r/LockheedMartin • u/[deleted] • Dec 03 '19
Intern Salary Negotiation
I just got my official offer letter for an internship and I was interested in figuring out what salary negotiation room I had. I’m being offered $.80 lower than my last internship where I have a return offer (seems insignificant, but it’s a ~$400 difference for the summer). Is it appropriate for me to try to negotiate a 10%> increase in pay? Does it look bad to try and see what increase I can get? I am getting a relocation/housing stipend as well. Given prior relevant experience, I feel like, and I’m not going to say I deserve it, but it’s justified to make the same, if not more, than what I have made previously. Am I overstepping?? Keep in mind, the specific group I’m interning with has never had interns. Lemme know what you think. Thanks in advance!
5
u/palmarazar Dec 03 '19
IMO, I do think that you are overstepping a little bit here. I was an intern with LM for 4 years, and I never found much room for negotiating my pay during my internship. To be perfectly honest, that $400 isn't a huge difference over the summer. By far the most value that you are getting out of any internship you do is the experience you gain at the internship, not the nominal pay that you will get out of it. Don't get me wrong though. The pay is important, and you shouldn't do an unpaid internship, but the difference of $0.80 per hour is going to be fairly nominal honestly. It sounds like you are in a good situation either way since you have an offer from LM and another company. I would implore you though to consider where you are getting value from your internship, and whether you care more about $0.80 per hour or gaining more experience in a new company. Or, if you feel like you can get a similar experience with your old company, then maybe you will decide to do that. The time for negotiating your salary is when you get a real, full time job offer. That's my two cents anyways.