Like most job seekers, I’ve needed to reply the dreaded wage expectation query over electronic mail.

Regardless of what number of instances I’ve completed it, it’s nonetheless nerve-wracking to place a quantity on the market. What if I undercut myself as a result of my quantity was too low? Or worse, what if I miss out on the job alternative as a result of my wage expectation was too excessive?

Other than the nervousness I really feel desirous about the result, the opposite difficult a part of the method is writing the precise wage expectation electronic mail (or making ready the script I’d use if this dialogue have been taking place head to head).

I are likely to overthink what to say throughout powerful conversations and may discover myself writing and rewriting one thing like a wage negotiation electronic mail for over an hour.

So, I requested an professional the best way to reply wage expectations over electronic mail — after which I put ChatGPT to the check to see if it may write the e-mail for me.

Desk of Contents

Deciding Your Wage Expectations

Earlier than you’ll be able to even focus on wage expectations with the hiring crew, you must give you your goal quantity.

It’s necessary to have a desired wage in thoughts earlier than you begin interviewing with an organization so you need to use it as a information all through the method.

Primarily based on my expertise, right here’s the best way to give you a wage expectation in 4 steps.

1. Examine the job posting.

Earlier than you give you your wage expectation, reference the unique job posting.

Latest pay transparency legal guidelines in a number of states, together with California and New York, require corporations to incorporate a task’s wage vary within the job posting. If there’s a vary listed, you need to use that as a baseline for the wage you wish to request.

2. Analysis wage knowledge.

If there isn’t a wage vary listed on the job posting to your function, you’ll be able to analysis common salaries for the function utilizing web sites like PayScale or Wage.com.

If the corporate is sufficiently big, there might also be knowledge from present and former staff who’ve shared their salaries on web sites like Glassdoor.

It’s additionally necessary to contemplate the trade of the function you’re making use of for. Tech salaries differ from authorities or nonprofit salaries, for instance, so the trade you’re interviewing in impacts your goal wage.

3. Consider your expertise and present wage.

As soon as you understand the wage vary to your function, take into account your personal expertise to determine what you wish to ask for.

You’ll possible goal a wage larger than your present one — or, on the very least, the identical price, assuming this can be a function you’re very occupied with.

You may additionally be open to a decrease wage than your present one for a number of causes.

Possibly you’re making a profession pivot or switching roles, and the expertise is extra necessary. Or maybe the corporate presents advantages that make up for the decrease base pay.

Utilizing your analysis on trade salaries in addition to your present wage, you need to have a good suggestion of your goal wage. Give you a variety that you just’d settle for, ensuring you’ve got a minimal that you just’d be pleased with.

4. Put together a counteroffer.

The wage expectations dialog usually comes up originally of the interview course of, but it surely’s by no means too early to consider what kind of give you’d be pleased with.

Begin desirous about wage negotiation and take into account what you’d be keen to barter on, whether or not that’s the bottom wage or different advantages. Issues like inventory choices, extra trip days, or a hybrid work schedule might all be negotiable.

Tips on how to Reply the Wage Expectation Query

To seek out out precisely the best way to reply the wage expectation query, I talked to Nick Smith, a tech expertise acquisition specialist. Right here’s what he has to say.

1. Have the dialog early.

Smith emphasizes the necessity to have this dialog early within the course of. “It needs to be completed in your first name with the recruiter or preliminary level of contact,” he states.

Whereas the wage expectations query is often requested by a recruiter through the screening course of, you can be offered with this query on the job utility or in an preliminary electronic mail.

That is why you’ll must have a script and reply ready.

2. Set up a minimal.

After conducting analysis, you need to know what the going price is to your place and trade. Use that quantity as a baseline and regulate primarily based in your expertise and what you understand in regards to the function you’re interviewing for.

“Having the hiring crew settle for the minimal of your compensation window is totally essential,” says Smith.

That mentioned, you have to be affordable about your ask. Identical to you’ve got a minimal quantity in thoughts, hiring managers even have their restrict.

“Hiring groups will stroll away should you don’t have a grounded quantity in thoughts,” Smith states.

3. Talk your worth prop.

Subsequent, you’ve got to have the ability to talk to the hiring crew why you’re anticipating a sure wage vary. Justify your required wage with market analysis and by demonstrating the worth you’d convey to the function and firm.

Smith suggests writing one thing alongside the traces of this in a wage expectations electronic mail:

“Primarily based on the suggestions given to me by the hiring crew, my projected function and impression on the crew/org/firm, and market analysis, I’d gladly settle for X and withdraw myself from my remaining interviews elsewhere.”

4. Specific gratitude.

When you’re anticipating this place, Smith additionally suggests exhibiting appreciation and a want to maneuver ahead. You could be assured and agency with out dropping gratitude for the method.

“The way you body issues is as necessary as what you’re saying,” he says.

To specific gratitude in a wage expectations electronic mail, you’ll be able to say one thing so simple as, “I’m excited in regards to the alternative and look ahead to subsequent steps.”

What ChatGPT Wrote for Me

As I mentioned earlier than, writing a wage expectation electronic mail is nerve-wracking.

