Job Interview Advice: Talking About Salary

Money is a big item on a job seeker’s mind, for sure. You know you’re interested in the job, or you wouldn’t be there, and the top of the list for you is finding out the mystery of what you could get paid. But one of the cardinal rules of interviewing for job seekers is: Never bring up money in your job interview. It’s a BIG no-no.

ALL you talk about in the interview is what they need, what solution they need, what problem they have, who’s been able to fix it before, and how you can fix it.

It’s a big worry for people, but it’s important that you don’t talk about money in the job interview. Why? You don’t have anything to talk about until they make you an offer. In fact, if they ask you about money, treat it lightly and say something like this: • “Are you making me an offer?” (This is actually a nice icebreaker, and some hiring managers will actually say “yes,” and it will change the conversation.)
• “I’m looking for a great opportunity, and I assume the pay will be commensurate with the responsibility.” (Who can argue with that?)
• “Unless you’re making me a job offer, we’re still trying to figure out if this is going to be a good fit for both of us, and I think that if it’s a good fit, we’ll be able to work out the money issue.”

But don’t bring up money. If you bring it up before, it will damage you as a candidate. So, don’t ask about the bonuses. Don’t ask about the salary. Ask nothing about it. You sell, sell, sell yourself throughout the interview, and talk about the money when they make you the offer.