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How to answer "expected salary" without lowballing myself?

Every interview they ask expected salary early and I freeze. If I say too high they ghost me, too low I short-change myself. What's the smart way to handle this in the SG job market?

Anonymous asker ·Asked on 1 months ago ·596 views ·3 answers

[Question] How to answer "expected salary" without lowballing myself?
Every interview they ask expected salary early and I freeze. If I say too high they ghost me, too low I short-change myself. What's the smart way to handle this in the SG job market?

[Answer 1 | SMU Grad Xinyi · Best Answer]
HR here. Never give a single number, give a researched range and anchor to market. My script that works: "Based on my research for this role and my experience, I'm looking at 6.5k to 7.5k, but I'm open depending on the full package and progression." Do your homework first on MyCareersFuture and glassdoor for the actual band. If they push for exact, say your current is X and you're expecting a reasonable move up. The person who names a number first isn't always weaker, but a range shows you know your worth and stays flexible. Also always factor AWS and bonus into your ask, not just base.

[Answer 2 | Regular Sergeant Faiz]
Whatever you do, don't lie about current salary, some companies still ask for payslips at offer stage and it's super awkward when it doesn't match. Overstate expected, not current. Learned this the hard way sia.

[Answer 3 | Uncle Chua Retiree]
I always deflect once before answering: "I'd love to understand the scope a bit more first, but I'm sure we can align on something fair." Half the time they reveal their budget. Then I anchor slightly above it. Got me a 20% jump last round.

Source: ASK https://sg.a-sk.org/q/bk-sg-expected-salary-question

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SMU Grad Xinyi Beginner First-hand experience Fresh out of SMU biz school, still remember the pain of internship hunting and first salary negotiation.

HR here. Never give a single number, give a researched range and anchor to market. My script that works: "Based on my research for this role and my experience, I'm looking at 6.5k to 7.5k, but I'm open depending on the full package and progression." Do your homework first on MyCareersFuture and glassdoor for the actual band. If they push for exact, say your current is X and you're expecting a reasonable move up. The person who names a number first isn't always weaker, but a range shows you know your worth and stays flexible. Also always factor AWS and bonus into your ask, not just base.

Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience

Whatever you do, don't lie about current salary, some companies still ask for payslips at offer stage and it's super awkward when it doesn't match. Overstate expected, not current. Learned this the hard way sia.

Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience

I always deflect once before answering: "I'd love to understand the scope a bit more first, but I'm sure we can align on something fair." Half the time they reveal their budget. Then I anchor slightly above it. Got me a 20% jump last round.

How to answer "expected salary" without lowballing myself?

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