No matter how great the job interview goes, there’s always that one question that stops you short. What are you looking for in terms of salary? Such a straightforward question and yet, the answer is so complex.
无论你的面试进展有多顺利，总有一个问题会打断你。你在薪资方面有什么期待？这样一个直截了当的问题，答案也是很复杂的。

How to Answer Interview Questions About Your Salary Expectations
如何回答期望薪资的问题

You want to aim high, but what if you put yourself out of salary range? On the other hand, if your target compensation is too low, you leave the employer room to go even lower and you could end up miserable.
你想把目标定的高一些，但如果你超出了对方的薪水预算怎么办呢？从另一方面来说，如果你的目标薪资太低，就给了雇主进一步压低薪水的空间，你将会以悲剧收场。

Worse, you don’t want to decide before you even know what the job is, as you do when asked to disclose a salary on an application.
更糟糕的是，你不想在不了解工作时做决定，就像你不想在申请职位时就说出期望薪资一样。

While there may be no right answer, there is a way to think about the question and get what you want. Here’s how.
虽然可能没有正确答案，但有方法去思考这个问题并且得到你想要的。下面是一些方法。

Do You Have to Answer Questions About Salary?
你必须回答关于薪水的问题吗？

As difficult as it may be to answer the question, it’s more difficult not to - especially on an electronic job application. Try and skip the question and you can’t move on to the next page, and the field only accepts a number. That is when the exact number is important.
虽然回答这个问题很困难，但不回答也很困难，尤其是在电子的工作申请中。如果忽略这个问题，你将无法跳转到下一个页面，而且空格里面只能填数字。在这时确切的数字非常重要。

If you are in an interview, you could try to skirt around the question with a broad answer, such as: “My salary expectations are in line with my experience and qualifications.” Or “If this is the right job for me, I am sure we can come to an agreement on salary.” But the recruiter or interviewer will likely be looking for a number, so come prepared with a target salary figure or at least a range in mind.
如果是在一场面试中，你可以用一个宽泛的回答来绕过这个问题，比如：“我的期望薪资与我的经验和资质相一致。”或者“如果这对我来说是正确的工作，我相信我们能在薪资方面达成共识。”但是招聘人员或面试官可能更想要一个数字，所以准备一个目标薪水的数字，或至少在脑海中有一个范围。

That means you should prepare for every interview, even over the phone. If you are caught off guard, without something in mind, you could lowball yourself or seem confused.
这意味着你应该对每个面试，甚至每个电话都有准备。如果你猝不及防，大脑中一篇空白，那么你可能自降身价或者感到迷茫。

How Do You Determine Your Salary Expectations?
如何确定自己的期望薪资？

Depending on how much you want the job, your individual needs and circumstances, you can figure out a number to offer with confidence.
这取决于你有多想得到这份工作、你的个人需求以及周围环境，你可以充满信心地提出一个数字。

If it is a lateral move in your industry, you probably have a sense of average salaries. Unless your last company was known in the industry for its low salaries, assume that your current salary is in line with market expectations.
如果你在自己的行业换工作，你可能知道平均薪资。除非你的上一个公司因为低薪水在行业中闻名，假定你现在的薪水和市场预期是一致的。

What would you consider a fair raise from your current employer? That could be a good low-end starting point. Or ratchet up your current pay by as much as 15% to 20%, which gives you ​an incentive to switch companies and is still within reasonable range for your industry and level of experience. Remember, only offer a number that you will accept and be able to live with.
你认为从新雇主这里得到多少提升是公平的呢？这可能是一个好的低端起始点。或者先从15%到20%逐渐提高你的薪水，这给了你换工作的动机，也符合行业的合理范围和你的经验水平。记住，只提供你能接受并能过活的数字。

If you are moving to a position with more responsibility or in a different industry, it helps to do some research on the position and its value in the career market.
如果你换了一个承担更多责任的职位或是换了一个不同的行业，对这个职位以及它的价值做一些研究在职场中是很有帮助的。

Researching Salary Expectations
研究期望薪资

There are many websites that offer salary averages and estimates. Sites like , and all offer comparable data, but if you have time to look at more than one source you may get a better perspective of range.
有很多网站提供平均薪水和估算。像，和这样的网站提供了可比较的数据，但如果你有时间查看更多的资源，你可能会对薪资范围有更好的了解。

You can also input a variety of job titles to see if the averages change significantly. The problem with some salary sites is that job titles may vary from company to company. If it is possible instead get a sense of salary based on job responsibilities, you can come up with a more accurate number. Also remember to narrow your research to your region. Salaries for a job in Austin, Texas, may be different than those in New York, for example.
你也可以输入不同的职称来看平均薪资是否有大的变化，一些薪资网站可能存在不同公司职称不一样的问题。如果可能的话，你可以提出一个更准确的数字，而不是通过工作职责了解薪资。同时记住把研究范围缩小到你的地区，比如奥斯汀、德克萨斯的工作薪资和纽约可能是不同的。

If the research seems off, go with your gut. Remember, you don’t want to confront a hirer with unreasonable expectations. But you also want a salary you can live with. If that’s not there, the job is not right for you.
如果研究没有用，那就跟着你的感觉走。记住，你不想遇到一个期望不合理的雇主，但你也想有一份能养活自己的薪水。如果连这点都达不到，那这份工作就不适合你。

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