

Ask HN: How important is Salary when accepting a Job Offer? - ashitvora

I am a recent grad (graduated last Dec) and slowly all my friends have started getting job offers.<p>But one thing surprises me alot is, everybody judges their company / work based on how much he or she makes.<p>Is Salary really that important?
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gauravgupta
A common problem with salaries is that most companies offer you something
that's slightly over what you currently draw, not what you truly deserve. In a
way, that's like blindly agreeing to someone else's judgement.

Keep that in mind since starting with a lower salary could mean that it might
take quite a few years to get back to standard salary levels, no matter how
good you are.

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barrkel
I think it's worth taking a salary hit, especially early on, if it gets you
working on more interesting projects, particularly if they're relatively new
and you're likely to have a lot of opportunity to take on responsibility and
shape their direction.

In the longer term, though, unless you're gambling with startups etc. and
equity, you should look to be making average market rates at least, because
otherwise it will start to eat away at you and damage your morale.

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rachnaspace
If you've just graduated, I'd say your first criteria should be the job
profile - the work that you'll be doing, and the opportunity for you to learn
and grow there. Also, make sure you negotiate a salary that can cover your
expenses and you can live decently. Beyond that, don't stress too much on how
others will judge you based on the salary you get - many people do that, but
think about it like this, if right now you focus on doing things that you
enjoy and that provide you opportunity to grow, you're likely to do well in
such an environment...and in the long run (say in the next 4-5 years), you'll
be in a much better & happier position as compared to your other friends who
took up a job based more on the salary.

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rachnaspace
I just saw your profile. You work with Jackbe? I've known their bay area team
for 4 years.. awesome guys!

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ashitvora
Yup. I love it. Awesome colleagues, Friendly environment. I'm learning a lot
here. :)

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rachnaspace
good luck! and I hope you can negotiate a good salary with them :)

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damoncali
For your first job, salary matters zero. Not even a little bit. Concentrate on
doing what you want to do with the people you want to do it with. The rest
takes care of itself.

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gaius
Well, yes and no. The fact that my first employer lowballed me was a life
lesson that I've never forgotten. I'm a professional, I'm here to do a job you
need done, show me the money.

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barrkel
Eh, if you do well at your first company, and have selected for the
interestingness of the work and the degree of responsibility you get to take
on rather than salary, you'll have a killer CV and an employer who'll give you
a fantastic reference etc. for your next job. Your next employer doesn't need
to know what your previous salary was, certainly not before they've made the
offer.

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iuguy
Salary is only important up to a point, especially for your first job. What
matters more is down to you - do you feel you can grow in the prospective
environment? Are the technologies used something you want to get into? Is the
commute ok? Will you have to move? What are the people you're likely to be
working with like? What's the atmosphere like at the place? (Don't worry,
you'll get better at judging that in interviews as time goes on)

The most important thing is whether or not the job is likely to make you
happy. I know a lot of people who make large amounts of money in jobs they
hate - they then become dependent on the income and are trapped in a job or
worse, a career they hate.

Likewise as a young 'un you might think a 3 hour commute will be something you
could handle, but you can't keep it up forever.

The single most important thing to consider at your stage in your career is
whether this is a stepping stone into another job or whether you want to be in
for the long haul. A stepping stone is worth taking a lower salary if you're
likely to command a better one in a better job later. In the long haul you're
probably more concerned about raises in pay.

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spiffage
I've been out of school for five years, and it's amazing the degree to which
my first full-time salary didn't matter at all in retrospect. In fact, it
still doesn't, but now I have the perspective to know that.

Absolutely go for what will make you grow the most.

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sabj
Consider how job A will get you to Job or Place B -> over time, initial
effects will be much less important than the kinds of opportunities you gain
from the early work.

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metamemetics
Salary is the most obvious constraint for optimization during job hunting. So,
it is probably also statistically likely to be the most frequently
overweighted.

Constraints that I think are under-weighted by many engineers: Do I believe in
what the company is doing? Do I mind working for a military contractor? If you
join an institution that you question the validity of, you won't be achieving
your peak performance and slowing your long term growth.

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nickelplate
If you are just out of school, salary doesn't matter that much as long as you
are able to cover your living expenses. Far more important is opportunity for
professional growth. I would say the projects that you work on and the people
that you work with at your first job have more impact on your career than
salary. Work on the right things with the right people, and the money will
follow.

