Ask HN: Intern staying on with company, is Salary Negotiation Appropriate?
I've been doing penetration testing and tool development for a startup information security company. They didn't have any internships listed only higher-level job postings. Encouraged by a mentor, I sent over my resume anyway with a cover letter indicating that I was seeking an internship. Needless to say, I got the internship. It's three months later, I have been given responsibilities on an equal footing as some of my much senior coworkers.
They initially offered me a job at the end of the summer asking if I wanted to "take a semester off", but I knew if I left college now i'd likely never go back. Instead they are offering me a telecommuting position.
I've been earning a bit above minimum wage, and this summer has been an awesome experience I wouldn't trade for anything, but how much is reasonable compensation for someone with a LOT to learn (c'mon I'm a rising sophomore), yet still creating immense value for a company? I've had the privilege of leading security audits for Fortune 500 companies who were later very satisfied with my analysis --- this was all closely supervised work and independently reviewed. My coworkers treat me as a peer, and my supervisor is very pleased with the quality of my work.
How much is "reasonable compensation" for a part-time telecommuting college student who's staying on after interning?