I learned recently that a coworker of mine is leaving the company. Because of the nature of our work, this coworker was made to leave immediately after providing his notice. In the meantime, I am responsible for his work. I've been working under him for about two and a half years, and have filled in for him when needed. My boss told me that he'd like to recommend me for the now-vacant position, but that ultimately it's up to the company president to decide. There aren't any other people internally who could fill the role, so if it weren't going to me they'd be looking at an outside hire.
The coworker who left had been at the job around 7 years and came to the job with prior experience and some good qualifications. I, on the other hand, am relatively new to the industry and my educational background is not related to this field. However, since I've worked there I have been given consistently good reviews and feedback. I'm also privy to our company's software and procedures, which are sort of unique and take quite a bit of time to learn.
I don't want to get ahead of myself and assume that they'll offer me the position, but it's plausible that they might. That being said, I'd like to be prepared for that discussion. After I heard the news, I spoke to the coworker who left and he disclosed in vague terms what he was earning. His starting salary 7 years ago was slightly higher than what I'm making now, and his salary when he left was at least $30k higher than that (but probably more like $50k or more higher). With the knowledge that I might be offered a position whose previous occupant was making, at a minimum, $30k more than I make, but also taking into consideration our differences in experience, how can I best navigate that conversation so that I am compensated fairly without asking for more than I'm worth?
TL;DR: Coworker who made way more than me left. I might get his job. He had more experience. How should I handle negotiations?
Submitted December 23, 2019 at 06:48PM by LezLeSieg https://ift.tt/35QbjBy
