The Interview Handbook

Reaching the end of a job interview, the Human Resources Person asked a young engineer fresh out of MIT, “What starting salary were you looking for?”
The engineer replied, “In the region of $125,000 a year, depending on the benefits package.”
The interviewer said, “Well, what would you say to a package of 5 weeks vacation, 14 paid holidays, full medical and dental, company matching retirement fund to 50% of salary, and a company car leased every 2 years — say, a red Corvette?”
The Engineer sat up straight and said, “Wow! Are you kidding?”
The interviewer replied, “Well YES, but you started it.”

You may laugh but this question comes up all the time. Therefore, trying to create an impression that the salary does not concern you actually is counter productive. It indicates that you have trouble coping with the question and may even insinuate that you under value your self or have low self esteem.

First thing to remember. You don’t have to disclose your current or past salaries and you don’t need to respond to this question. Unfortunately it’s not that easy.

Given you are interviewing for a new job, the manner in which you deal with the question can affect the outcome of the interview, so it is worth being prepared.

Tip

If you are unsure try to deflect the question by inquiring the interviewer what they are offering.

OR

Rather than quoting a figure present a range. This range should take five factors into account:

1. The salary you earned in your last position

2. The salary standards in the industry

3. The current market situation – it’s all a question of supply and demand. If demand is currently high in your profession, you can suggest a higher salary and offer a tougher bargain. If the opposite is true you may have to compromise.

4. Your work experience and qualifications / credentials– the more experience and / or qualifications you have the more your services are ‘worth’ to the employer (in some professions the work experience is more important than the credentials; in other professions it’s the other way around and yet in others it may be a combination of both).

5. Finally, the salary you aim for.

In your early career, you will be expecting an increase in salary when you move to a new job - usually because the new job may be a step up for you and as such has more responsibilities.

You also need to remember that your new employer really has no way of finding out your previous salary, so if you want to exaggerate a little to help justify an increased expected salary, then feel free to do so - it’s not a big deal, but remember be conscious that you shouldn’t go to far with this.  Adding a couple more £k to your current salary isn’t a big deal.

How to respond when asked what your salary expectations are.

Let’s assume you want more money than you are getting just now.  If the salary hasn’t been disclosed for the job, then you need to carefully discuss the potential with your new employer.

You can start off by saying something like,

“I would expect a salary that is in line with the level and responsibilities of the job and my experience - what starting salary do you offer for this job role?” –

It doesn’t commit you to a specific figure, and moves the discussion back to them.  They will always have a figure in mind from the start of the interview - most employers just want to see if they can hire you for less money!

There are several responses they can give to this:

1. A figure that is way less than you want (in which case you need to think about if the job is really suitable for you)

2. A figure that is a little lower than you want (then you need to put an argument forward for a higher starting salary)

3. A figure that is suitable or higher than expected (take it - or haggle some more if you’re feeling cheeky!).

Salary negotiations are a sensitive and complex issue. If possible try to avoid discussing the salary in the first interview, however if the issue is raised by the interviewer then respond accordingly.

The most important point to bear in mind is to request a reasonable and fair salary. A salary that encompasses the five factors: your last salary, the industry salary standards, the current employment market situation, your work experience and qualifications and finally the salary you aim for. Ask for what you deserve; if you consider these five factors you are bound to come up with a reasonable salary range.

The salary negotiations are always a complex and delicate matter; consequently it is wise to postpone it to the crucial meeting or point in the interview after most other issues have been dealt with. If you have more than one interview, then use the first interview as an initial platform to make the right impression. Do not assume that employers will always prefer an applicant that has lower salary expectations. On the contrary, if you managed to impress the employer, they are likely to seriously consider hiring you despite the fact that your salary expectation may be hire than a fellow candidate. Hence, making a good impression in the interview subsequently elevates your salary negotiation point

The key to a successful job interview is preparation. Remember that success occurs when preparation meets opportunity. If you get the opportunity to interview for a job, don’t blow it by not being prepared. Instead, follow these guidelines to interview preparation:

To perform well at interview you must convey the following in your descriptions of your character and ability:

§ Motivation: Take the opportunity to ask questions of your interviewer. This will convey enthusiasm and motivation, a thirst for knowledge coupled with a desire to get things done.

§ Energy and Drive: Someone who is prepared to put in the extra effort required to get the job done.

§ Confidence: Display a confidence and poise in your interactions with individuals at all levels in the organisation.

§ Determination: Not to be confused with stubbornness. Convey a desire to conquer problems despite difficult situations.

§ Attitude: Someone who is open and friendly but professional always, a team player.

