Job Interview Questions/Great Answers (Part 3)

What's the minimum salary/wage you would accept?

We will pose some very good and - well - lesser good answers. It is often asked before the interview even gets scheduled; before they know how wonderful you are. There are reasons to establish your price at this time, and some reasons not to.

This difficult question is often asked when your position is most vulnerable.

Why vulnerable?

• You have not established a personal rapport with the recruiter - yet.
• The recruiter does not know how amazing you are - yet.
• You are easier to dismiss at that time - they don’t know if they want you - yet.
• You have not convinced anyone about your breadth of talent - yet. For example, you might be great for a different opportunity than the one advertised or they might want to expand the job duties since you are so qualified. Nice to speculate, isn't it?
• You haven’t had the opportunity to weigh your direct salary desires with the value of benefits, opportunity, etc. In short, any offer is much more than direct salary - or should be.
• You have not had the chance to negotiate - yet.

(Note: In follow-on hubs we will explore negotiation techniques for job opportunities. They are much different than haggling for a car or frequenting a yard sale. With those things you don’t have to worry about possible ongoing relationships.)

Why ask the question?

From the interviewer’s perspective the question can be used to eliminate those who want more salary than is available, a worthy goal. Although s/he might be overlooking a great candidate if the interview is terminated, that doesn’t do you much good.

Your answer risks

From your perspective, if you ask for a high salary, you may be pegged as overqualified for the job or one who overvalues his/her market value. If you ask for a low amount, they may think of you as not heavy enough, i.e., you should, in their opinion, be able to command more, given your supposed background.

Either stance might prompt the interviewer to drop you. Or they might agree to continue the dialogue, meaning you probably have established a base from which to negotiate more later.

To compound your frustration, the interviewer, if still interested, might lower any job offer amount since you said you would accept the low number.

Ah, to quote the wicked witch of the west - What a world, what a world.

With that in mind

You have to answer something. We present a number of scenarios, some more aggressive and some more submissive. However, we think it is in most instances better to be a bit assertive in crafting your answer. After all, negotiating a job deal is a mutual thing. The employer needs someone to do the work; you need the job to meet your goals. Neither can do without the other. The only question; are you and the employer the best ‘other’ for each other, all things considered.

And that’s what it’s all about.

Obfuscate?

It is generally better if you can put off giving a salary number until after you understand the job and where it fits into the organization and after the recruiter understands why you are the best choice.

Continued on the next Hub (This one is long enough)

• A range of answers, all presenting advantages - and risks.