I am a recent grad (graduated last Dec) and slowly all my friends have started getting job offers.<p>But one thing surprises me alot is, everybody judges their company / work based on how much he or she makes.<p>Is Salary really that important?
A common problem with salaries is that most companies offer you something that's slightly over what you currently draw, not what you truly deserve. In a way, that's like blindly agreeing to someone else's judgement.<p>Keep that in mind since starting with a lower salary could mean that it might take quite a few years to get back to standard salary levels, no matter how good you are.
I think it's worth taking a salary hit, especially early on, if it gets you working on more interesting projects, particularly if they're relatively new and you're likely to have a lot of opportunity to take on responsibility and shape their direction.<p>In the longer term, though, unless you're gambling with startups etc. and equity, you should look to be making average market rates at least, because otherwise it will start to eat away at you and damage your morale.
If you've just graduated, I'd say your first criteria should be the job profile - the work that you'll be doing, and the opportunity for you to learn and grow there. Also, make sure you negotiate a salary that can cover your expenses and you can live decently. Beyond that, don't stress too much on how others will judge you based on the salary you get - many people do that, but think about it like this, if right now you focus on doing things that you enjoy and that provide you opportunity to grow, you're likely to do well in such an environment...and in the long run (say in the next 4-5 years), you'll be in a much better & happier position as compared to your other friends who took up a job based more on the salary.
For your first job, salary matters zero. Not even a little bit. Concentrate on doing what you want to do with the people you want to do it with. The rest takes care of itself.
Salary is only important up to a point, especially for your first job. What matters more is down to you - do you feel you can grow in the prospective environment? Are the technologies used something you want to get into? Is the commute ok? Will you have to move? What are the people you're likely to be working with like? What's the atmosphere like at the place? (Don't worry, you'll get better at judging that in interviews as time goes on)<p>The most important thing is whether or not the job is likely to make you happy. I know a lot of people who make large amounts of money in jobs they hate - they then become dependent on the income and are trapped in a job or worse, a career they hate.<p>Likewise as a young 'un you might think a 3 hour commute will be something you could handle, but you can't keep it up forever.<p>The single most important thing to consider at your stage in your career is whether this is a stepping stone into another job or whether you want to be in for the long haul. A stepping stone is worth taking a lower salary if you're likely to command a better one in a better job later. In the long haul you're probably more concerned about raises in pay.
I've been out of school for five years, and it's amazing the degree to which my first full-time salary didn't matter at all in retrospect. In fact, it still doesn't, but now I have the perspective to know that.<p>Absolutely go for what will make you grow the most.
Consider how job A will get you to Job or Place B -> over time, initial effects will be much less important than the kinds of opportunities you gain from the early work.
Salary is the most obvious constraint for optimization during job hunting. So, it is probably also statistically likely to be the most frequently overweighted.<p>Constraints that I think are under-weighted by many engineers: Do I believe in what the company is doing? Do I mind working for a military contractor? If you join an institution that you question the validity of, you won't be achieving your peak performance and slowing your long term growth.
If you are just out of school, salary doesn't matter that much as long as you are able to cover your living expenses. Far more important is opportunity for professional growth. I would say the projects that you work on and the people that you work with at your first job have more impact on your career than salary. Work on the right things with the right people, and the money will follow.