When not to discuss your salary requirements

An interesting post from The Hiring Room describes how an employer chose between two candidates for a position.

Although one candidate was changing careers, he had good functional, analytical and people skills, as well as an entrepreneurial attitude. The other was well qualified, but brought up his salary requirements early on. Not only were his expectations unrealistic, but his entitlement attitude meant he ruined his chances.

Four tips for discussing salary

- Research the market salary before the interview.
Your interviewer might ask you about your salary expectations, and you need to know what’s an acceptable range for the position.

- Don’t be the first to bring up salary.
Let the interviewer set out the benefits package and take notes, if necessary, to ask questions and open up any negotiations.

- Don’t make salary your first question in the interview.
Your first questions should aim to find out more about the job itself: what the expectations are for the role, whether the interviewer has any questions about your ability to do the job, career advancement and so on. There’s no point talking about salary if you don’t fully understand the role.

- Consider your reasons for wanting the job before you start discussing salary.
If you feel the job offers real career potential, you may be happy to accept a lower salary for an initial period.