dualman7

Well I am a recent college grad, and have a 2nd interview tonight with a company. This is my 1st time ever getting a 2nd interview. 1st one was an hour long, with them asking me EVERYTHING. The biggest issue for me is the salary question. I honestly don't know what salary I should require, and I think that is a major negative for me. I am kind of nervous about this interview, so any advice would be great.

maleficent

Checkout places like salary.com to see what jobs in your area are paying.

Figure out what it will cost you to live . ie what are housing costs and basic cost of living for your area would be, plus paying off student loans, etc.... (being reasonable here, you are not going to buy a million dollar home, and drive a 70,000 dollar sports car right out of college.)

there's an expression that everyone cuts their own deal when they walk in the door. Don't settle on a salary, then find out 6 months down the road, someone else i making 20K more than you are. Salaries are generally negotiable. You can also negotiate into it vacation time if extra money isn't forthcoming. Or a salary review after 6 months.

Based on your field... and your experience (What internships have you done) will determine how high your salary can go.

Good luck, and congrats on getting the second interview...

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dualman7

maleficent, before my 1st interview, I read your thread regarding questions to ask and etc, and I truly feel it played a huge role in me getting this far. Thank you for your advice. I am still not sure about the salary. Do I let them make an oiffer or what? I actually told them in the 1st interview that I don't know what I would require per hour and etc. I regretted that answer, but now I still don't know what to say. In the place where I interned, guys made very very little money. And this is a little bit different. They know I still live with my parents. So what should i say when they ask me once again, what salary are you looking for? I don't want to turn them off by requesting too much, but i also wanna make some $$$$. It's an entry position, part time. 7 hour shifts...4 shifts per week.

maleficent

You live with your parents now, but that's not going to be a permanent condition, and is not really your employers concern. You are eventually (I would hope) want to get out on your own, so a salary you can live on is going to be your goal, you've graduated from college, so you want to make more than minimum wage.

What field are you going into.
What is your location.

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dualman7

New York.

Production Assistant. Working in a place where I'd be responsible for audio and video, wirings and etc.

la petite moi

My best advice to you is to be confident. Despite nervousness, if you come across as confident in your responses, they may look at you as more responsible (and not just some kid living with his parents).

Mal is right, don't settle for a very low wage. nwlinkvxd (my fiance) started doing programming, IT, and all kinds of computer jobs for a company that only paid him 10$ an hour. Come to find out a few months later, people that do the same job as him (or maybe even less) are making an average of 28$ an hour. nwlinkvxd was lucky that he was able to negotiate for a wage up to 26$.

Also, make sure you have enough for living costs. For example, yes, the minimum wage for the nation is 5.15$ but in many states, state minimum wage is higher because of costs of living. Make sure you're getting paid for the living costs inflation, and then some.

Flaunt your experiences, even if you don't have any in the field you're going into. Since they know you just graduated, flaunt your grades, the clubs you participated in, past jobs while going to school. If you make them believe you're a good employee that will put out quantity as much as your salary that they're paying you, you can get the job.

maleficent

Looking at Salary.com and Monster.com for some production assistant type positions, in NYC, positions range from 22,000 to 28,000 per year for a full time job.

Going with a median salary of 25,000 - that's about 480 per week, still as a full time job, and comes down to (counting on my fingers here) about 12 dollars per hour. (I think I did the math right on that) Assuming that a full time position comes with benefits and a part time postion does not.

I would probably price myself in the 12 - 15 dollar per hour price range, because there are more than likely no benefits associated with the positon.

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dualman7

Well I just got back home, and it went bad. They asked me all sorts of questions which I did not know the answers to. I pretty much knew that I wasn't getting the job. The interview consisted of two people who interviewed me the 1st time, and a 3rd individual in charge of production. I was asked all sorts of specific trivial questions about the genre we'd be producing, and my mind went blank. The previous week I was told I would be shown the studio, but that didn't even happen. One of the women asked me when I could start, and my availability, but it was probably just a standard question. I am so disappointed in myself. This could of been a great gig. All I had to do was know these trivial answers.

maleficent

Consider the positives:
1. You got a second interview
2. You now have an idea of the types of things that would happen on a second interview, so you will be better prepared next time.
3. There will be other interviews, it's good to have practice at them.

Don't be disappointed, find the things you did right and build on them, and find what you did wrong and correct them. Learning experience, my friend, learning experience.

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dualman7

there was a written test and a verbal test. I was not prepared for that at all. The questions overwhelmed me so much that I forgot the answers to those I knew.I am just upset that they probably think I know nothing on the subject. Definately have to prepare much much much harder next time. Thanks again for your kind words maleficent.