Is there such a thing as asking for too much money during an interview?

I'll spare the details of the situation but I was wondering if anybody here has ever asked for too much during salary negotiations and if it's ever hurt them? I've always been told that "the worst they can do is say no" but now I'm reading that if the number is too big they won't even counter-offer. Has anybody experienced this?

Basically I have a number in mind for a new job but according to regional averages for the same job, it's about $15k more than the average salary. There are other factors affecting the number I have in mind but I was wondering if asking for too much is a bad thing. Is it better or worse if you're already working for the company and the interviewing manager is your current manager and you ask for too much (even with proper justification to back it up)?

It depends if you're willing to risk it. So what if they say no? Will you walk? If you aren't prepared then you have to consider stepping back.

I have seen instances where the employer will take an issue with it saying they don't think you're worth that much and if you'll be continuing there, it will have some negative future impact.

Honestly, I had no interest in the position when it was posted the first time. The field it's in is very foreign to me and I never saw myself working on that technology at any point in my life. When I started at this company 9 years ago, I was an intern for this team for 6 months and, while I did enjoy it and learned a lot, it wasn't something I had planned on ever focusing on because it just seemed too complicated for me to comprehend (then again when I was 20 a lot of IT was still too complex for me).

The main reason I am interested now is because every person on the team (including the interviewing manager) asked me to apply for the position, the challenge of learning something new is extremely appealing to me (I'm almost 30 so I find myself getting more and more focused on expanding my knowledge in areas I already know) and the hours look more appealing from a family point-of-view.

The money wasn't much of a concern because I am already making more than I ever expected to make in my 20s, but I was told by somebody close to the situation to "ask for A LOT!" and since the job is 2 pay grades above my current one and since I am hourly right now and making $XXk in overtime each year, I was going to go big since this is a salary position.

When this position was first posted earlier this year, they only had one person interview for it and they were an external candidate who had less knowledge than I have about the field so I figure the odds are in my favor if everybody on the team already approves of me. the hiring manager requested that I apply for it, and I'm the only internal candidate that is willing to work the shift and is already in the same state as the position (I'm one of only ~20 IT people at this data center).

I like the job security I have now in what is probably my dream job (I'm sure I'll only truly realize that if I leave it), but I figured it's time to take a risk and big risk should equal big reward right?

In my experience I always took the low and the high salary expectations and used the middle-higher side when ever I asked what I should be expected to be paid. It has never back fired for me as the employer could see that I knew what the position should pay and that I wanted the higher side of the salary spectrum.

When in doubt ask what the position will pay, as a manager now I know the numbers and when asked I seldom stray from telling the potential candidates, well that is unless you fail hard at the interview questions and look totally inept for the position.

I guess "too much money" needs a definition.

Asking for the high end, maybe even slightly above an expected salary scale is ok in my book.

The problem is when the requested pay is way off the expected range.

We're hiring now and I have figure in my head above which I deem their expectations too high and won't bother getting back to them. Depends on the employer and job though.

Just state what you think you are worth for that position. Why low ball yourself? If they like you and can utilize you they will counter on the high end of what they want to pay. 15k isn't much to ask when they can come back with a 5-7k counter difference

Try to switch roles and figure out how much money you would spend on that job.

I for myself count in the minimum amount that I would do the job for and the maximum I have heard that someone could earn in that position.

Most of the times the mean value is just the amount they will offer.

But all that brain math is without any worth because you need to know the earning levels of the company.

I put my foot in it when I asked for a high wage and my interviewer just replied that I had to get his job when I want to earn that much - one of my shortest interviews I ever had.

I was wondering if anybody here has ever been asked for too much during salary negotiations and if it's ever hurt them the job applicant's chances of getting the job?

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Yes

now I'm reading that if the number is too big they won't even counter-offer.

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True (if the number is way over the  upper salary range for the job).

Ideally, you don't discuss salary until you've passed the interview.  That way they're psychologically committed to you.
 
Honestly, interviewing and looking for people is a pain - sifting through the haystack to find the needle.  So once they've done the work and decided yeah, KuJoe's our man, with all his awesome NSA and Korean basketball experience he'll be perfect for this job, etc., then they don't want to have to start over.
 
There is no magic formula here, though.  I would explain the rationale you have above:
 
- I'm making $X
 
- Keep in mind, this includes overtime, bonuses, free iPhone, attending the Low End VPS Conference in Tahiti every year, telecommuting options, flexible work schedule, scantily clad secretary, etc.
 
- This new position has more responsibility.  It's also a risk because I love my job now.  
 
- Therefore, I think $X is a fair salary.  Is that in line with what you're thinking?
 
It's always something of a dance, unless it's a government situation where a certain pay grad makes exactly $X.

Market salary surveys are always off when I've looked - really depends more almost on the specific company.  Some companies pay more, some layer on benefits, some go for more of a bonus structure, etc.

 
In my experience, the salary you get when you start is critical because raises after that tend to be small percentages - the only option to really make a large increase is either when you're hired or if you receive a promotion/change roles.
 

KuJoe said:

Honestly, I had no interest in the position when it was posted the first time. The field it's in is very foreign to me and I never saw myself working on that technology at any point in my life.

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You're going to love supporting Microsoft Exchange!

raindog308 said:

You're going to love supporting Microsoft Exchange!

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I found supporting Microsoft Exchange much much easier when you put a postfix box in front of it.

toadyus said:

I found supporting Microsoft Exchange much much easier when you put a postfix box in front of it.

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My thought exactly. Exchange is a good product, but it still has compatibility issues with other mail servers. I found very useful to have a MailScanner box between Exchange and the public Internet, to also do the spam filtering (inbound and outbound) and to log the email traffic (Mailscanner is based on sendmail).  

LoL @ Exchange. I already "support" it and I would never want to be on that team (the on-call gets killed on a monthly basis it seems). I have a lot more knowledge of Exchange than I do this field so if it were Exchange I would still be in my element since I took classes for Exchange in college (unfortunately there are no college courses for this field at any of the schools I went to).

Thanks for the feedback every one. I forgot to mention that I have access to the pay scale for the pay grade and the pay I am making now is already towards the middle of it and the salary I would ask for is near the top of the scale.

Just ask for it - $15k isn't a huge amount of money, and if everyone is asking you to apply, you're definitely in for a higher than "median" salary, so you might as well ask high and let them bargain you down a bit lower. 

I just happened to read this on Lifehacker today. Not a direct answer to your question, but something to keep in mind.

The thing is company's may put out a job posting and put the salary at the low end and see what baits they get and if they some one who wants that just at that salary great but if the get some one that wants higher and they have the skills they want and more then they will pay more that employee so they dont lose them. You can ask for that amount but do you have they skills they will pay for, and if they want you they will come back with a counter offer.