Prepare Your Salary Answer Before Applying for Jobs
Job to be done: Prepare salary expectations before filling out job applications
🇳🇬 Ways to use this in Nigeria
Ideas to get you started, adapt to your situation.
- 9-5 employee
Prepare specific salary figures for job applications by researching current roles and company ranges, avoiding lowball offers.
- Student
Research salary ranges for entry-level roles to set realistic expectations for your first job after graduation.
- Entrepreneur
Determine a fair salary for yourself when bootstrapping a startup, balancing personal needs with company finances.
What you’ll get
You will have three clear numbers for your salary expectations: your walk-away number, your target number, and a number based on the company’s posted range. This approach helps you avoid making rushed salary decisions when filling out job applications, preventing you from pricing yourself too low or disqualifying yourself.
Tools you need
- Web Browser (free): To search for current job postings and access online application forms.
Steps
- Determine your walk-away number: This is the lowest salary you would accept. Accepting less than this number would create financial problems for you.
- Determine your target number: This is the salary you would feel good accepting if the role, benefits, and responsibilities are as expected.
- Identify the company’s posted range: If the job posting includes a salary range, note the lower and upper limits.
- Choose a number based on the posted range: If a range is provided, select a number within that range that you can honestly defend. This is often close to your target number.
- Prepare your answer for text boxes: If the application form has a text box for desired salary, use a phrase like: “I’m targeting $80k-$90k depending on scope, benefits, and remote expectations.” (Replace $80k-$90k with your researched numbers).
- Prepare your answer for single number inputs: If the form only accepts a single number, enter your honest target number. Do not enter a lower number out of nervousness, as this can anchor future negotiations unfavorably.
- Research if unsure: If you have no idea what to put for salary, search for at least three current job postings for similar roles in the same location and at the same career level. Use these current postings to inform your numbers, not old salary advice articles.
Avoid these common mistakes:
- Writing “open” when a specific number is requested.
- Providing a very wide range like $50k-$100k.
- Stating your current salary.
- Giving the minimum amount you could survive on.
- Saying “market rate” without providing a specific number.
Original source
This advice comes from a Reddit post by user /u/OAKI-io, who shared strategies for handling salary questions on job applications. The goal is to avoid disqualifying yourself or accepting less than you’re worth due to surprise questions.
Notes & variations
- Free-tier alternative: This workflow is already free, using only your web browser.
- Common pitfall: Entering your current salary can anchor negotiations lower than the role’s actual value. Always base your answer on the value of the new role and your target, not your past earnings.
- Tip for better results: When researching current postings, look for details about the company size, industry, and specific responsibilities to better match your salary expectations to the role’s context.