Answering the salary question in a first interview
The question about your salary expectations can come earlier than you think. Here is how to prepare an answer you will not regret.
Many recruiters ask about salary expectations in the first call, sometimes in the first few minutes. The aim is simple: making sure what you hope for fits their budget. But unprepared, the number that comes out is often too low out of nerves, or too high with nothing behind it.
Prepare a range, not one number
Find the pay range for the same role, city and level of experience: from postings that show a salary, from friends in the same field, or from the salary surveys published each year. Then decide the lowest figure you would still accept, working from what you need each month.
Give a range whose bottom end you are already happy with. The bottom end is what gets offered most often.
You can ask back
If you are unsure, it is fine to ask first what range the company has set for the role. Many recruiters will tell you, and the answer gives you somewhere to stand.
Be clear about what is counted
Make sure you and the recruiter mean the same thing: base pay or total income, before or after tax, allowances in or out. One sentence of clarification early on saves a misunderstanding when the offer letter arrives.
The salary question is not a test. A calm answer with reasons behind it shows you know what your work is worth.