# What is my desired salary?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-desired-salary/557227>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [October 15, 2010, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-desired-salary/557227 "2010-10-15T10:50:27Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\
**Post date:** [October 29, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-my-desired-salary/557227/21 "2010-10-29T20:50:46Z")

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> [@anson2995](#):
>
> That’s right. The mistake that **cubsfan** is making is to presume that stating your desired salary on a job application is the beginning of the negotiation process. It is not. It is the beginning of the screening process.
> 
> You are not bidding on the job… you are helping the employer to know if you are a candidate they should talk to. If you don’t answer the question or if you put in a figure that is ridiculously high, there’s a good chance you won’t get called for an interview. Put a range if you fear being locked into a single number. But if you mistake this for a negotiating question, you’ll always lose.

I’ve never filled out an application for a particular job until after I was already scheduled for an interview. And typically, they have me fill it out in the reception area before the interview begins. In some cases, not until after I was already hired and working at the company for several months.

I don’t know why you people act as if you are indentured servants without any choice in the matter of employment. The intial salary discussion is also for you to decide if the position is for you.

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