O/T - salary negotiation..

[desprateseagull]

http://www.ostenergy.com/careers/2015/07/10/accounts-assistant

What do you think is a good / reasonable starting amount to ask for, when applying to this job? Got very good knowledge for 80% of job spec, basic for the rest.. many years admin experience, can pick up new systems easy..

 

[Albumen]

It won't be more than 18K I reckon. I'd try for £20K with performance pay increments.
I am not an accountant.

 

[desprateseagull]

I'm doing the AAT too, so that must help..

 

[Goldstone1976]

http://www.ostenergy.com/careers/2015/07/10/accounts-assistant

What do you think is a good / reasonable starting amount to ask for, when applying to this job? Got very good knowledge for 80% of job spec, basic for the rest.. many years admin experience, can pick up new systems easy..

Honestly, I wouldn't put a salary expectation in the application. It is unusual that the JD doesn't give a range, but it doesn't. If you put an expectation for salary in your application, you are guaranteeing that you will not be invited to interview if it's higher than they want to pay. You are in a much better negotiating position if you attend the interview (assuming you get one), impress them a lot and then ask them what the salary is. If you're satisfied that you really have impressed them, say "That's a little lower than I was expecting, I was looking for £xk", where £xk is 10-15% higher than their number and is rounded to either the nearest £1000 or £500.

There are 2 risks with this approach:

1 They want to pay thruppence ha'penny; in which case you've wasted the interview time and the preparation time (you are going to prepare, right? - by, for example, pulling their accounts from companies house for £1 and doing some basic ratio analysis - you are applying for an accounts job after all).
2 They get pissed off that you've asked them for 10-15% more and pull the offer - this is extremely unlikely - read their body language and assess whether you should pull your request for additional money before they have time to get pissed off.

All imo, of course. Good luck.

 

[brightn'ove]

Between 18-20k for AAT studier, 22k+ for AAT qualified.

 

[desprateseagull]

Trouble with doing AAT is finding firms that will allow time off (max 4 hours a week) - otherwise I will have to find ££ to fund myself, in an evening slot.. college is restricted to how many classes get funded, now..

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Between 18-20k for AAT studier, 22k+ for AAT qualified.

When do accountants start earning mega bucks? I always assumed it was a very well paid job even shortly after qualifying.

 

[saafend_seagull]

When do accountants start earning mega bucks? I always assumed it was a very well paid job even shortly after qualifying.

Depends what figure you think is well paid.

Having AAT is not a qualified accountant also. Do ACCA!

 

[brightn'ove]

When do accountants start earning mega bucks? I always assumed it was a very well paid job even shortly after qualifying.

AAT is more equivalent to having a degree, I think it's a level 4 qualification.

ACCA, CIMA and ACA are the professional qualifications - that's when you start earning the big bucks.

 

[Bad Ash]

When do accountants start earning mega bucks? I always assumed it was a very well paid job even shortly after qualifying.

In reality it doesn't work like that, not in most jobs anyway. I had to get promoted into roles of more responsibility to get any decent sort of pay rise, and that seemed to happen because I was pretty good at the job and was in the right place at the right time. I don't think my employer cared particularly whether I was qualified (CIMA) or not, it was whether I could do the job.

Obviously qualifications can help getting you a job in the first place as it's something employers can quickly filter CVs on, but once you're in a company I don't think they're particularly relevant.

Though I'm sure there are some companies out there who hand out nice pay rises as you progress through the qualifications, but they're few and far between.

 

[Codner pharmaceuticals]

Go for the job like it's all you've ever wanted. Make them want you and need you. Then decide how much you'd like to be paid and take it from there. Don't bring up expectations until that time.

 

[desprateseagull]

Moot point anyways- get the feeling main interviewer didn;t like my CV.

level 2 of AAT is a full academic year- Sept to July (inc. exam?) -£900 at City College, if doing yourself.

Not sure how long level 3 etc takes, or costs! I'm in it for the theory, more than a full blown accountancy career.

 

[reigate]

When do accountants start earning mega bucks? I always assumed it was a very well paid job even shortly after qualifying.

When I qualified in 2005 I went from about £22k, straight to £35k, but had to leave where I was to get it. This was acca though, aat isn't quite the same, although my current boss is only aat and on close to 6 figures