Salary: How Much Should You Ask For?

Answer 1

With today’s economy, finding a job is difficult even frustrating but once you landed a job interview one question is guaranteed to come up which is how much money the applicant is desiring. A company is not going to offer you the highest salary, and many companies expect applicants to come back with a counter offer. It is important before a job interview to do your homework. Overemphasis on pay could discard the applicant so the best way to determine how much money is appropriate is to do the research and make a checklist. Some questions an applicant may ask themselves before, during or after an interview is does the compensation meet the applicant’s compensation needs? Depending on how badly a job is needed there are some factors to consider when deciding upon a salary. Does the job offer at least 10 to 15 percent higher then your recent salary? What does the benefit package include? Does the employer offer health insurance and if so does it cover dependents (if needed)? Does the employer offer a retirement plan? These are just some questions that may determine for an applicant exactly how much and appropriately how much an applicant should ask in regards to salary. The important thing to remember is not to panic when an employer asks the scary question of how much, instead try to avoid answering the question directly but simply say It is not about the pay but about the work. Consider turning the interview around on the employer and simply ask the employer what they have budgeted for the position or if the applicant must provide an answer be vague about the amount and simply state that your currently earning somewhere in the mid five-figures. Remember a job interview is like a artform, experience, skill and appearance all play a factor when interviewing and try not to give a specific number but instead provide a range because a range will give the applicant more room to negotiate.