There are many tricky questions that you may be asked in a job interview. One of these questions is “What is your expected salary?” You can answer in many ways, but only some of the answers are the most suitable in this situation.
It’s only normal to want to be fairly compensated for your work. And yet, talking compensation openly with someone you intend to have a long working relationship with, much alone with a hiring manager who has far more inside information than you, may be unnerving.
However, whether you want to initiate the conversation or wait for HR to do so, there are methods to feel more secure and offer yourself the most power possible. In the text below, you will find out how to answer the “What is your expected salary?” question. You will also find out what to say in some similar situations when a recruiter asks you to answer the questions about the salary range. Keep reading to find out more.
The Best Answer to “What is your expected salary?”
The way you respond to this question may show to the hiring manager whether you are overqualified or underqualified for the job. Years of experience tend to correlate with salary, so it might assist them figure out whether you’re in their ideal experience range.
Here are four approaches to answering and preparing for the issue about wage expectations.
1. Do the necessary research
You can expect the expected salary interview question and this is something that you should prepare for. Go online and search for the salary range in your industry and search for the position that you are applying for.
You will find some objective numbers that you can mention in an interview. If you research a little bit more, you can reveal the large companies and their salary ranges for the specific positions. In this manner, you will be more prepared to answer the “What is your expected salary?” question.
2. Ask the professionals
You can network and find a colleague who does the job that you are applying for at the moment. You can ask them about the salary they earn and the benefits they get. In this way, you will be more aware of the industry trends and market valuation of a certain position.
If you find a colleague who is in the exact position, they can serve you as guidance in answering the question about the expected salary. You can ask them how much they earn and how they would answer the same question. You will have more details about the needed matter after talking to the right professionals.
3. Consider the alternative answers
You can answer the question about the salary in many ways. One of the best ways is to give a salary range answer. You can simply collect the data about the average salaries for the exact position and you can put on the paper a salary range that is the most relevant. This range could be very wide and you can say, “I expect the salary from $30,000 to $50,000.”
At the same time, you apply for the lower salary range as well as for the highest. If you think that the employer will consider the lowest end of the salary range, make sure that your lowest point is the average salary in the industry. In this way, you won’t leave any money on the table.
4. Be diplomatic
If you wonder how to answer salary expectations, there are additional ways to do so. You can be highly diplomatic and you can turn the question around. You can say something like this:
“I am very motivated to find out more about the job description and my duties at the job. Also, I am interested in what salary range you offer for the exact position?”
Another good way to be diplomatic and avoid the exact answer about the salary expectations is to stay on the safe side when it comes to compensation. You can emphasize other relevant factors, like benefits and good working conditions, and say something like this:
“Salary is not of the highest priority for me. I would like to gain more experience, meet new professionals, and expand my knowledge in this certain position. That is why my salary expectations are not crucially important for getting this job.”
Now when you know some of the best “What is your salary expectation?” sample answers, you can apply the answers in your next job interview. You will be more prepared and ready to answer this not so easy question.