The Top 5 Tips to Answer ‘What’s Your Expected Salary?’

We live in a world of competitive salaries and job hopping. You can’t get a big pay raise every two years any longer. That’s what leads to people having to answer the question, “What’s your expected salary?” It’s an awkward question, but one that you need to know how to answer if you want to be successful at salary negotiations.

Tip 1. Finding the Right Company Fit

Finding the right company can be a difficult task. There are many things to consider before taking a job and it is important to find a company that aligns with your values and goals. The following tip will help you find the right company fit for you.

First should be doing research on the company and to find out what they are looking for in their employees thus what they offer to their employees.

It is also important to know what the company culture is like, how it functions, how it treats its employees and if you would be a good fit.

Determine what you want out of your next job: Do you want to work in a small startup, or do you want to work at an established, global corporation? Consider what type of environment would best suit your personality: A social environment or an individual one?

Think about the size of the company: You may not be interested in working at a small startup because they are less likely to provide benefits like healthcare or paid time off.

Tip 2. Determining what is an expected salary range for you

This is the second tip for determining what salary you should be expecting. The first tip was about identifying the skillsets that you have and how much experience you have in those skillsets.

The second tip is about understanding how much responsibility your job will entail and how much time it will take up in your day.

Some jobs are more demanding than others, and this can affect the salary that you get offered. For example, if your job requires a lot of time on site at a client’s office, then they may pay more to compensate for the inconvenience of having to go there every day.

It is important to find out what kind of responsibilities come with a job before accepting it so that you know what salary range to expect.

Tip 3. Negotiating Salary from the Start

It is important to know the market rate for your skillset and experience. If you are not sure, you can use sites like Glassdoor or Payscale.

You should also be prepared to provide a salary range that you are comfortable with and be willing to negotiate.

It is important to remember that the goal of negotiating is not only about getting a higher salary but also about getting benefits like paid time off, bonuses, flexible work hours, etc.

One of the most overlooked aspects of negotiating a salary is to start at the very beginning. This is because you are more likely to get a higher salary if you negotiate from the start, and less likely to have your pay decrease if you negotiate from the start.

Figure 1: Example of why you should not discuss about your salary

Tip 4. Be Honest about Your Current Situation & Goals

This section is about what you should do to be successful in a job interview. The tip is to be honest about your current situation and goals. This means that you should tell the interviewer what you are doing right now and what you want to do in the future.

Next is to show enthusiasm. This means that if you are truly passionate about the company or the position, don’t be afraid to show it! You should also have a positive attitude, which will make an interviewer more likely to pick you as their next hire.

Tip 5. Focus on Your Value not Your Needs

The fifth tip is to focus on your value not your needs.

Your needs are what you want in a job, and they are different from what the company wants in an employee. Your value is what you have to offer the company, which may or may not be what you need.

For example, if you need a flexible schedule but the company needs someone who is available to work overtime, then both of your needs are not met by each other.

Conclusion

The truth is, there is no right answer when it comes to your expected salary. And how attractive a candidate you are will be based more on what you’re prepared to offer and what you could potentially develop into, than your stated objectives and goals. That doesn’t mean you should be vague (avoid dollar amounts!) or barter with your salary expectations—that can be a quick way to get the hiring manager to suspect that you might not be the best fit for the position. Just do some research about what similar positions in similar companies pay their new employees, so that you have a good idea of whether or not your salary expectations are in line with reality.

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