How to Ask About Pay in an Interview
- 1). Let the interviewer be the first party to bring up salary. If you ask about money, especially in the early going, you risk painting yourself as desperate and being more concerned with money than the position. You want the company to be the one to accommodate you, not the other way around.
- 2). Deflect any salary questions you may receive during the interview. Tell the interviewer you'd rather spend extra time determining whether you're a good fit for the company and vice versa. Not only does this reflect favorably upon your image, but it puts you back in control of the salary discussion.
- 3). Discuss figures in terms of a salary range and not a specific number when the salary discussion can no longer be avoided. This keeps things more vague and gives you a little wiggle room. Ask how often the company reviews the salaries of employees for potential raises and what other perks come with the salary. For instance, it might be worth taking less than you wanted if the job comes with an excellent health care plan.
- 4). Wait for the company to make an offer before discussing dollars. Upon receiving the offer, see if the company can sweeten the pot a little bit, especially if you don't get the number you wanted. This is where your avoidance of the salary issue can benefit you — the company doesn't know what you were expecting, so there's a decent chance that you can walk away with more than you imagined.
