How do credentials and prior experience from other (semi-related) fields transfer or not (specifically social work to hotel/customer service)?

I recently got turned down for a job that I was a shoo in for, or so I thought. And I’m processing why.

One specific question is the title.

The details: I have a B.S. in psychology and 4 years of social work experience and also stellar references from all my prior bosses and work contexts. I also highlighted in “selling” myself to this entry level hotel position I was applying for that I am drug free and have no criminal record - which, from my understanding, not many applicants they get can say. Not only this but my brother works at this hotel currently, has been there for about 5 years I think and is known has a very reliable workers and he referred me.

So with all those factors I thought I had a good amount of cards to play to negotiate at least a little above the lowest starting rate for the position.

They interviewed me and offered 13.00/hr. I used the negotiation skills I’ve researched to push for more. I also knew this was a lowball. They had the job posted online for 13.50-14.25 (though that could have just been advertising to get people to apply?). The actual median rate according to Glassdoor and Indeed etc. for my area and this kind of job is $13.67 according to data over the last 3 years (though the minimum wage has raised a lot during those three years - the actual current average would be higher).

In the follow up conversation, I told them I did research and understand that the usual range is 13.50-14.25 and that I’d be willing to lower my first offer (I shot high and asked for 14.25 given all the cards I thought I had to play) and meet them in the middle and accept 13.75. Apparently this was a no go as well and they decided to go with someone else (maybe who already had hotel experience?).

I guess I’m just trying to learn how the industry works exactly. Did I overestimate the perceived or real value I was offering and in turn the strength of the “chips” I had to play? That is, would a hiring manager literally only care if you had prior hotel experience and not care at all if you have an education in a semi related field and a lot of experience in a semi related field as well as stellar references and are a drug free reliable worker in an field that often has a high turn over rate because so many unreliable workers get hired due to desperation?

Another possibility I’m imagining is that the hiring manager was literally told they could only hire someone at 13.00 and whoever beat me out just accepted that. According to my brother, I found out later, the hiring manager isn’t “advanced” enough to be aware of usual business norms with negotiation - I.e. they weren’t going to counter offer me like I expected.

That also makes me wonder how I can know that ahead of time in various contexts I apply to - like if I’m playing 5D negotiation chess while they are playing tic tac toe and I end up losing out because I thought 5D chess would get me a higher starting rate.

Thanks if you read all this.

Edit: Also this was a night shift position and the minimum wage here is 12.50, and from my understanding night shift jobs are at least 1.00 more due to it being night. So 13.00 was a lowball by many different perspectives or norms.

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