Negotiating Salary + Job Search Tips w/ Brad Garropy

Hello Hello! I feel like I’ve been around the world in 2 weeks. From five days at SXSW then home for two days then back on the road to Raleigh for four days, I’m thankful to be back at home and in my own bed! However, I really did need a few days to completely unplug from networking and content because I was absolutely drained. So having a few days off I had some thoughts I wanted to share…

1. Don’t burn bridges - my time in Raleigh back in 2013 was short and it ended abruptly and it upset some people at my last company. But I kept pouring into those relationships and now after 10 years they are some of my closets friends.

2. Sometimes the grass is greener - I stayed at my last company for too long and I realize that and I stayed because I am loyal to a fault, and I didn’t think anything could be better but I was wrong. If you know it’s time to jump…jump.

3. Pour into relationships…that matter - I’m not saying go be friends with every person at work but when you know you found a good one. Pour into that person. Because I’m grateful to have my friends from Raleigh still around me after 10 years. 

My first GC 2.0 episode back from my mini break was great and really relevant to a lot of things everyone’s stressing about right now on the job search. I had an awesome conversation with Sr Engineer Brad Garropy yesterday about the job search (that he’s currently on) and the big scary thing that is salary negotiation. So if you’re looking for some motivation or need some tips on getting what you need out of your next job, let’s get into it. 

I’d recommend catching the whole episode here.

But if you’re here for the short version, let’s get into the main points. Sometimes you stay at a job too long because there’s a promise of promotion and as far as you can tell that next step in your career is going to be all yours… until it’s not. That is the case for Brad, which set him on the path of juggling both his current job and his job search. To manage this, his biggest recommendation was to divide up your day the best you can, but just know going into it that you’re going to be sacrificing a lot of your free time just to make this happen. Starting your day extra early, getting things done before everyone else clocks in, and keeping at it even after they've logged off... Yeah, it's tiring stuff. But remember, even though it might not feel like much fun at the moment, sticking to this routine could be a game-changer for your future.

This is the regularly scheduled part of the newsletter where I talk about how important your network is. So I’m going to keep it short. In the words of Brad, your network is there to amplify you to people and opportunities you may have never even known existed. The power of, “I actually have a friend who…” can have such a monumental impact on your job search and a warm introduction on a job that may be a perfect fit. 

Okay, now on to the juicy stuff— salary negotiation. I’m going to be real with you, it never really gets less awkward. But there are some things you can do to make sure what you’re looking for is even possible from the start of the interview process. And remember, getting the compensation you need and being happy and motivated in your role is mutually beneficial for you and the company. Alright so here’s how we’re doing this. You’re going to make a doc to share at the end (or whenever feels right) of the interview that is an overview of your previous salary and benefits. The thing about negotiating salary is that when you wait and then ask for $10k more a year after they present their offer and they say, “why?” you need to be able to support your answer with solid points. Odds are, you’re not asking for more money just take the company for all their worth. There’s probably a specific problem that your set of skills can be the perfect solution for and you need to be able to present that. 

So if you’re leaving this doc at the end of the interview, a couple things need to happen. If you’re seriously interested in the role, say it. Leaving a doc with your salary requirements and non negotiable benefits allows them review what you need and makes the next round that much easier. Maybe that’s too spicy of a move for you, then at least ask for a more detailed job description that goes into the details of the benefits. Everyone is always talking about salary, but benefits can make or break taking a role. Throwback to a candidate that waited until the final interview to review the benefits package and it was so bad that he asked for $25k more to cover the difference in what he needed… Totally torpedoed the whole hire. Don’t be that guy, and don’t let the company you’re interviewing with keep their cards so close until the end. If they want you, then they want you. Salary and benefit expectations are just details that should be knocked out early on.

Don’t forget, you’re not alone. 

-Taylor

gun.io/taylor