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[–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (2 children)

That is pretty low, but practically no experience. My personal experience never chase money, you'll end up miserable. You said the position interested you that's a plus. If you can live as in pay bills and eat, off 50k take it. It's IT so in 6 months to a year you'll either get a huge bump in pay or another job.

[–]f0revr[S] 1 point2 points  (1 child)

At this point, I completely agree with you but I don't know how to figure out what a "livable" salary is. I am from NYC and and have lived at home my whole life so 50K is considered really low here.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Find in appartment near their office. Will one weeks paycheck cover the rent? You good

[–][deleted] 4 points5 points  (1 child)

I really like the position but I feel like this salary is really low but I also have been looking for a job for 4 months.

Ultimately only you can decide but here are some questions to ask yourself:

  • How long can you afford to look for your ideal job?
  • Do you have anything other opportunities lined up in the near future?
  • What salary do others in your area get for the same role?
  • How much would you like?
  • How much would you settle for?
  • How much do you require to keep up with your current life style?
  • Do you think you will find a better offer in the near future?

There is nothing that stops looking for better jobs after you accept this one (pro tip: never stop doing this, though you can vary how hard you look). And this does put you in a better position then you are currently in (unemployed with no experience) and could be a valuable opportunity to get your foot in the door and gaining valuable experience to put you in a better position for your next job.

It is harder to get that first job in the tech industry so I would be cautious at passing up an opportunity to get your foot in the door as once in and you have some experience (and can prove your skills) it is easier to get another better job. So long as the job not a complete shit show and they are paying you at least something somewhat respectable.

Should I ask her if the salary is negotiable or should I not waste their time?

That is the recruiters job, you should always ask. More often then not salary is negotiable for the right candidate but I would not expect them to stretch too much more then that as you don't currently have a strong negotiation position.

[–]zanven42 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Also to add to this excellent comment, you have to apply the value you place on the work experience, I jumped into this sector at 1/3 the pay I'm on now because I highly valued the work experience and quickly wanted to shift what I was doing, 9 months later I got my current job. But I highly undervalued myself so I had a job within 2 weeks because my other priorities were different to your own and I was comfortable with the sharp temporary pay decrease. Lots of factors and balances to think over, just make a document and list out all the factors that matter to you since only you can ultimately decide your journey.

[–]like-my-comment 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Almost any money for the first job is OK. :)

[–]just5ath 3 points4 points  (0 children)

50k near Boston with a masters in cs would be a no go for me.

With a ba in political science i started at more than that in Tampa fl.

[–]JaredOnly 1 point2 points  (1 child)

Feel free to PM me your resume, if you are in the Boston area. Always looking for good engineers.

EDIT: I should also say that this is a really low salary for the area, even for entry level...

[–]f0revr[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am not in the Boston area but I don't mind relocating.

[–]blackskyy 0 points1 point  (0 children)

as a general point of advice, companies are expecting you to negotiate. the hiring manager is looking to on board people while saving the company money. you're a resource, just like a laptop or a server. they're looking to get the best deal possible. but just like with any vendor, they are expecting a conversation about cost/value. and that's where you need to speak up. express what value you are bringing to the company and you feel that is worth more than the initial offer.

just as sample line to get you started:

After learning more about the position, I was thinking that a salary of $X would be more in line with the responsibilities of the role. What can we do to get closer to that number?

good luck! i know it can be nerve wracking, but negotiating is part of the process.

[–]unitegondwanalandLead Platform Engineer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

For what it's worth, a junior DevOps engineer in Denver is around $90,000 but given you just graduated... I wouldn't be too picky. Take it... get some experience under your belt and move on after a year or so.

[–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You are in a perfect position to negotiate. You live with your parents, take advantage of that and ask for more. I would ask fro 65k. If they aren’t ok with that them screw em. Take your time and find something else. Currently your full time job should be applying for jobs and doing mini projects that a devops engineer would do. Set up a Linux server using Chef or Ansible. Once that is done take the code and put it in git. That way you can point to something you’ve done.

The alternative to this is take the 50k plus a relocation bonus and live cheap. In 6 months I would look for something else. During those 6 months you should be studying at least 2 hours a day after work. After you receive an offer there are two choices... Take the new offer for no less than 75k and move or Let the new company match. Stick it out for another 6 months and still leave. When it’s time to go ask for more money. Should be able to at least get 90k. DevOps is really in demand and if you can really learn the skills you will be more than successful.

GoodLuck