Two job interview questions that cause job seekers a lot of anxiety are:
1. How much money did you make in your last job? (Or, How much are you currently making?)
2. What are your salary expectations for this role? You know that any money-focused questions (past or present) are a gauge for employers to know if they can afford you and how much they can get you for. You're afraid that if you say a number too low, you'll leave money on the table; but if you say a number too high, you may lose this opportunity.
So what do you do? How can you answer interview questions about money?
Goal #1 – Deflect
Your biggest goal with either question is to avoid giving any answer at all. Throughout the interview process, try to avoid any discussion of money or salary for as long as you can—and never, ever bring up the money issue by asking about the salary for this job. The ideal scenario involves getting them to love you and want you for the job before any salary discussion because then, your bargaining position is stronger.
How To Answer “How Much Do/Did You Make?"
Answer #1:
'My previous position is different than this one, so I don't see that my past salary is relevant to this one. But I really want to answer all your questions about my skills and qualifications to see if you agree that I'm the right person for the job. I'm sure that if I'm a good fit, we can come to an agreement on compensation. I'm very excited about the possibility of working here.'
Answer #2:
'What is the salary range you have budgeted for this position?' When they tell you, say “I'm comfortable with that. If I'm offered a salary within that range, I won't turn the offer down over the money.'
Answer #3:
Go ahead and tell them how much you made at your past/current job. In most cases, they really do just want to know if they can afford you. If you've done your homework and know what a reasonable offer is for this role in this geographic location, you'll know if they offer you a salary that's too low. You can always negotiate for a higher salary (based on your research) after you have the offer in hand.
How To Answer "What Salary Would You Expect?"
The good news is that if they ask you this question, they are thinking about offering you the job.
Answer #1:
Smile and ask, 'Does this mean you'd like to offer me the job?'
Answer #2:
Ask, 'What is the salary range for this position?' When they tell you, say, 'I'm comfortable with that. If we both decide that I'm a good fit for this job, I will be fine with discussing a salary in that range.'
Answer #3:
'I'm more interested in finding out if this job is a great fit. I'm sure that you'll offer a salary that's appropriate for the responsibilities of the job.'
Keep your focus on selling yourself for the job. If they don't want to hire you, you really have nothing to discuss.
Here is your caveat for any salary discussion: Every interview situation is different. That's why there are several different options for each question. You have to decide what your situation calls for, and what you are comfortable with. The more you research the company and appropriate salary levels ahead of time, the easier it will be for you to answer these questions.
Career Coach - Peggy McKee is an expert resource and a dedicated advocate for job seekers. Known as the Sales Recruiter from Career Confidential, her years of experience as a nationally-known recruiter for sales and marketing jobs give her a unique perspective and advantage in developing the tools and strategies that help job seekers stand head and shoulders above the competition. Peggy has been named #1 on the list of the Top 25 Most Influential Online Recruiters by HR Examiner, and has been quoted in articles from CNN, CAP TODAY, Yahoo! HotJobs, and the Denver Examiner.
Disclosure: This post is sponsored by a CAREEREALISM-approved expert.
Is your job search turning into a grind with no end in sight? It may be time to take a step back and reevaluate your entire approach.
In cold weather climates, the beginning of spring is a time to clean the house and get organized—a practice known as spring cleaning. Through the years, spring cleaning has taken on a larger meaning with people using the time to organize and declutter things in their lives.
For professionals on the job hunt, a little spring cleaning (metaphorically speaking) could be a great way to reinvigorate your job search. Here are a few strategies your job search spring cleaning should include.
Reevaluate Your Job Search Approach
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Make a list of the last handful of jobs you applied for and see if you can identify any positive or negative trends. Consider things like:
How did I learn about this job?
How did I apply for the job?
Did I earn an interview?
What was the ultimate result?
A lot can be learned about your job search approach just by answering these questions and identifying patterns. For example:
Negative Trends
You discovered five jobs through job boards, applied to all of them via the job boards, and never heard back from any of them.
