Search icon

Life

13th Feb 2024

How to answer the infamous salary question in a job interview

Anna Martin

The worst question in a job interview has to be the one regarding your desired salary.

Answer wrong and you will end up feeling like you’re demanding too much or too little, give the right answer and…well does anyone know the right answer?

One woman might and she decided to share the secret with her followers. The best part is that it actually makes sense.

Erin McGoff is a social media content creator who often gives both career and life advice and most importantly, explains how to navigate salary negotiations.

In one of her videos she explained the point where many people have been going wrong and what they should do instead when the money talk comes up.

Renacting a situation for her 1.5 million followers, Erin says, “Don’t answer this question directly. This question is tricky.

“If you say too low of a number you risk them lowball you. And if you say too high of a number, you can risk them writing you off is too expensive.”

Instead she says if they ask about your pay expectations says, to respond with, “I would love to know the proof salary range for the position.”

This way you put the ball back in their court, so you can’t ask for too much or too little but what about if they keep pushing?

What if they say you don’t have a set range or it depends on the candidate you can get around this.

Erin says to answer: “Well, my salary range is flexible. But I’d like to learn more about the specifics of the role before giving out a salary.”

salary job interview
Credit: Getty

If they still keep pushing she has one more respond for you to keep in your back pocket, that goes: “Well, I can tell you that I’m currently interviewing for roles that are in the 65 to 95k range, and I’m flexible in salary depending on other elements and the compensation package.”

So there you go, stop stressing about the figures and instead let your potential employer do the worrying for you.

If they really want you, they’ll offer a competitive salary and you won’t be left wondering for the rest of your life, could you have gotten more.

READ MORE: