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Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - Avoid The Subject (or, Let's Play Chicken), When To Discuss Salary, Knowing What You're Worth

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The salary discussion is probably the toughest part of the job-search process in general, and the most challenging aspect of the interviewing process in particular. If you've been out of work for more than a few weeks, you may already be feeling the pinch, and are likely anxious to start drawing a paycheck. If your job search wears on for several months, you may legitimately be in dire financial straits and really need to start earning again. Employers know this and will use it to their advantage whenever possible. However, bear in mind that a concession of a few thousand dollars in starting annual salary now will follow you for the rest of your career, or at the very least throughout your tenure with this employer. All your future raises, bonuses, and other incentives will be predicated on the starting salary you agree to when you're hired. Therefore, anything you can do to improve your negotiating position and increase your initial salary with a new employer will pay dividends that will compound over the course of your working life.

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Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - Avoid The Subject (or, Let's Play Chicken)

Back in the 1950s when guys like James Dean and Marlon Brando were big stars, a rather dangerous game called “chicken” was part of popular culture. Two drivers would head toward each other in their hotrods, and the first one to swerve to the side in order to avoid a head-on collision was the chicken. Considering the potential for catastrophic results, how frequently this game was act…

Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - When To Discuss Salary

An esteemed colleague, Jack Chapman, who literally wrote the book on salary negotiation (How to Make $1,000 a Minute: Negotiating Your Salary and Raises) uses the terms “budget,” “fudgit,” and “judgit” when explaining the right time to discuss salary with your next employer. He goes on to use the analogy of buying a car that you can't afford.…

Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - Knowing What You're Worth

Perhaps just as important as knowing how to defer salary discussions until the appropriate time is knowing what your value is when it is time to negotiate salary. Many factors go into determining what an appropriate salary is. First of all, you need to think in terms of total compensation, not just salary. Total compensation includes things such as paid vacation, medical and dental insurance, life…

Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - What To Say If They Bring It Up First

Depending on the level of the position for which you are interviewing and how savvy the interviewer is, the prospective employer may pop the salary question early in your first interview, or it may not come up until a third or even fourth interview. Regardless of when it happens, most experts on the topic agree that your initial response should be something similar to this: “Well, I know th…

Simple Truths About Handling Salary Questions in an Interview - Tips From The Pros

Many candidates lose a job opportunity by negotiating salary too soon…and they don't even realize it. Once you quote a specific salary, you have started the negotiations. Even worse, you may have quoted too high, and they may already eliminate you. How to prepare? First, understand that salary is only one aspect of your total compensation. Determine in advance, what your total needs …

Simple Truths About Job Interviews - The Many Types Of Job Interviews, The Three Ps Of Job Interviewing, Summary [next] [back] Simple Truths About Handling the 5 Toughest Challenges in a Job Interview - Challenge #1: The Incompetent Interviewer, Tips From The Pros, Challenge #2: Illegal Questions

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