I used to be curious to see if AI may ease a few of the stress of writing this sort of electronic mail, so I requested ChatGPT to write down me a number of wage expectation emails utilizing the professional ideas above as steerage.

For this instance, I discovered a job posting for a place I’d be occupied with — a Content material Advertising Supervisor at a tech firm known as ServiceChannel.

As you’ll be able to see under, the wage vary for this function is large. It begins at $67,700 and goes as much as $125,900.

Picture Supply

1. Wage Expectations E-mail: Wage Vary

Right here is the primary immediate I gave ChatGPT.

And right here’s the chatbot’s response (warning: it’s an extended one!):

There are a few issues I’d do to enhance this electronic mail.

For starters, it’s actually lengthy. Whereas it’s necessary to speak your pleasure for the function and underscore your {qualifications}, this electronic mail buries the lead, for my part.

If I have been penning this, I’d reduce out a few of the fluff and get to the purpose sooner.

Second, for the reason that wage vary listed on this job posting is so large, I’d personally slim it down much more.

ChatGPT kind of did this by writing that it’s concentrating on the “higher vary of the said bracket,” however that leaves some ambiguity on the desk.

2. Wage Expectations E-mail: Setting a Minimal

For my subsequent immediate, I wish to slim down the wage vary and create a minimal compensation window, as Smith suggests.

Right here’s what I requested ChatGPT to write down:

Right here’s what ChatGPT wrote. The response was fairly much like the earlier one, so I outlined the part that the chatbot wrote in another way:

Other than the size of this electronic mail (I’ll handle that subsequent), I feel the adjustment to the wage expectation portion is healthier.

You could not wish to throw out a selected quantity this early on within the interview course of. However, doing so lets the hiring crew know whether or not or to not transfer ahead.

It additionally helps you determine if this place is value pursuing. You probably have an absolute minimal wage vary that you just’ll settle for, it’s value sharing that early on so that you don’t waste your time.

3. Wage Expectations E-mail: Quick E-mail

Now, it’s time to deal with the size. I requested ChatGPT to write down a shorter electronic mail and acquired particular in regards to the size:

Right here’s what it generated:

The size and construction of this electronic mail are a lot better. It’s succinct whereas checking off all of the bins of an efficient wage expectations electronic mail.

When speaking about wage, I’d personally like to emphasise the worth and expertise I’d convey to a task. Speaking your worth proposition can be one thing Smith suggests doing when sharing your wage expectations.

4. Wage Expectations E-mail: Speaking Worth

Preserving the above in thoughts, I gave ChatGPT one other immediate:

And right here’s what it wrote:

Normally, I feel this electronic mail works nicely. That is way more aligned with how I’d write a wage expectations electronic mail.

It emphasizes my pleasure in regards to the alternative, leads into why I’m certified for this place, and clearly states my minimal desired wage. I additionally like that it reiterates my worth prop and showcases confidence in my experience.

Lastly, in all of those emails, ChatGPT included a line about being open to discussing different facets of the compensation bundle, which communicates flexibility.

When you’re open to negotiation for the proper place, this can be a good component to incorporate in your electronic mail.

5. Wage Expectations E-mail: Deflecting the Wage Expectations

For my closing immediate, I needed to see how ChatGPT would write an electronic mail within the state of affairs the place I wish to deflect the wage expectation query.

As Smith steered earlier, this dialog is healthier to have in particular person as electronic mail is “impersonal and lacks nuance.” You may additionally wish to be taught extra in regards to the function earlier than you share a selected quantity.

Right here’s what ChatGPT wrote:

Whereas this electronic mail is a bit verbose nonetheless (to be honest, I by no means specified a sure tone I need it to emulate), it does a great job of deflecting the query.

The e-mail states that whereas I’m anticipating the function, I wish to have this dialog later within the course of after I’m extra knowledgeable about every thing this function will entail.

If you wish to delay the wage dialogue, you can additionally use this time to ask questions in regards to the wage and finances. That’s one thing that this AI-generated electronic mail didn’t embrace, however that is what I’d add if I have been penning this.

What I Discovered From AI

My greatest takeaway? Utilizing ChatGPT to write down a wage expectations electronic mail could be good follow should you’re presently job-seeking.

The chatbot can generate responses in seconds and regulate with every immediate you give it, which forces you to consider what you’d write in another way.

The AI-generated responses can even present a framework if, like me, getting began with this sort of electronic mail is the toughest half.

Nonetheless, ChatGPT isn’t going to generate the right response to your particular scenario.

You need to present the main points and let the chatbot know the tone you wish to use in order for you it to generate one thing near send-ready (warning: keep away from giving ChatGPT *an excessive amount of* details about your self or your place).

Setting Expectations

Setting wage expectations is important for everybody concerned within the interview course of. However earlier than you’ll be able to share your wage expectations, you must be ready with a quantity.

Solely you understand what wage vary or minimal you’d be comfy with.

Make sure to conduct loads of wage knowledge analysis, consider your expertise and abilities, and give you a script you could confidently use when the chance comes up.

You need to use AI that will help you kind your electronic mail construction, however finally, you must fill within the blanks with your personal job particulars and wage expectations.