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Interview Tip | Should I talk about salary in a job interview? | #AskFirebrand

1,002 views · Published 15 January 2018 · 2:40 · Indexed 21 October 2026

Channel: Aquent Australia · 2018 · Education

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In this video, Liam Pietzka, General Manager of Firebrand Talent, Aquent & Vitamin T in Sydney discusses how to answer one of the most common (and awkward) questions you’ll get asked in a job interview “what are your salary expectations” and whether you should even bring the salary topic up in an interview.

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Full transcript:
Hello. My name is Liam Pietzka. I’m the General Manager of Firebrand Talent, Aquent & Vitamin T here in Sydney.
One of the most common questions I get asked is, “is it okay to talk about my salary during an interview?”

Personally I would never voluntarily talk about salary during the interview unless the company is formulating an offer, as it can send the message that you value dollar signs over opportunity and experience. Until the organization has decided that they want to hire you, salary shouldn’t be a topic of interest. 

It’s your job to demonstrate throughout the selection process how you’ll bring value to the organization, your enthusiasm for the role and how it meets your career objectives. 

So what if the interviewer asks you for this information? 
Well my opinion is that you should try and deflect the question as best as you can, but in a really positive way. You should always emphasize that you’re flexible around salary and that your goal is to secure the right role in the right organization so as not to over price or under value yourself. 

A statement like “I’m quite keen to learn more about the role and the opportunity first as it will give me a better idea of how my experience will be applied to it — this will help me to benchmark my salary exceptions”. That should do the trick. 

But what if they continue to ask you for your salary?
If they keep asking you, you may have to provide an answer. And if you do, it’s probably a good idea to provide a salary benchmark. But do your due diligence first. You need to understand the market in order to have a realistic understanding of the salary on offer —  taking into account your experience, the type of organization it is and the position itself. That way if they continue to ask, you’ll be able to answer the question in a way that is based on real market information. And if you have, or are working with a recruiter, talk to them. Your recruiter will have a good understanding of what market rates are when based on experience. So ask their advice from the outset. 

No matter what happens, salary questions are always difficult and uncomfortable to have. So to sum up: Don’t volunteer the information yourself or ask the question early on as it looks like you value the dollar more than the opportunity. If asked by the interviewer — try to deflect — but in a positive way. And if they continue to ask you, be prepared for what’s realistic by doing your market research first.

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