I worked in the travel industry for 10 years before COVID. Obviously that industry was hit pretty hard, and I was laid off in late 2020. At the time, I wasn't overly bummed. I'd been ready for a change anyway, and was thankful for the severance package and the opportunity to go explore a new career path. I've since started working for a non-profit and, while I truly do enjoy my job, the pay unfortunately isn't enough for me to live on long-term. While I can pay my bills, I don't have any money going into savings and can barely afford things like new shoes, haircuts, or going for dinner with friends. Workable in the short term, but I know I deserve a better quality of life.
I started looking at what other opportunities might be available and stumbled upon a job that was similar to something I'd done in the past. It's a fairly niche skillset, and it was a role I had excelled at. I was top of my team 2 years running, and was often the person others in the office came to for help when they couldn't figure something out. I was excited by the thought of going back into this type of work because I loved doing it before and, though it is more demanding than my current job, was ready for the challenge.
I admit that I high-balled my salary expectation a bit, requesting $5k more than what I'd made in the similar role 5 years ago. I didn't think it was a huge ask, given the cost of living these days, but was also fully prepared to negotiate a bit lower if the benefits/perks were worth it. During my first interview, they told me most of the team was making $15-20k lower than my asking salary. Even though I knew it was unlikely that I'd leave my current job for the amount they mentioned, I still went ahead with the second interview because I wanted to hear more about the role.
After the second interview, I knew there was pretty much no way I would take their job. The interviewer seemed intent on catching me out, trying to find things I couldn't answer or couldn't do, and basically completely diminishing my skillset. I told her that it had been a few years since I'd done this work and that if asked to recite specific code for a given situation, I might be a bit dusty but I felt very confident in picking it back up again. When I asked her what her ideal hire would look like, who did she think would excel the most in this role, her answer was “I haven't met her yet.” She also made many references to their high-end business clientele, as if I hadn't been used to dealing with such business in the past. If I wasn't so confident that I could absolutely demolish the job, I'd have left that interview feeling terrible about myself. I struggle so much with confidence and self-worth, so it's huge for me to feel that kind of certainty in my own abilities. If I'd been in a more fragile place, I probably would've bawled my eyes out after the interview, but thankfully I was able to laugh it off.
I considered immediately withdrawing my application, but the masochistic side of me wanted to see what they'd offer. Well, they made me an offer today of $25k below my asking. Yep, $20k less than what I used to make doing similar work, and $5-10k less than what they told me other people in the same department were making. It's also less than what I'm making at my current non-profit job. While I guess it's nice to get an offer, I can't help but find what they offered me to be completely insulting. It feels pointed, like she wanted me to know she does not think I am worth paying anywhere close to a decent wage.
I'm grateful that I'm not in a place of desperation where I'd have to take that measly offer and work for someone who has already treated me disrespectfully. Despite the poor pay at my current job, my team is amazing, the work is rewarding, and I don't feel any pressure to leave until I find a truly better opportunity. It's just such a shame that employers get away with giving their employees the absolute least while still acting like they should be grateful for it.