In those cases, I would always answer “yes” (unless you know for sure it’s an amount you would never take). If you say you don’t know enough about the job, recruiters here that as “I’m going to hear more, and you’re going to hear more about me, and you’re going to want to pay me more once you know how fabulous I am.” That’s probably not what you meant, but so many candidates come back at the offer stage with, “But I thought once you knew what I had to offer you’d up the amount.” When they tell you the amount up front, that’s exactly the scenario they want to avoid (and they usually think to do it because they’ve been burned in exactly that way fairly recently, so they’re hyper-sensitive to anything that doesn’t sound like an unqualified yes).

Then, once you learn more about the job…you can always turn it down. But you can’t turn it down if you never get an offer to begin with, so if it’s an amount you MIGHT consider, just say yes.

Job hunting sucks, doesn’t it?

Both times I answered yes, pending a potential benefits package and more details about the job. The interviewers then told me about their benefits packages, which I agreed sounded good. My response was acceptable enough that I got through to the next round of interviews. Still, it seems to me a sort of sneaky way to ensure that the candidate will not try to negotiate salary or benefits if offered the job.

I have often been asked the reverse of that question before an interview – “This job pays $X, will that work for you?”

I have always answered in that I don’t know enough about the job to really answer the question except to say that it is (or isn’t) within my range. Even for those where it is in my range I have never gotten beyond the first interview. What would you suggest on how to answer that question? (I am refering to the clueless recruiters who haven’t even explained the job yet, not those who have already interviewed me)

I was so indignant thinking about Bob and why on earth should I accommodate him and his stupid prejudice that I wasted way too much time on that question.
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Fields where the pay varies are tough. I think when asked about salary requirements, I’d say something like, “I’ve done some research, and I’ve found that the pay can vary widely. I am lucky to have a fair amount of flexibility in terms of pay, so it really depends on the position for me. I’m more focused on finding the right job.” That only goes so far, because some people will want you to give a number (and will get frustrated if you don’t)…but you can try dancing a little and see if you can get a number out of them first.

I also had a hiring manager who insisted on asking every candidate how many days they’d called in sick the previous year. You’d be amazed how many people answer that honestly, to their detriment. Stupid question, stupid answers.