The salary tango

What's your strategy when it comes to talking cash in an interview? Find out what works.

In its many stages, a job interview can resemble so many other events: the awkwardness of a first date or the fancy footwork of a display of Irish dancing. For Karen, a 34-year-old working mother, a second interview for a Web production job was like a heated match between Agassi and Sampras.

As talk turned to money, her interviewer asked her straight-out for her current salary. Wary about revealing too much too soon, Karen tossed the question back, 'Actually I'd like to know what you were thinking this position warrants…' He countered by asking again. Karen returned the volley. On and on, the two went back and forth, until finally, the interviewer divulged a salary range. Only then did Karen feel confident about entering into the discussion. When she said she was thinking of something a bit higher, he duly increased the salary.

While Karen's salary tango may have veered into a version of playground I-asked-you-first, it illustrates a moment in the interview process fraught with implications and anxiety. How does a woman negotiate for money, while remaining a reasonable candidate and savvy advocate for her own best interests?

Salary discussions during interviews don't have to be complicated, experts say, as long as you follow a few simple rules and arm yourself with common sense, confidence, and old-fashioned research. Follow these tips and you can leave your tennis racket at home.

Pretend You’re Miss Marple

'When negotiating salary, you should have done ample research so that you know your realistic, fair market value,' says Rachel Cohen a recruitment consultant. That is, be prepared. Factor in your years of experience, special projects or initiatives, and the overall economic climate. Government figures state that unemployment figures are falling. That translates into more companies vying for fewer workers. Professional organisations, government labour statistics and exploratory interviews with other firms will give you an idea about salary ranges. All these cold, hard stats mean you are less likely to be undercut when bargaining.