You should not discuss salary until you know that the PE is definitely interested in hiring you. The decision to extend an offer is made fairly early in the interview; compensation is not determined until much later. A figure that may be considered too high or even out of the question early in the interview may be perfectly acceptable after you have made a sale. Forcing the salary decision too soon may cause the PE to reject you at the start. During the rest of the interview the PE may simply go through the motions, barely listening to what you are saying. Giving a salary figure that is too low can also work against you, since the hiring executive may not consider you "heavy" enough for the job. Once a negative reaction has set in, it is very difficult to overcome.
The only solution is to postpone any discussion of salary until you have made your case and the PE wants to hire you. To do this, you must be prepared to fend off salary questions. If the PE asks what you are currently making or what compensation you are seeking, put him off with one of the following:
- "Like you, I do not have a definite salary figure in mind. However, after we discuss some of the requirements of the job, I'm certain we can arrive at a mutually acceptable figure as to what the job is worth."
- "Salary is; of course, important to me, but it is not the most important factor. I wonder if you could tell me some of the qualifications for the job so I can get a better handle on what the compensation level should be." (This provides an opportunity to lead into your list of questions.)
- "My primary interest is in the total opportunity, rather than in salary alone. If I can ask you a question about the job, I'm certain this will be a great help."
Sometimes a PE will ask questions about your current or former employers. You should never criticize a present or past employer, even if such criticism is well deserved. For one thing, any problem in your past is a negative, even if it was not your fault. Only positive experiences and accomplishments will lead to job offers. Second, the PE may not agree with your criticism, or you may fail in some way to give all the facts. The net result could be that the PE is silently agreeing with your employer rather than with you. Finally, it may occur to your PE that if you criticize your present or past employer, you may criticize him in the future. For similar reasons, you should not betray confidences or competitive information about present or past employers.
If you are asked why you left a former employer or want to leave your present job, you must be ready with an answer. Even if you were or are about to be fired, you should work out an acceptable answer with your former employer. You do not want to give your PE one reason for leaving and have your former employer give another.
In general, you should show your expertise by the quality of your questions and your knowledge of the company, its products, and the PE. If you are asked to describe your experience and accomplishments, state them as matter of fact and in quantitative terms, as you did in your sales letter. Don't say, "I increased production considerably in a short period of time." Say, "I increased production 50 percent within two months."
How to Gauge the Progress of the Interview
Sometimes you will get the impression that the interview is not going well and that you are going to be rejected. Conceal your feelings and continue with the interview as if nothing had happened. It may be only the personality or mood of your interviewer. Perhaps he has had a bad day or has other things on his mind. Keep your enthusiasm and positive mental attitude throughout the interview.
How can you tell whether the interview is going well? There are three definite signs, in addition to the body language cues mentioned earlier:
- if the interviewer does more talking than you;
- if the interviewer brings up salary or fringe benefits toward the end of the interview; and
- if the interviewer speaks of bringing you in again to meet other members of his staff.
