Go contracting and get twice as much as permanents. 😉
However if you really want to be a permanent then when they ring you and say "We like you and want to offer you the job." you then;
1) Ask to be sent a copy of the contract, which you should read very carefully.
2) Ask about the perks, parking, insurance, medical etc.
3) Ask what the renumeration is.
At point 3 when they say any figure, you simply say that you were thinking the position is worth 10-20k more then they are offering (depending how brave you feel at the time). If they say "no it isn't worth that much" you then say "Well let me think about it and talk it over with my boss (the wife)".
If they think you are worth it they will call you back the next day and offer you more money. If not you can ring them back after day 2 and accept the job if you really want to. I personally wouldn't though because it means they are not inclined towards negotiating and compromise. This is a test I pretty much put all prospective employers through. Don't forget that you are actually verifying their suitability to you just as much as they are verifying your suitability to them.
VMware engineers/consultants are very valuable people. We have to understand VMware, Infrastructure, networking, storage, best practise implementations, good documentation etc. Do not under value yourself.
Cheers,
Paul
