How to Discuss Money, Income During a Job Interview

There is always a right time to discuss your salary requirements when you are looking to change your job. It is as important as the amount of the compensation you feel you need. Do not raise it too early, until you are reasonably certain of the other aspects of the job, your qualifications for it and other issues have been discussed. It is immaterial whether you are seeking new employment, changing your job or career, or just discussing a promotion and up gradation of the present job. Raising it too early could harm your chances of getting the job or promotion, and may even hurt the final figure negotiations after the job interview is concluded.

Bringing up the compensation issue too early would give an impression that you consider this to be the most important aspect of the job, though it may not be your intent to convey such an impression. First, concentrate on putting to the entire job interview board that you are the most qualified candidate for the job in terms of qualifications, experience and background. And that the firm would be doing itself a favor by having you on their team, and should hire you immediately.

Most companies have a multi tiered system of job interviews. In the first job interview you can only go on their short list of candidates, for the second job interview and money would never even enter the mind of the interviewers. This list would contain all the candidates that are considered fit for being looked at more closely.

So at this stage just forget about the salary or income package and concentrate on convincing the interview board that you are exactly what they are looking for to fill the job vacancy and a potential candidate who would bring to the job more than what it requires.

Leave the discussion on compensation, benefits, salary and other perks for the second job interview. Now that you have crossed the first stage and convinced your interviewers that you are a serious candidate you can open the subject of compensation. By now the parties, you and the interview board have more information on each other, and discussion about your salary package will not come amiss. The first job interview, when you had really no idea of each other was the wrong time to discus money. Now that you have put forward your requirements for compensation on the job, you will probably travel to the third and final process of selection, when agreements and compensation are recorded and finalized.

Once you get the strong feeling that the interviewer is seriously considering you as a possibility to fill up the vacancy, let him know your money and other requirements. This will also let him assess whether you are suitable to fit into the organization.

If you have the gut feeling that you are more or less being considered a certainty for the job, bring up the issue of compensation. A more ideal time to discuss the matter would be when they actually offer you the job. Then there are no more ifs or buts, just certainty. If the interviewer starts telling you about the merits of the organization, the opportunities that you can have and the challenges that your job could bring, will be certain that the job is yours, and you now need to bring up the all important matter of salary and income.

There really is never any clear indicator, for the right time to discuss salary and compensation. Quite often the early discussion on the matter vitiates the atmosphere and gives it a more mercenary hue than it really has. You need to be very sure of all other matters and organizational details before you really discuss this issue. This will make sure that you are making the right decision to change and are not being solely influenced by the money offered.