Job seeker asserts their worth as company presents a high-demand position with low-pay

Today's job market continues to be a cut-throat environment and can be brutal for newcomers. Most companies want to pay employees the bare minimum and focus on maximizing profits. It has led to a lot of organizations severely underpaying for most positions. Recently, u/TheVideoGameCritic, shared their story of attending an interview for a role that demanded too much without proper compensation on Reddit. The post's title reveals how the company wanted someone with four years of experience, a bachelor's degree and a costly certification for just $55K a year. The story has gained over 26.8K likes on the platform with over 1.5K comments. The author starts by saying that they were overqualified for the job but faced many problems because of companies downplaying their role. 

The Reddit user attended the interview and found out that the company wanted an "all-star" employee before moving on to their compensation expectations. The interviewee knew what they wanted, having done prior research about the company and keeping the cost of living in mind. They were willing to provide a measly $55K annually for the role. Upon hearing this, the individual was shocked. They wrote, "After taxes in California, it doesn't make sense with mandated health insurance, student loans re-kicking in, I'd be very close to the poverty level."

Basically, the user would not experience any significant change in their standard of living. They also state how they would lose certain utility benefits compared to their current income. Seeing their unrealistic expectations for the role, the individual explains to them that someone with just four years of experience could not do all the required tasks. They essentially wanted a manager but without proper compensation. The individual also knew the company's profit, which amounted to over $1.2 million a year. They write, "If the owners simply valued this position as much as it needs to be, it would very reasonable to afford what I'd need salary-wise."

The interviewers were taken aback by hearing the interviewee speak about their financials in detail. The Reddit user states how they have been unemployed for roughly a year and they did not intend to "job hop." The poster was simply looking for a "decent company that pays fairly." They conclude the post by saying despite inflation, salary levels continued to remain the same. The individual also let the employers know they were not interested in the role.

Other people on the platform who were looking for jobs shared their own stories in the comments section. u/ajpinton commented, "I interviewed yesterday for a job and when I asked the salary budget, it was 35K less than what I’m currently making. When I pushed back on the pay, [the] HR lady mentioned they were targeting someone with 5-7 years of experience, my resume clearly shows I have 15 years of experience. They were wanting/needing someone with abilities far beyond their budget. This is why salary should be in the posting, save everyone's time." u/Trinxxi clarified, "As of this year in California, all job postings are required to have a salary range for the role."