Job offer recanted during negociations, normal? HELP PLEASE!!!?

Question

I interned at this place during college, insurance company, decent gig but not challenging for me and not exactly where I want to take my career so after graduation I tried to go a different way. I've been "under-employed" for 2 years now, since graduation. This insurance company had an opening so I applied, they welcomed me with opened arms because I did so well during my internship. Got the job offer in writing, now I came from a school that pushes students to negotiate salary and benefits IF there is supporting evidence that suggest there is good reason for it. So I called my manager, this is before I "accepted" the job, and presented a few things I'd like to negotiate. I mentioned competitive salaries and sited a few website and asked for the average salary for this position according to job salary website. I asked for a little extra vacation time, as they offered me 10 and I requested 15, and the ability to telecommute on rare occasion, such as a doctors appointment or I had a family vacation I could take a day or a half day to telecommute. Now my grandmother just died and I was a little shaken up about it, literally died during these negotiations, so I was a little more nervous and uncomfortable with the actually requesting part of the negotiations so I think it could have gone a little smoother because of my nervousness. However it was by no means a bad exchange. The weekend passed and HR calls me and says they wish me the best with my career because they couldn't meet any of my requests.

I didn't expect to get all the things I requested but I was negotiating and expecting a counter offer that I would accept. Part of me is bummed because this was a "real" job and yet I'm also a little relieved because I don't want a career in insurance, I'm so much more interested in the investment industry. Though i was really surprised that I was basically told "Goodbye" by this group that I'd interned with for 6 months and they LOVED me. When I went in for my interview there were pictures on the wall of some of the activities I was involved in/with. Lastly I emailed my would be supervisor apologizing for my unsuccessful negotiating as I was merely trying to better the offer (not the words I used) and that I'd still be interested in the position. He responded with, "I wish you the best of success in your career." I feel like I stepped on toes or something, AHHHGGGG.

What do you guys think? Do you think it was common for them to just say goodbye or was I SOOO unreasonable that I deserved it? Should I be happy I may end up with a career job in more my field?

Answer 1

The way I read your note - you are currently not in a career position, you graduated 2 years ago, and this would be your first career position...



If that is correct, any kind of negotiating besides making sure you have a competitive base salary would be inappropriate.

- someone with 2 years of under-employment is not in a position to request an increased level of time off. This is something that seasoned professional do, so they don't end up at the bottom of the barrel

- negotiating telecommuting is normally not done either. The company either offers it or not. Or offers it to people who have a proven track record with the company. If it was not part of the cards they presented, it's not part of the cards until you demonstrate your value.



I think your negotiations made you look like you had an inflated value of worth and the company didn't want to deal with this attitude.

Answer 2

In an economy where there are more job seekers than jobs....you are easily replaced. You're a dime a dozen. Your just another guy with a college degree looking for a job. Apparently your "school" that taught you to negotiate did not teach you to look at the big picture and see if you were in a power position.



You weren't.



As you have learned, in corporate America, when you apply for a job - unless you are applying for a position where there are lots of jobs and very few people with the skills to do them - you're not going to be able to negotate much other than salary. And with no experience, there is no room to negotiate this either.



Vacation time - is a standard policy for all employees. You don't get to be special.

Telecommuting - unless this is offered to other employees - you don't get to be special.



Regarding your salary demand - your "research" (websites) is half baked and lazy. I can look my job up on web sites and the salary is wrong. Zillow also has my house value wrong too.



If you want to know what the salary range is for a job you are applying for - then you work the phones and you get off your computer and meet people. You talk to live human beings and find out what the salary is in your area for that job.



Addittionally, the company knows what their competitors are paying. They know what the job is worth for someone with little to no experience. I bet their starting pay is competitive to what other companies are paying for the same job.



If you think you deserve more money than what they are offering, then you negotate based on what you bring to the table. What skills, background, education, experiences do you have that another candidate does not that makes you worth more? If the answer is "none" then starting salary is just what you deserve.



In essense "but that's not what others are getting paid" does not entitle you to more money. Just like, "but Billy's mom lets him do it" did not persuade your parents to let you do things you wanted to do. They don't care what others are doing. They offered what the job is worth to them. If you don't have any special skills, education, experience etc that make you worth more then you're not worth more.



Your internship is why they pulled your resume out of the stack of 200 and called you. That relationship is why they offered the job to you. That's why you were their first choice.



That job was yours and You blew it. They've offered the job to their second choice who was very happy to take it.



At this point, all you can do is learn from it. Next time you get a job offer, just accept it.

Answer 3

I think the potential employer thought that you were going to be a problem employee, and walked away.





You have no experience besides an intern position. This is an entry level job. They've probably got at least ten more guys lining up behind you, happy to take the initial offer.





Yes, what you were asking for, is VERY unreasonable. NO ONE gets three weeks paid vacation; most people don't get ANY, the first year.

Answer 4

You were not in ANY position to attempt to negotiate the employer's offer. You are NOT a valuable and seasoned professional in high demand. When you first start out, you either take what is offered or do not take it and move on. Were I the HR person evaluating you, I'd have quickly tossed your resume into the shredder as soon as you started asking for more.

Answer 5

With the number of applicants, there's no reason for them to bend over backwards for you.

"Now my grandmother just died and I was a little shaken up about it,"

Now I realize that you post is a hoax.



You've posted this nonsense a half-dozen times in many different forums. It is a hoax, and it has been reported.

Answer 6

When in the negotiating stage,either party may withdraw if an agreement can't be reached on terms of employment.