Interview Questions And Answers Forum

alisiddiqui

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Registered: 2015-02-23

Posts: 949

How to Answer Interview Question "What Salary Are You Seeking?"

Tips For Answering Interview Question "What Salary Are You Seeking?"

An Overview:

This question will come up sooner or later during your upcoming interview. However, Job interview is not the place to negotiate salary package.

How To Answer The Salary Question On An Application?

The employer knows that you would want to earn more money – You are not different from any other employee on the market. The key point here is that you must show that it is not just about money or at least money is not the main issue for you.
When asking this question, the interviewer wants to verify two simple things:
▸ You are not out of range with your salary requirements.
▸ You are interested in the job – Money is not everything for you.
The question is asked to get general idea about your figures. That’s all.
You will discuss (and negotiate) the salary package, after the job is offered to you. Only then, you’ll be invited to the human resources for negotiating your pay. You’ll have the right time to bring up work hours, day-offs, benefits etc after you get the job offer.
Therefore, avoid talking about salary in details. You don’t want to price yourself out of the market, nor do you want to mention a salary that is far lower than they might be willing to pay, as that could compromise your ability to ask for more later on

Stating A Salary Range

The best way is to state a salary range – Not one specific number. You should have a clear idea of what the job may pay and what you are worth in your professional field.

The Best Answers To Salary Questions In An Interview

Question 1:

What about the salary you are seeking?

Answer 1:

“I’m looking for a challenging job that will give me the opportunity to work on interesting projects – The salary is only part of what I’m looking for.”
However, if the interviewer persists and asks you a second time, you may need to give them a rough idea, but again, without pricing yourself out of the market. Try something along the lines of.

Question 2:

So what kind of salary are you after?

Answer 2:

“I would be looking in the range of minimum X to maximum Y roughly figures, but as I said, the salary is less important to me than finding the right job position – if it is fine with you, I would rather hold off on giving exact figures until I find out more about the role.”
As you can see, you haven’t refused to answer the question but find a way around to deflect it.
Remember, you first mission in an interview is to get the job offer. Therefore, you must convince the employer that you are interested in the challenges they offer rather than just a big fat pay cheque.

Should You Disclose Your Current Salary In An Interview?

Question:

How much are you earning at the moment?
You have no other choice but to give a precise number. This is because the interviewer is asking you a direct question. Give your salary details, as it is may be revealed sooner or later.
Only if you know that your current salary is higher than what can be offered and you still want the job, reiterate that the money is not the issue rather finding the right organization to join.

Answer:

“I currently earn x basic plus bonuses.  I understand that the salary here may be initially lower and it is OK with me.  I ready to negotiate my salary, as this job would give me the scope of opportunities I always look for”.