The common pattern here is applying through job boards. This isn't to say that job boards don't serve a purpose in the job search process, but they have their limitations, and you can't run your job search entirely off of them. When you apply through a job board, there's a good chance that your materials will never get past the applicant tracking system (ATS) and never be seen by an actual person.
One simple fix is to research who the hiring manager or recruiter is that posted the position and email your materials to them directly.
The more efficient fix would be to take a proactive approach by putting together a bucket list of companies that you want to work for and start making connections on LinkedIn with people who work at those companies. You may already know some people who work there or have connections that can refer you to some individuals.
This is a great way to network your way onto a company's radar.
Positive Trends
You applied to three jobs via referral, were invited to two job interviews, and made it through multiple rounds of interviews for one of the jobs before being passed over for someone with a little more experience.
The pattern here is that getting referred to a job by a professional acquaintance is a great way to land a job interview. This indicates that you're leveraging your network well and you should continue to focus on your networking efforts.
The next step is to review the interview process and determine what went well and what needs to be improved. Sometimes the interviewer will provide feedback, and that feedback can be valuable. However, not everyone is comfortable with giving feedback.
Chances are you probably have a good idea about areas of improvement and the skills you need to gain. Put together a plan for addressing those shortfalls.
The good news in making it deep into any interview process is that it indicates that the company likes you as a potential employee (even if the timing just wasn't right) and the experience could be a roadmap to a job with that company at a later date, or another similar opportunity elsewhere.
Give Your Resume & Cover Letter Some Much-Needed Attention
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Are you continuously sending similar resumes and cover letters to each job opening with only minor adjustments? If so, your strategy needs some serious spring cleaning.
The reason why it's so important to tailor your resume is that throughout your career, you acquire numerous skills, but the job you're applying for may only be focusing on 6-8 of those skills. In that case, those skills must rise to the top of the resume with quantifiable examples of how you successfully used those skills at previous jobs.
Remember, recruiters go through hundreds of resumes. They need to be able to tell from a quick glance whether or not you're a potential candidate for the position.
While updating your resume, you could also spruce up your LinkedIn profile by highlighting the skill sets that you want to be noticed for by recruiters.
As for writing a good cover letter, the key to success is writing a disruptive cover letter. When you write a disruptive cover letter, you're basically telling a story. The story should focus on how you connect with the particular company and job position. The story could also focus on your personal journey, and how you got to where you currently are in your career.
If your resumes and cover letters aren't unique, now is the time to clean things up and get on track.
Build Your Personal Brand
Just because you're looking for work doesn't mean that you don't have anything to offer. Use previous career experiences and passions to build your personal brand.
Ask yourself, "How do I want other professionals to view me?"
Pick an area of expertise and start sharing your knowledge and experience with your professional network by pushing out content on your LinkedIn and social media accounts. Good content can include blogs, social media posts, and videos.
By sharing content about your experiences and passions, you slowly build your personal brand, and others will start to notice. The content could lead to good discussions with others in your network. It could also lead to reconnecting with connections that you haven't spoken to in years, or making new connections.
You never know when one of these connections could turn into a job lead or referral. The trick is to get on people's radars. So, when you're cleaning up your job search, be sure to build a plan for personal branding.
Maintain Healthy Habits During Your Job Search
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Your job search is important, but it's even more important to know when to pull back and focus on personal health and spending time with family and friends.
There are actually things that you can do for your own enjoyment that could help your job search in the long run, such as:
Grab coffee with a friend - It's good to engage in light conversation with friends during challenging times. And if your job search does come up, remember that most people have been through it themselves and you never know when a friend may provide you with a good idea or lead on a job.
Volunteer - Volunteering is a great way to get involved in the community and help others. In addition, if you develop a little bit of a career gap while looking for a job, you can always talk about how you filled that time volunteering, if you're asked about it during a job interview.
Continue to focus on other passions - Are you a fitness nut? Blogger? Crafter? Continue to do the things that bring you happiness. And if you're in a position to profit from your passion through a freelance job or side hustle, even better!
Spring is the perfect time to clean up and improve your job search so you can land the job you want. If you're struggling to find a job, follow the tips above to reinvigorate your job search—and watch your career blossom!
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This article was originally published at an earlier date.
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