So many people are scrambling to find jobs that getting an interview can feel like a windfall. However, with an oversaturated market, actually landing a job that reflects your worth takes strategy.
Criminal defense attorney Jeremy Rosenthal shares insights on TikTok into not only succeeding in the legal world but also in the job market as a whole. If there’s one strategy he stands firm on, it’s that there is one interview question that you should never answer, and it’s all about salary.
You should never answer the salary expectation question in a job interview, according to a lawyer.
When an interviewer asks something along the lines of, “What dollar amount do you expect to receive upon employment?” Rosenthal was adamant that you should not answer.
As he explained it, asking this question lets him, as an interviewer, learn a lot about you as an applicant, including how you navigate the professional world, how much research you’ve done on the company and the position, and how much you value yourself as an individual.
He went on to say that an overwhelming number of people aim far too low when sharing their salary expectations. This, in turn, allows employers to lowball potential hires, saving the company money and making the recruiter or hiring manager look good. In other words, employers are incentivized to pay you less than you deserve if you openly undervalue yourself.
Answering your salary expectations is risky.
Skirting questions that are standard in the interview process can feel counterintuitive. After all, you’ve gotten this far in the application process, why not just tell them how much money you want? But, as Rosenthal explained, you might be revealing far more about yourself than you ever intended to, no matter how you answer.
fizkes | Shutterstock
According to career coach Jennifer Herrity, “Employers ask about salary expectations to check the budget fit, gauge your self-worth, and test your negotiation skills.” Beyond what your answer says about you, the specific number you give comes with risks.
“If you go too low, you might end up making less than they’re willing to pay,” explained Harvard Business Review employment expert Amy Gallo. Adding, “And if you go too high, you could price yourself out of the job.”
It’s understandable how this can feel demoralizing. However, there are ways in which you can outmaneuver this dreaded question and actually charm the interviewer the next time you have to face up to it.
Not answering your salary expectations is a smart strategy in the long-term.
Instead of plainly stating a number, or even a range, of what you expect to earn at the position, it is in your best interest to avoid and evade. As Rosenthal said at the end of the video, he actually prefers when an interviewee claims that the answer is something personal because it shows, as he explained it, “that you’re not a dummy,” and it actually charms him as an interviewer.
fizkes | Shutterstock
Another key strategy would be to redirect the conversation entirely. As Gallo noted, you can ask the interviewer about the company’s budget for the salary range. If they ask you if that meets expectations, be vague. Say that that’s helpful information and ask if there’s room to negotiate once offered the job.
Lastly, Gallo said you can simply move on from the question by pivoting back to your qualifications as a job candidate. While it may feel a little bit awkward, evading the salary question can only benefit you. If anything, bringing it back to your qualifications indirectly tells them that you know what you’re worth, which is, as Rosenthal expressed, absolutely what you want to convey.
I get it, this job market is tough. We shouldn’t have to think about all of this when most of us are just trying to survive. However, this pro tip from a lawyer might just be what could save you from another job interviewer ghosting you. At the very least, it’ll help arm you with confidence the next time you have to handle this question.
Luke Aliga is a writer with a degree in Technical Writing and Communication who covers relationships, culture, and human interest topics.
Comments are closed.