June 26. Day 361.
I had the mother's number on speed dial. Two days ago, she offered a job tutoring her three kids. We negotiated the salary. And since then, I've been conflicted.
PRO:
--it's money
--it can lead to future contacts
CON:
--hourly rate is much lower than what I earned at the beginning of grad school
--i've since added credentials and experience
--the job is too many hours per week given I need to finish dissertation
--i'd be driving almost 40 miles round trip, with little compensation
Ultimately, I decided to play out this asking experiment as far as I could. See if I could be successful in asking, one last round.
I took a small risk by assuming there are more tutoring jobs out there, but I felt safe doing so because it's summer. If she said no, I would lose the job offer. If she said yes, I would obtain my lowest target of an extra $10 per hour -- or $540 over the course of the summer. It was still far below what I know I should be earning, but as a first tutoring job in this city I can take a pay cut, until other clients start rolling in. (And/or I finish my dissertation and get a real job.)
Plus, this rate is a compromise between my target and feeling like a total pushover.
I dialed her number. She picked up.
"Hello? This is La Roxy, how are you?"
"Hello! Good, thank you. You?"
"Great. Do you have a moment to talk?"
"Yes, now is good."
"Thank you. I was thinking about our salary discussion on Wednesday, and I've come to the conclusion that if I factor in preparation time, grading papers, plus travel, that brings my rate to around $25 per hour. I was wondering if you would be willing to pay $50 per hour, or $75 per session, instead of $60 per session. That would ensure my time is compensated fairly."
My voice was steady. It felt great to be asking.
"I need to think about it."
Gained I: Unsure.
Next, I headed to a nearby library to put up a flyer about tutoring. I asked where the bulletin board is, and the librarian told me only community groups can use it.
Gained II: wasted 10 minutes.
It sounds to me like you really don't want to do this so I would call the woman and say you are really sorry but you've reconsidered the time and travel involved and don't want to do it. Forget negotiating, this sounds to me like a job that will be a continual pain. For now, I say give up the lattes and a little tango and wait for something better. And ask yourself for some patience.
ReplyDeleteHi Claire,
ReplyDeleteOnce a wise adviser, always a wise adviser. Thanks, and you are very right. On all counts.
Speaking of lattes, what about a meeting for coffee one of these days? I can always switch to the house blend, which is a third the price of a latte! Or we could meet up at the farmer's market and stroll -- free fun?
-Roxy
It sounds like this week is crazy for you. How about next week, at the market? Two days, how amazing!!!!!
ReplyDelete