Interview Question #1: How much money do you want to make?
Depending on the circumstance your answer could vary significantly. From the point of view of a technical recruiter, you need to know ahead of time what you are worth and what you are looking to make. A technical recruiter needs to know this information upfront because it allows him to gauge whether the candidate will accept the job or not. If the desired salary is $150,000 and the company is only looking to pay $120,000 there will be issues.
Don’t think that if a company interviews you and falls in love that they will cough up the extra $30,000 dollars. Very likely they will try to come up as much as possible, but only to a certain point. This is why it is best to know what the company is looking to pay and what is the least amount of money you are willing to work for because it will save you and the company a lot of time and effort.
Recruiting takes time and effort and for a potential hire to be blown up because salary was mis-communicated is a waste of time and money.
So you should give the recruiter or HR an acceptable range and be prepared to get an offer on the low side of your range. You may then negotiate the salary, but be careful not to make it look as though you are greedy or ungrateful. In this economy that is the last thing you want the company to think of you.
For in-depth tips and interview preparation please call me at 1-800-791-7794.
