Ask HN: How do you talk about salary expectations and negotiations in interview?
To be more specific, I have a call with a recruiter to get to know each other and talk about surface level things, including compensation expectations. But this question can apply to the first conversations about compensation and the negotiations later.
What type of recruiter? If it is a recruiter from a recruiting firm then be honest about your number. They want to place you and they get paid based on the salary you get. I have had these recruiters tell me my number was too low and the company would pay more.
If it is a recruiter from the company doing the hiring, they want to pay you as little as possible. Do not give a number first. If forced, say "any reasonable market salary". If they still push, give a wide range like "somewhere in the $100k to $300k range" (assuming your goal is $200k)
This.
It's a game with exactly one rule: whoever puts a number out first loses.
There've been several times in my career -- especially when starting out -- where I just plain underestimated what they were willing to pay me. Once I just bit my tongue and stopped myself from saying "But of course, I wouldn't expect you to pay me THAT much..." And the next thing they said was "We could pay you that."
My first job out of college, they asked me "What's the least amount of money you'd work for." And when I stressed it was a very low number, that it was the barest minimum that I could ever consider -- that was what they offered me.
Don't learn this the hard way. They'll act all conversational and wait for you to say something. (If the silence gets awkward, you're free to say something like "How much are you offering for this position?") It wouldn't hurt to rehearse a few lines to turn the question back to them, so you're ready when this comes up.
Understood! Thank you for the advice! :)
I should have specified - it is a recruiter from the company doing the hiring, but I appreciate both pieces of advice. Thank you.