Can You Negotiate a Lower Pay to Compete in the Chemical Engineering Job Market?

[23415123451]

I know that a lot of companies love hiring foreign workers who will work for next to nothing, and to stay competitive in the job market in the field I want to work in (chemical engineering), I know that I will need to lower my price even if I may be equally or better qualified than them. Is simply putting a low value on the "desired salary" section of job applications enough for that? Has anyone done things like this?

 

[D H]

I know that a lot of companies love hiring foreign workers who will work for next to nothing ...

Employers hiring foreign workers hired via the H1-B visa program must pay "prevailing wages" to those foreign employees.

... and to stay competitive in the job market in the field I want to work in (chemical engineering), ...

Are H1-B employees used much in chemical engineering? I suspect not. They're employed primarily in IT. Most of the knowledge IT employees gain during the 3 or 6 years while working in the US is obsolete when the visa expires. They can take that obsolete knowledge home with them. That's not the case with older fields such as chemical engineering. Decades old trade secrets are still quite valuable. Why would a chemical engineering firm hire someone who is going to eventually take all those trade secrets home to a place where US intellectual property law has no meaning?

... I know that I will need to lower my price even if I may be equally or better qualified than them.

I think you are imagining yourself being hit by pieces of falling sky.

Is simply putting a low value on the "desired salary" section of job applications enough for that? Has anyone done things like this?

Don't divulge your desired salary. Not on your resume, even less so on a job application. Just don't do it. Whichever entity (employer versus potential employee) first mentions salary loses the salary game. You want to win that game. Make them make the first move.

 

[ModusPwnd]

I know that a lot of companies love hiring foreign workers who will work for next to nothing, and to stay competitive in the job market in the field I want to work in (chemical engineering), I know that I will need to lower my price even if I may be equally or better qualified than them. Is simply putting a low value on the "desired salary" section of job applications enough for that? Has anyone done things like this?

I never have, but I have certainly thought about it. Generally I would be willing to work the jobs I apply at for a much lower salary than grads usually expect. But there is no real way to tell them that without looking like a loser.

Don't divulge your desired salary. Not on your resume, even less so on a job application. Just don't do it. Whichever entity (employer versus potential employee) first mentions salary loses the salary game. You want to win that game. Make them make the first move.

Sounds good if you already have a career in the bag. But to get in the door you may need to make the first move or your application might just get thrown straight in the trash. One of the ways some people say they get their foot in the door is by volunteering. This is stating your desired salary is zero! lol I tried this at a community college once for tutoring, but it didnt work.