Job interview for beginners: The money question
(You can read the first part here)
When I think the interview is over, the man with the camera turned off stops for a moment. He asks me about my salary expectations. This is the point of the interview I referred to earlier. He’s looking at two numbers blinking on his monitor. I can’t see them, but I know they’re there. It’s my turn to say a number loud and clear. This situation has three possible outcomes.
If my number is greater than his, he’ll apologize for the mismatch of expectations. In the gaming industry this outcome is called game over. If my number is between his two numbers, he acknowledges the fact with a small gesture like nodding his head. Having his camera turned off forces him to find an alternative way of expression. He may not care expressing it in another way. If my number is just slightly above his lower number, he can be happy. He just saved some money for the company with a simple question. He will be happy without sharing this fact with me.
If my number is less than both of his numbers, I have no idea what will happen. To avoid this awkward situation, I did some preliminary research. I asked my friends and ex-colleagues in a similar position about their salary. If you don’t have friends, you can use an internet search engine and get decent results. Some people prefer not to share their salary information with others, including their friends. Being asked about their salaries makes them feel uncomfortable, to put it mildly. You don’t want to make your friends feel uncomfortable. You can use an internet search engine even if you have friends.
