How to Answer Interview Questions Regarding Salary
Interviewing is nerve-racking, and salary questions are especially awkward. There are two types of salary questions: questions about your salary history and questions about your salary expectations. An interviewer may use salary history questions to determine your salary offer. Salary history may seem irrelevant, and it may well be, but you must be prepared with an answer. Your salary expectations can also determine your salary offer or eliminate you if your expectations are unrealistic.
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Instructions
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Research the salary of the position for which you’re interviewing. Visit U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics website, professional-association websites or career-oriented websites, such as Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com or Glassdoor.com, for typical annual salaries.
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Decide how to approach salary history questions. If there is a dramatic difference between your previous salary and the salary of the position you’re interviewing for, you may want to deflect salary history questions. Explain to the interviewer that the duties and responsibilities of the position you’re interviewing for are different enough from your previous position that your previous salary is irrelevant. If pressed for an answer, be honest and explain how those duties differ from the duties of the position for which you’re interviewing.
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Decide on how to answer salary expectation questions. Avoid giving a number before your interviewer does, if at all possible. Explain you’re not comfortable giving a salary until you’re confident of receiving an offer. If pressed, give a salary range. Make the bottom number of your range the minimum you’re willing to accept.
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Tips & Warnings
Answer confidently. Your interviewer is evaluating how you answer the questions as well as the content of your answers.
Don’t sell yourself short when asking for a salary. Do your research and evaluate your financial needs; don’t ask for less than you can afford to make.
