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female
age
30-35,
anonymous
writes: I'm graduating from college soon and applying to starting positions like Sales Coordinator, Executive Assistant, etc. I don't mind my first job not being ideal; I just want to gain experience and look better on paper. I have only worked in food services and restaurant my entire college career, although I have good experience there. An issue I typically have during interviews/applications is stating my desired salary. I really have no experience so I don't know what's appropriate. One interview I said that my priority is to learn and contribute as much as I can to the corporation [rather than salary] but I don't think that's a good answer. What should I demand for an entry level position, with a Bachelors in Business? Thank you! Reply to this Question
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Fancy yourself as an agony aunt? Add your answer to this question! A
female
reader, eyeswideopen  +, writes (12 June 2014):
 Do some research online. Check out similar companies and what similar jobs they are offering and at what salaries. That should more or less get you into the right ballpark figure.
A
male
reader, Mark1978  +, writes (12 June 2014):
 To be honest the question is hard to answer in terms of an actual figure. We don't know your country or indeed what type of positions you will be offered. If you live in the UK, US, or Europe you will realistically be spending a lot of time and effort trying to find work. These are tough economic times and, with the greatest of respect, a college or University education doesn't mean you wont struggle to get any job, let alone a good one. Im sure you academic skills and experience are to be proud of, but you do lack actual work experience. Working in Bars, restaurants, etc, as many students do, is one thing, but an actual 9-5 career style job is very different.
"One interview I said that my priority is to learn and contribute as much as I can to the corporation [rather than salary] but I don't think that's a good answer."
I think that's a pretty good answer. To be blunt you are not yet in a position to make demands, especially for lower level positions. Realistically, no matter which type of job you apply for, you will be competing with so many others, may of which will have actual experience of that role before. Your aim for your first post college job should be to learn, to gain experience and to adapt to the world of full time work after being a student. Companies offering lower level jobs rarely make exceptions for high qualifications in the mount they pay, as there are so many people who will take it for the minimum.
Of course we all want to be paid fairly, and we all want to be paid the highest we can get, but these are tough times for those of us unemployed. Companies can call the shots: offering stressful, involving jobs at minimum wage...ar they short of takers? No!
Mark
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A
male
reader, CMMP +, writes (12 June 2014):
I'd say at least 800 Mexican pesos/day.
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A
female
reader, YouWish +, writes (12 June 2014):
 There's no way anyone could answer that without knowing which country you're in, and which state/province within that country you live in. Cost of living makes salaries vary.
Check out salary.com and payscale.com which will take into account your location and calculate which salary range you could be looking at. We simply can't help you without knowing specific demographics.
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A
male
reader, thoughtsshared +, writes (12 June 2014):
 I don't know where you live so it's difficult to know what salary you should be asking for. A good starting point is to look at similar positions advertised on job websites and then suggest an average salary for your role. You could call a few recruitment agencies and ask them what to expect.
New graduates without any experience normally receive a salary slightly below (10% - 20%)the national average but then rise quite quickly in the pay scales.
During job interviews it's good to suggest an amount which, based on research, is realistic. Don't downplay yourself - realistic responses go along the lines of "I understand that I don't have much experience in this area but I have a lot of transferable skills (coping under pressure, prioritising tasks, managing people) and I also have to pay my bills".
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