negotiating salary

[tone]

[matsuki]

What exactly do you do?

[damn name]

Ask for what you want and they can decline and make some offer. That's how it works regardless of where you are, right?

I don't think anyone expects you follow or understand ultrafushigisupercalifragilisticexpialadocious keigo degozaru or even the seating chart pecking order, so I wouldn't sweat that too much.

Companies budget about X amount for jobs and that may be tied more to your age than your coolness factor or ability to schmooze the boss and BS at meetings.

You should probably expect to be paid equal or just less than what it would cost to get the same work from another contractor. Isn't that how you would look at it if you owned the company?

No one cares what you want. They care about what you can do for them or how you can make their life or job easier. Also, everyone is expendable. Being human, civil, pleasant, flexible and reasonable will make the whole thing go easier for you and the company, whichever way it turns out.

What you made "back home" is irrelevant since you aren't there. Every market is what it is. Only you can decide what course is right for you.

[wagyl]

Whatever makes you think you will stop being a contract employee? Are you thinking they will add you to the permanent staff? Employers are doing what they can to employ people through temp staff places to keep their permanent employees down.
I was 9 years on yearly contracts, and they weren't happy when I decided not to renew, but there were no moves to let me go on the permanent staff. And frankly, from the employer's point of view, putting someone on the permanent staff brings along a whole new raft of obligations and risks: I don't blame them for being reluctant to make that commitment.

In answer to your question, to get a pay rise, you need to convince them that they are getting more value from you than what you cost, which includes pay, social insurances, desk space etc. I was never terribly successful. And then, out of the blue, I got some pay rises without requesting them. I never have worked this stuff out.

[tone]

cause theyve been talking about being a sha-in

and i think ive shown value, but i know most folks my age in my field (30 y/o ish) are down to just get uuuused by their employers, so i was just wondering if there was a way to soften my dickish demands. should i start wearing a twisted towel around my forehead and shout a lot while im working for a little while to show how much i care?

[Iraira]

Ok, you finished the 3 month provisional contract, now it's time for the 1st year. They aren't going to up things much, no matter what. You really need to complete a year, during which they will hopefully see that you fit in there better than they could have ever dreamed, then you can start being a demanding prima dona bitch.
After my first whole year, I was presented with a paltry raise, told them that, and refused to sign the contract. We had another contract meeting 2 months later, and they met me 75% of the raise I wanted. This is pretty much how it goes every year at contract negotiation. Keiyakushain sometimes has more room to negotiate than seishain (or whatever the automatic renewal shain is). Trick is that they really have to need you, and feel that "if he goes, 1) we really are losing a great FG whose boots are too big to easily fill, and 2) we're so medokusai to look for another FG". If you think they do, you may be wrong, but you may be right (not quoting Billy Joel on purpose...goddamn, I hate Billy Joel).