§ Reliable: Self-motivated with an ability to work independently with a minimum of supervision.

§ Honesty and Integrity: Each company has it’s own code of conduct. Display an ethical responsibility for all actions undertaken by you both positive and negative.

§ Listening Skills: Be an active listener. Take time to listen, assimilate the information and respond.

§ Analytical Skills: Ever more important, weigh up each problem and find a balanced solution.

§ Dedication: Display pride in your work and the dedication to see each task through to completion in a timely manner.

Besides the above, in any interview you must be able to answer direct questions, its no good just re-cycling what’s on your resume, as resume is just the starting point, an interview is a two way conversation, but remember the interview is trying to find out if you are suitable for the role, it’s not personal, you have to convince him or her that out of all the candidates you are the best. So meet the interviewer, smile, introduce yourself, use a firm handshake and maintain good eye contact. Follow these tips during the interview:

Be prepared to discuss your three or four most marketable skills applicable to the position for which you’re interviewing. These skills can come from your work history or your educational background. Prove all soft skills through examples; don’t merely offer an opinion of yourself.

Make sure you’re comfortable speaking to every point on your resume.

Anticipate questions. A question you think you’ll be asked will probably come your way.

Use proper grammar and diction. Avoid saying "yeah," "um," "like," "see," "uh," or "ah."

Speak clearly. Be aware of your body language and project confidence. Be positive about yourself and what you’ve accomplished.

Ask questions throughout the interview. If at some point you’re not sure what the interviewer is asking, ask for clarification. This demonstrates you’re interested and have good listening skills.

If asked to describe a failure, weakness or negative experience, finish your response on a positive note by mentioning a lesson learned, growth achieved or how you’re currently working to improve.

When interviewing with more than one person at once, address your answer to the person who asks the question. However, be sure to maintain good eye contact with everyone during the interview.

Never ask about compensation in the first interview. However, if the interviewer addresses salary, answer the question directly.

Always go for the job offer. If negatives of the job surface, such as too much travel, make a mental note for evaluation purposes, but continue one hundred percent in the interview. There may be positive aspects of the job that balance or outweigh the negatives. It’s better to be in a position of rejecting the offer than not receiving it at all.

Inquisitive souls often find new tools that help them improve their performance. The old saying, “Curiosity can kill the cat,” is something you want to re-evaluate. Sure, if you become curious of something that would obviously cause you harm, then the cat just might die. Curiosity is a gift. We can use this gift to our advantage if we choose, or we can make serious judgments that cause problems.

As you learn to use your inquisitive tools to your best interest, you will start to focus your attention on the good things in life. Most people walk around looking only at the shallow light of our creation, products and so on. Instead of using a shallow mind, open your mind up to new horizons. An open mind however is not doing what is bad, rather opening your mind up to doing what is right. Too many times, I hear people say they have open minds, but often the minds are open to sexual deviations and nothing more or less. This is not a way to improve your life. Rather, you need to clean your mind of unhealthy actions, behaviours, images, etc, and start developing positive reflections.

Once you start to focus your attention you can move to change. You have to be willing to make changes to make it happen. Most people fear the unknown. To improve your life however you must not allow the unknown to scare you. The unknown just might be something that works in your favour. In fact, if you want to improve your life, you will start to welcome the unknown to your palace.

In our minds, we visualize who we think we may be. Most of us fear discovering something new about self. Do not fear what you may discover. You may discover a wonderful person waiting to get out and make the changes that most people fear. Changes are good. Do not fear change, since change is a part of life and it is what takes you to new heights in life. When you see something new about you, good or bad take it and use it. If you see something bad, evaluate it carefully to make sure it is bad. If you conclude that this feature about you is bad, figure out ways to change it. You have the power and control inside you to make those changes. What can you do to make those changes? What actions can you take to make your life better?

Once you discover new details about yourself move to organize your thoughts, visions, etc, and then sort them out. Take time to evaluate the details. Details have hidden messages you may have overlooked that will carry you to a new life. Do not fear. Fear is the worst problem we face in the world, since fear is one of the ultimate controllers of humankind.

When you discover details take the volume of information you gain and sort through it. Kick out the bad and bring in the new. Discover new ideas. Discover new relationships. Discover the new you. Play with the details and information you gain and see what you come up with, followed by organizing your new information. Put the pieces of your life together to make a new you. When you check the list of information and details, make sure you visualize the whole pie. Take a view at weight, categories, order, colours, and size and so forth, so that you get the most of your new findings. Once you are finish, build your confidence so that you can take action and carry forward without cease.