper cost of living so the salary will reflect that, $100K in Ohio could equate to $300K in California for the same quality of living. If once you have done your research and factored in the benefits (bonus/vacation/insurance/etc), you still find that the offer is lower than your expectation and more importantly, lower than the standard for the location then it would be time to negotiate. I don't have direct experience negotiating, so I don't know if I am the best person to answer (and input from others is welcome) but if their offer is inline with the standard for the area and your experience level it is going to be more difficult to negotiate, that stated, you won't get more if you don't ask for it. So go into it with a well-researched, strong, and tactful case for yourself. Stay positive in attitude, tell them why you deserve a higher salary, be reasonable in your request, and know when enough negotiation is enough. Best of luck in your job search and my fingers are crossed you get a great offer!! I am glad to hear this series was helpful! :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-43866515088381427792021-05-27T11:16:49.205-04:002021-05-27T11:16:49.205-04:00I think the interview process gets a bit easier af...I think the interview process gets a bit easier after your first job if you're at the PhD level. From what I've heard, marathon interviews of a few full days are typical for new PhD's getting their first industry job. For experienced hires, a 2 or 3-day interview would pretty much eliminate any candidate who's currently employed and can't get away for that long. Multiple interview rounds are annoyingly common, but asking a working professional to devote more than one full day at a time is unheard of (unless it's a relocation situation where they fly you out).<br /><br />If you're a BS or MS chemist, you may have the opposite problem, where you may be asked to give a presentation if you advance to the point where you're competing against PhD's in job interviews. It's a really good idea to try to present at conferences periodically so you'll have some ready-made PowerPoint decks you can use. This way, you know that your presentation has already been approved by your company's management and doesn't raise any IP concerns. I would have been in a very difficult situation if I did not already have a few conference presentations ready to go and was forced to create one from scratch and make my own judgement calls on what is and isn't acceptable to share. KTnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8964719845369935777.post-630628663145266682021-05-27T09:11:35.086-04:002021-05-27T09:11:35.086-04:00These are wonderful comments to be self-enforced a...These are wonderful comments to be self-enforced and emulated by all, and you spoke my mind! That is how I conducted my self during my recent interview with remote presentation jig etc. I am awaiting the final offer letter from a major pharma. The only question I have is how to tread and negotiate, if the salary (that you imagined, with experience to back it up) is not aligned with what you had it in your mind? Any input deeply appreciated. Thanks again for your counsel and wisdom. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com