What are your salary expectations Most Common Interview Questions, #5

What are your salary expectations Most Common Interview Questions, #5 ShareShareGet That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Job Interview, available from Amazon. What are your salary expectations? Answering this question too specifically can lose you a lot of money, or an opportunity. Naming a figure thats too low can result in a lower offer, or even loss of the opportunity if your answer creates doubt about your value. A figure thats too high can immediately disqualify you. This is one of the few questions where formulaic, memorized verbiage may be the best approach. First, as soon as you apply for a job make sure you understand the range of typical salaries for the position and geographic area, because this may be one of the first questions you will be asked in a phone screen, which could happen at any time. You can research salaries via websites like Salary, Payscale, Glassdoor, Indeed, CareerOneStop, JobSearchIntelligence, a simple Google search, and sometimes via word of mouth. Use more than one source, since a broader range may give you more negotiating flexibility. When the question is asked, respond with Can you tell me what range you have budgeted for the position? If they tell you a range, say something like, That seems like a reasonable ballpark. Im sure once we agree Im the right person for the job, well be able to agree on a salary thats fair. If they wont state their range and put the question back onto you, say something like, Ive done some research and Im seeing salaries anywhere from X to Y. Im sure once we agree Im the right person for the job well be able to agree on a salary thats fair. More Help with Common Interview Questions Earlier posts in this series explored the common interview questions What are your weaknesses?, Where do you see yourself in five years?, Why did you leave your job? and Whats the biggest mistake youve made on the job? For more posts like these you can subscribe to my helpful job search blog. For tips on dozens of common interview questions (and some not-so-common ones) and much more, check out my book on Amazon. What are your salary expectations Most Common Interview Questions, #5 ShareShareGet That Job! The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Job Interview, available from Amazon. What are your salary expectations? Answering this question too specifically can lose you a lot of money, or an opportunity. Naming a figure thats too low can result in a lower offer, or even loss of the opportunity if your answer creates doubt about your value. A figure thats too high can immediately disqualify you. This is one of the few questions where formulaic, memorized verbiage may be the best approach. First, as soon as you apply for a job make sure you understand the range of typical salaries for the position and geographic area, because this may be one of the first questions you will be asked in a phone screen, which could happen at any time. You can research salaries via websites like Salary, Payscale, Glassdoor, Indeed, CareerOneStop, JobSearchIntelligence, a simple Google search, and sometimes via word of mouth. Use more than one source, since a broader range may give you more negotiating flexibility. When the question is asked, respond with Can you tell me what range you have budgeted for the position? If they tell you a range, say something like, That seems like a reasonable ballpark. Im sure once we agree Im the right person for the job, well be able to agree on a salary thats fair. If they wont state their range and put the question back onto you, say something like, Ive done some research and Im seeing salaries anywhere from X to Y. Im sure once we agree Im the right person for the job well be able to agree on a salary thats fair. More Help with Common Interview Questions Earlier posts in this series explored the common interview questions What are your weaknesses?, Where do you see yourself in five years?, Why did you leave your job? and Whats the biggest mistake youve made on the job? For more posts like these you can subscribe to my helpful job search blog. For tips on dozens of common interview questions (and some not-so-common ones) and much more, check out my book on Amazon.