Please, please, please, let me get what I want this time.

July 2, 2009 8:21 AM

Very worried that I screwed up a potential employment opportunity, would like some advice about my next move (long-ish)

I had an interview at a job I was very interested in on Monday morning. The interview went well. I had only met the interviewer once before, but I'm friends with the spouse of the person who interviewed me, so it was very informal. So informal, in fact, that at the end we were talking about having a dinner party/weekend visit in August. It seemed, by the end, like I was a shoo-in.

I just had one concern (which I voiced in the interview) - the job starts part time, goes full time for a few months, and then goes back to part time. I am currently working full time, and I fully expect to take a pay cut if I take this job, but I wanted to make sure that I could afford to work there.

The next day I sent an email thanking the interviewer for taking the time to interview me, who got back to me promptly saying "No problem, I'd like you to come back for a second interview, when are you available?" I replied with my availability and, since the interview was so informal I inquired after compensation, explaining that I didn't want to be a huge time sink for them, with subsequent interviews, etc., if I was just going to have to turn the job down cuz I couldn't afford it.

Since then, I've heard nothing (that was Tuesday morning). I do know that right about the time I sent that email on Tuesday morning, there was a transformer explosion that caused a power outage at the company I want to work at, and I'm wondering if that somehow fried the email I send (I kind of doubt it though. I'm sure they're smart enough to figure out how to queue email when their network's down and would likely have sent me a follow up email)

Should I just wait for them to get back to me? Should I send a friendly follow-up email? I want this job so bad I can taste it, and since the interview process was so informal, I didn't think that asking about compensation would sour the deal. Am I just being paranoid?

Throwaway email - [e-mail]

posted by anonymous to Work & Money (10 answers total)

It's only been two days--it's entirely possible that they could get back to you today. I also think it's very reasonable to ask about what wage you'd be making before a second interview.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 8:27 AM on July 2, 2009

It is perfectly reasonable to inquire about compensation; any company with any remote level of success realizes that people generally work because they need income to survive, and they also realize that people need to know what this income will be before actually accepting a job. You've been invited for a second interview. Asking how much the job pays isn't going to make them decide they don't want to hire you anymore. If you asked in a manner that was rude or insulting, then of course that would affect their opinion of you, but asking in and of itself is not bad. It's only been two days; they could be finalizing interview times (they probably have a panel of interviewers and interviewees to coordinate). If you're desperate, think up some other innocuous question or excuse to email, email the guy again late friday or so, and also drop in a question about whether they've finalized interview times. In other words, try not to make it look like pestering, because that's probably how a "follow-up" will look.
posted by Polychrome at 8:32 AM on July 2, 2009

Yeah, a company that would freak out and/or see something suspect in an inquiry (and even negotiation) on compensation is not a company you would wish to work for.

Just wait. If you haven't heard back in another week, a follow-up email would be fine (and you could mention that you knew they had a power outage if it makes you feel better).
posted by Happy Dave at 8:39 AM on July 2, 2009

You're allowed to ask about compensation, of course, but it's a bit of a dating game puzzle to figure out when the right time is.

I always mentally note when an applicant asks their first question about compensation. If it's their first question, it's a bit of a yellow flag, because my, don't you want to know what the job is, what it involves, what it's about first?, and I worry they're in desperate financial straits and will lie their asses off just to get the job, and deal with the next problem later. I have seen this one way too many times to count.

Conversely, if an applicant never asks about compensation and waits for an offer, I sometimes wonder if they're a bit too shy, and if this might cause workplace problems later on: will they wait and be afraid to ask 'difficult' questions when faced with problems?

I prefer the second type of applicant, but ideally, the applicant is somewhere in between: they engage enough to understand the job, the responsibilities, the expectations, and then the "and in return, I will paid how?" part comes up. I swear: the questions an applicant asks, and the astuteness thereof, is the single best determining factor in an interview.

So to my mind, you made a (small) faux pas there, especially if you accidentally made it sound like the interview might be a waste of your time unless they pay enough... but it also shouldn't be a dealbreaker, given all the other positives.

I'd wait it out, and do the second interview if offered. If they end up offering you a job that pays too little, be honest and say "I love the sound of the job, but I don't think I can afford it."
posted by rokusan at 8:44 AM on July 2, 2009

I think it's perfectly reasonable to ask about compensation at this point.

Also keep in mind that, assuming you're in the US, this is a holiday weekend/week, and people might already be out of the office. I would try to not sweat it until Monday, if you can. Good luck!
posted by peanut_mcgillicuty at 8:45 AM on July 2, 2009 [1 favorite]

I've heard more of the opposite from interviewers -- that people who don't ever ask about the details of the job (including compensation) often don't seem "serious" about the position. It's not at all a faux pas to ask, as awkward as it may feel to do. It's expected, really.

I'm seconding Happy Dave here: if they're worried about you asking, you should be concerned about them being your potential employer.

I would wait with another follow-up, though. Two days is nothing.
posted by jgunsch at 8:46 AM on July 2, 2009

I would wait until next Tuesday. That's a week. Then, follow up with a somewhat formal-messaged email saying: I'm just touching base with you. I'm still really interested in the position, etc. Then add a little note about looking forward to that get-together at the end.
Don't ask if he got the previous email. Keep moving in a straight line. In the meantime, look for other jobs because I've heard the "watched pot doesn't boil." Good luck!
posted by heather-b at 8:52 AM on July 2, 2009 [2 favorites]

Yep don't be afraid to call them. I had to call my current employer twice to remind them who I was, they eventually gave me that precious second interview and here I am a year later!

I agree - a week. Then call!
posted by greenish at 9:43 AM on July 2, 2009

I'll second the suggestion of waiting a week, then if you haven't heard from them, call your HR contact or whoever you've been interviewing with to check up on how things are going. For my current position I called back a week after the interview and was offered the job the same day.
posted by pravit at 3:21 PM on July 2, 2009

It took three weeks for the job of my dreams to call me back, and I worked there for four years. I won't say "don't sweat it" because everyone sweats it, but just have a backup plan, and think positively.
posted by Señor Pantalones at 4:31 PM on July 2, 2009