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I have been laid off three 6 figure jobs and I am currently working for $9/hr.
I know what I can live off of, but due to extended unemployment, I am willing to take what I can get and work multiple jobs if I have to. However, the going rate for where I'm looking (a drastic step down from my qualifications, but its a paycheck) vary based on experience.
I don't want to pull the "I believe in letting my work speak for itself and trust that your company would provide a fair pay rate....blah, blah, blah" nonsense, because they will lowball you in that case.
What's the best answer here?
In the days of the higher salaries, I would do research and pull the salary averages out, but this is for clerical work. That can vary greatly...
What are Your Salary Exectations Question... I am ALWAYS uncomfortable with this question.
The question has two basic purposes:
1) to gauge your understanding of the industry and the work in general.
2) to gauge your self image relative to that.
They'll make their own interpretation of your qualifications...
including what they think the job is worth and what you might be worth (to them) for doing it.
Recognize that this is the start of the negotiation, and as any good negotiator would try to do, the employer is asking you to make the first "demand" or opening bid. Whether you agree to do that depends on your negotiating leverage. Your primary leverage when interviewing for a job when you are otherwise unemployed and without other competitive offers is your willingness to continue your job search as compared to your desire for the job for which you are interviewing. If you want the job and don't want to risk losing it over your starting pay, then I would give a straight forward answer of your desired salary. Do your homework as others have suggested and make sure that your "demand" is in line with industry standards AND likely to be in line with what the prospective employer pays. If your risk tolerance for losing out on the job is higher, you can take different approaches in your response. All of them should be aimed at getting the employer to first articulate its "offer" or opening bid. Usually, this will happen by responding to the question with a question such as, does this position have a salary range or pay grade assigned to it? If so, what is that range or what is the range for that pay grade? IF you like the range, then you can say so. If you don't you can then ask whether there is room for exceptions. Of course, how you ask these kind of questions is as important or more important than the questions themselves. Ask them with the wrong tone, and your interview will likely be over soon. But if you are not willing to risk that outcome, you should not be asking the questions in the first place.
Idk, for the job I just got hired for I said the whole "blah blah I care more about experience blah blah fair blahblah" and they offered me a salary range on the high end of the scale - I was surprised because I thought they'd lowball me.
Edit: I didn't negotiate because I'm entry level and didn't want to push my luck. So, this situation may be irrelevant compared to yours.
It feels like that game show "The Price is Right" get as high as possible without going over.
It really does! I have been asked this question a lot lately. I just tell them where I am now with a range, "I am currently in the high 60s/80s/100s" and I let them draw whatever conclusions they want to from that. I figure that if we get to the offer stage and their offer is too low I can let them know that and/or turn the offer down. I really want a new job, but not enough to gamble on a new position for less money. I don't know if I would leave for the same salary.
I don't know if there is a right way to answer the salary question or not.
I'd give a range, but make sure you can live with it if they make you an offer on the lower end. So be realistic but not greedy (especially in this economy).
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