bricksoffun's journey

Applied at nearby company for simulation position

Today, I had to make the tough decision to decline a job offer that I really wanted. I’m currently working as an engineer at a large manufacturing company, where my role mainly involves design work, with a bit of focus on simulation software that I genuinely enjoy. Unfortunately, at my current job, this software is just a side project and not a core part of my responsibilities, despite my desire to use it more frequently. About a year and a half ago, I applied for a position specifically focused on this simulation software at a nearby company, which would have been a great fit since it's closer to both my family and my wife's family. However, they filled the position internally before I could get my application in. Fast forward to this past summer, I applied for another role at the same company based on a recommendation from a former coworker. I interviewed but didn’t get the job, although I did express my interest in the simulation position to the hiring manager. Last month, the simulation position I had been eyeing opened up again, and I applied right away. Initially, I received an auto-rejection email, but then two weeks later, I got a call to set up an interview after the manager I had met before passed along my resume. The interview went really well, and I was invited for a meet-the-team interview, which felt more like a friendly chat than a formal interview. After the onsite interview, I was contacted and asked about my salary expectations. I mentioned a range of $120–130k, expecting them to negotiate down since I currently earn around $100k. To my shock, they came back with an offer of $80-90k, with $90k being the maximum. This was devastating for me, as it represented a significant pay cut, and I would have needed at least $102k to make it comparable to my current compensation, considering the differences in health insurance and benefits. I communicated to the HR representative that while I was very interested in the position, I couldn’t accept such a large pay cut. They mentioned they would keep my application open for future consideration, but I’m unsure if that means anything or if they will just move on to the next candidate. I plan to reach out to the hiring manager to express my disappointment and reiterate my interest in the position, hoping he understands my situation. I’m left wondering if there’s any chance they might reconsider the salary offer or if it’s a lost cause at this point.