icon
Home icon

Home

Jobs icon

Jobs

Reviews icon

Reviews

Network icon

Network

Resources icon

Resources

|For Employers icon

For Employers

logo
about
careers
FAQs
privacy policyterms & conditionsfor employers
112k
20k
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
My ProfileMy MessagesMy NetworkMy SettingsGroupsEventsMy PostsLog Out
Mystery Woman
Tell us more for better jobs, advice
and connections
YOUR GROUPS
Discover and join groups with like-minded women who share your interests, profession, and lifestyle.
COMPANIES YOU FOLLOW
Get alerted when there are new employee reviews.
YOUR JOB ALERTS
Get notified when new jobs are posted.
Your post is published!
Anonymous
08/21/20 at 8:15AM UTC
in
Career

I think I shot myself in the foot

I am being interviewed for an executive role and I didn't ask the salary range of the recruiter now I have to fill out their automated application which requires a minimum salary. Crap, what do I put? I mean this could be a $150K job or it could be a $250K job based on what I am seeing on various sites. Putting a range in isnt going to work it has to be a dollar value.

Share

Join the conversation...
Jackie Ghedine
star-svg
5.75k
Coach for Gen X Women | Jack Russell of Humans
08/21/20 at 11:01AM UTC
The first thing is not to get caught in your head with stories about how can an executive not ask the salary question, it will just chip away at your ability to think clearly and problem solve. If you are looking for a new role as an executive, you are probably moving from another role and moving up. Use this as your first indicator along with your personal intuition and digging into yourself. Investigate one step further (beyond job boards) and ask people. Use your network, do you have any connections on LI that may have insight or may be connected to someone who does? What about here on FGB, maybe just share the title and responsibilities and someone can give you more clarity? Remember, this is just the first step in the negotiation process. You've got this.
Kristyn Parker-Meyer
star-svg
649
An imperfect person trying to be my best
08/20/20 at 7:29PM UTC
Did you check out glassdoor to see if they had anything?
Nicole Rogers
star-svg
15
Storyteller- food/bev and agriculture
08/20/20 at 6:11PM UTC
Go high. Use your good judgement, and answer the questions within yourself - is your ask practical in your line of work and for this position/industry? Are you a top performer who knows this is fair? And if your number isn't the same as theirs, let them discuss with you - work through a plan over time to get you to your number, or consider an overall package - additional vacation, childcare support, vehicles, etc - to get you to a place you want to be. This is pretty counter to what we've been taught in negotiations, but I recently sat in a workshop discussing just this, and these values of knowing myself and going high really resonated with me and proved true. Good luck!
Amy Fortney, PMP
star-svg
2.27k
Business Strategist & Fractional COO. Doer.
08/20/20 at 5:54PM UTC (Edited)
Look at Salary.com and Payscale.com for the average and compare your experience and education with those results. I always find Payscale more realistic for jobs that are not on either coast. Then, look at Glassdoor and see if there is anything on how the salaries look for their roles. Finally, what do you need to be paid? Adding 30% to that amount is their real cost for you. Barb Hansen's advice is solid.
Anonymous
08/20/20 at 7:26PM UTC
Thanks those sites don't have much for this type of role, estimates range from 60K - 250K.
Eugenia Silva
star-svg
23
HR Operations Specialist
08/20/20 at 5:44PM UTC
My advice is to be honest about your target - it doesn't make sense to go through an entire interview process if you have significantly higher expectations. At my previous employer we were not permitted to discuss the range on the position but could only ask the candidate what salary they were targetting. I was able to tell them if they were looking for a salary that was significantly beyond the range, but sometimes candidates insisted on remaining in the process. This often resulted in lopsided expectations. On the upside, if a candidate is really desirable to the employer, negotiations often had positive outcomes for the candidate. Consequently, I would also suggest that if you do get to an offer stage, to negotiate - they can almost always sweeten the deal.
Barb Hansen
star-svg
6.67k
Startup Product, Growth & Strategy
08/20/20 at 5:43PM UTC
As you have noticed there are huge salary ranges for some (many) executive jobs, depending on location, and size and stage of company (small angel round company will pay a lot less salary than a 250 employee series B funded company --- although the smaller company will probably compensate more with stocks). Here is what I would do in your situation: 1. Know your personal wage range 2. Research the salary range in your area 3. Knock 20/25K off the top of the high end (as very few people, will be making the top range) 4. And then use the high-medium salary (the high salary after you've knocked off 20/25K off the top) - assuming that new top number is within your wage range. As you already know, executive salaries are comprised of more than just salary (stocks, vacation, bonuses) so you have room to negotiate up as you move forward.
MoneyCareerMotherhood
star-svg
175
Smart financial decisions for work & home
08/22/20 at 12:07PM UTC
I agree with this approach! There are a lot of factors you can use to get an idea of what would be a reasonable salary range for a position based on the company's size, stage, location & industry. Additionally, understanding your personal wage range, both in you're valued at and what you need to make the position work, is important. If you're making $100k today you may not be ready to make the jump to a $250k position. But if you're at $250k and need it, there's no point in discussing $100k. Best of luck!
Cara Houser
star-svg
1.93k
Coaching + Digital Courses for High Impact Women
08/20/20 at 5:18PM UTC
Go high - remember whatever number you give will be the ceiling.
Maryam
star-svg
347
Senior Engineering Leader
08/20/20 at 5:34PM UTC
Agreed on going high. There are many other subjective compensation factors that can impact what an appropriate salary is. Not uncommon for the salary question not to come up on a first interview. Good luck!
Daniele Kodama
star-svg
174
Compliance Lawyer, Brazil
08/20/20 at 5:15PM UTC
Have you tried Glassdoor or other salary research tools?
Anonymous
08/20/20 at 5:15PM UTC
yes and the ranges they give start at 60K but on theladders.com it shows 200-250.
Jacob Garland
star-svg
11
08/20/20 at 5:12PM UTC
Is it possible to N/A that block of the application? If not, you may consider putting a high expectation and then negotiating from there.
Anonymous
08/20/20 at 4:45PM UTC
The recruiter works for the company, he is not a third party, I feel like a complete idiot, what kind of executive doesn't ask this question!
Kim Callinan
star-svg
809
President & CEO of Nonprofit
08/20/20 at 4:50PM UTC
Don't beat yourself up. He may not have shared anyway.

You're invited.

See what women are sharing on Fairygodboss.
What's new today
wand-button
Personalize your jobs
Get recommendations for recent and relevant jobs.
Employer Reviews
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
3.0
Shiny objects aren't always the best. You'll find dozens of...
Seagate Technology
4.4
Such a great place to work, they offer great benefits and...
Recent Content
How to Best Respond to Situations of Ageism in the Workplace — According to an Executive Coach
The Importance of Personality Over Skill When Growing a Team — Lessons From a Director
‘I Love My Job’: At My Company, Opportunity Grows Every Day — From a Preschool Teacher
icon
© 2022 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
  • about
  • careers
  • FAQs
  • privacy policy
  • terms & conditions
112k
20k