Negotiating Your Worth

This is a situation that many of you seasoned chefs might have some thoughts on.I have been in the business for 18 years and when I go for a new position,I always end up in an awkward position when it comes to the negotiation process.(especially when you are obviously on salary and will be putting in at least 50-60 hours per week)Wage scales don`t always apply and every operation is different,not to mention operating labour budgets.Perhaps being frank and laying it on the line is the key.The thought of underselling my talents when the employer is prepared to offer more just kills me!Any suggestions?

Do your homework! As a manager once told me )right after I found out that the new hire was making at least 5k more than I), "Everything is negotiable". Since then, my theory is to start high....

[shroomgirl]

Alichef~ went through this recently
I started personal cheffing 4 years ago and charged 2 1/2- 3 times what I'd get in a restaurant.....cost plus food so it didn't matter what they eat I get a salary~ if their on vacation I still get paid. That's what I told them up front..I think that's the biggest key is deciding how many hours, what conditions,you need to work and asking for it up front. It's harder to go back and revise than ask for something up front.
Now switching to catering is really difficut~ my pc clients don't understand that the price scale is by person, which is usually more exspensive....so I just go outside my families to cater.
There are those that will pay well for service and quality. Finding out what others charge is helpful too.
P.S. my hours are however fast I want to work
usually 5 (meals for 4 and 3 desserts shopping and travel home is 7 hours.
So I'm into lots of other avenues....teaching, consulting, Farmers market, and multitask on my cooking days.
*If you can't "walk the walk" and are just talk you will not make it long. Everyone has bad days but as a whole you need to produce to remain in business.
I've started developing consulting costs for SERA grants. Coming up with costs for cooking lamb demos, classes, luncheons/demos was interesting. Coming up with recipes is also an interesting thing to cost out. I noticed Chef Scott has started that on his homepage.


[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited August 16, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited August 19, 2000).]

[This message has been edited by shroomgirl (edited August 24, 2000).]

The key to negotiating what you are worth...is deciding what you are worth. Can you walk the walk and produce? Or are you a bulls*#t artist and can talk your way into a job...but not do it when it needs to be done (I am not saying you personally...but there are people out there like that). Secondly, you need to decide if you have the matching skills to any other person that would be qualified for the job. If you are "new" to a certain level of management (ie your first sous chef job...or first room chef job), obviously you are not going to make the top pay bracket of the job. In those cases...you accept a lower salary with a 90 day evaluation...or whatever. Like Lindab said...you always start high. Dont sell yourself short. If you accept a job for less than you want to make...then it creates resentment and a lack of commitment on your part. Basically...you need to decide what you will do the job for (reasonably) and ask for it.

Wise advice Chef Scott.However its amazing to me how much some chefs make who don`t walk their talk AT ALL!They feel they deserve some kind of reprive and don`t have to work hard any more,so they spend their days pushing papers instead of setting good examples for their staff by putting effort into working physically alongside their cooks.There is nothing that is beneath a chef.If you stop working hard and ultimately stop cooking who are you?Not a chef only a beauracrat who feels they deserve respect.
There is also and issue where equal pay for equal work between the sexes is an issue.I`ve dealt with it my whole career.Experience and education should be the 2 deciding factors on deciding worth,not industry standards because our industry is so out of whack with all other businesses.With my years in the business I should cpmparitively be making $100,000 by now.Perhaps the only answer is to own your own business.Just thoughts on an interesting subject.