Any suggestions as to what to say/not say during an interview regarding salary?

 

I had a BAD time negotiating my salary last time .... I told them what I was looking for, and the guy I was negotiating with explained to me why I shouldn't be looking for that much and explained to me what I would be bringing in for the company, and then asked ME to tell him how much he should pay me .... this was very effective from his side ...

So, I would say, you need to try to turn that round and use that to YOUR advantage, try to find out what sort of level they are considering, explain what you will be bringing to the company and then ask THEM to say what they think would be reasonable .... it is much harder for them to be unreasonable in the offer if you have just been through what you will be bringing to the company ...

 

Depends on who you're interviewing with.

 

The best possible option is to have a counter offer to wager with.

 

If I'm ever asked how much I'm looking for, I just tell them I expect them to offer me a fair salary comparable to that of other employees at my level. That's in a bad job market. In a good market, I've consistently asked for 10% over the maximum everyone tells me they'll pay, and I've gotten it every time.

 

If someone gives you a number, look them in the eye and don't say anything for twenty seconds. Don't try to be tough, just look them in the eye. Many people will cave under the pressure of silence. It's works for me. It even works pretty decently over the phone.

 

well, i *might* be discussing salary at the next interview, and i'll be talking with the Executive VP and CFO on the next round. I've already checked www.salary.com (which supplies Monster.com with the salary info), and I already realized that my ideal salary is already much lower than the median salary for someone in the position I'm applying to (I realized how grossly underpaid I was at my previous employment, ha!).

 

The best way is to refer to your future boss as "bitch".

I'm rick james BITCH.

 

On a serious note: Good job on performing your due dligence by seeking out the median pay for a similar position. However, how does the current economy affect those figures?

I switched jobs about 5 months ago. Back then, the economy wasn't exactly strong but I was able to negotiate a better deal than those in similar positions by making a point of the unique values I brought to the table (my particular industry-experience wasn't affected by the market).

So if I were to highlight some key points, it would be:
1. Pre-determine your bottom-line salary to accept without bitterness
2. Know your current market worth and be able to argue why you are more valuable than the other applicants
3. Finish your statements with Scot's recommendation... and report back to let us know how effective it was.

Good luck.

 

Sell yourself. Always give positive reasons you are worth more. Move forward during the process. Don't let them take you backwards.

The'll say things like "We usually pay" That's when i say things like "That's great for the average worker but I've proven myself to not be an average worker"

Keep in mind that their job is to hire you for the least amount of money they can. The first number they throw out is their bottom number. They have a middle and a top number also.