High Salary Early Career Job Search Woes 3

[cm566]

I've worked for the same company for 4+ years since graduating with my BSME. Through various internal shifts I ended up getting some significant raises very early in my career and now make 90k in a lower cost of living area. Seems like a good problem to have I realize, but I'm not terribly satisfied in my job and have been looking around. I recently interviewed for a really interesting sounding position and it was going well until the interviewer kind of deflated upon hearing my current salary. This isn't the only time this has happened either. I feel like I'm marketable enough, but people get turned off by a 27 year old with not a lot of experience and a way above market salary. How can I approach convincing interviewers that I understand my salary is inflated without inadvertently selling myself short?

 

[IRstuff]

A certain pundit stated that there was one born every minute...

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[rotw]

IRstuff,
Space exploration is ongoing and will soon tap into unlimited resources..

 

[IRstuff]

Yeah, but that's almost old news:

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-selects-two-missions-to-explore-the-early-solar-system

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[monkeydog]

I keep hearing (reading) the desire for "job satisfaction".
Perhaps if you were to rephrase that from a desire for "job satisfaction" to a desire for "to challenge yourself" in a new position.

 

[IRstuff]

Either context can likely trigger caution alerts. "New challenges" potentially raises the issue that you are easily bored, as it says that you're done with the "old challenges," for whatever reason. In some sense "job satisfaction" is more nebulous and therefore somewhat less concerning, as it could mean that you had a nasty boss/coworkers, too long a commute, etc.

Since you are leaving your current job, you do need to convey at least the impression that two years from now, you aren't going to leaving the job you're interviewing for. While companies aren't necessarily loyal to their employees, they still seemingly demand loyalty in the other direction.

TTFN (ta ta for now)
I can do absolutely anything. I'm an expert!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKorP55Aqvg

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[GregLocock]

So, 90k is too much, 65k is too little. Goldilocks says 75k is the number you are looking for. Sounds doable.

Cheers

Greg Locock


New here? Try reading these, they might help FAQ731-376

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[Careful34]

So you're going to accept less money, to get more engineering experience, to be a better value to your employer, so you can make more money?

What's the job stability like in your current position? If it's good, I'd stay put, and find classes or courses to increase your engineering worth, unless you find a position where you know you'll be working on something personally satisfying to you. The job is a means to an end, not the end, generally.

 

[EdStainless]

What companies pay is all over the place, location and business are only part of it.
I have been on interviews and had CEOs of $1B companies tell me that they couldn't pay me what I was asking, and then gone to work for a small private company for more money than that.
Interviewing sucks, but you need to think of it as a job. Research and go in with a plan.
Keep a detailed list of everyone that you talk to by phone and in person. I wish that I had.
Over the years I interviewed with many companies that couldn't afford full time/full pay engineering help, but they would have made good consulting clients.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
P.E. Metallurgy, Plymouth Tube

 

[HCBFlash]

Uh, BTW, $90k isn't that much for engineering work. Invest all your extra money, you'll want it someday.

.

(Me,,,wrong? ...aw, just fine-tuning my sarcasm!)