When should you talk about money when you are interviewing for a new job?

Paul Levy; Author/Blogger; Former President and CEO, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

You should not bring up money during the interview process until you’re told they want you. If they bring up money during the interview process — how much are you hoping to make and so on — before they’ve decided they want you, do your best to deflect it. Do not answer it. At best, give an answer like, “I’m very confident that this organization will pay wages and salaries that are commensurate with the marketplace. I’m sure we can work something out if you decide that you would like me for this position and I decide that I’d be interested in this position.” Just leave it at that.

If they say to you, “Well, what were you earning in the previous job?” Again, don’t answer that question. First of all, it’s none of their business. If you were in the Peace Corps before, does it matter what you were getting paid? You’re applying for a different job, and the answer you give should be something like, “Well, I can understand why you’re asking that question, but you know, just as I would hold confidential the salary you would be paying me in this job in the future, so my former employer would expect me to hold confidential what I was being paid there.” If you want to go further, you can say, “In addition, this job has totally different responsibilities, and I’m further along in my career, so let’s put that off — again, if you don’t mind — until we decide whether we’re right for each other.”

It takes some nerve to do that, but it’s the wrong time. While they’re still considering you for employment is the wrong time to be talking about money. You don’t know what the job is. You don’t know what you can bring to the table. You don’t know what they expect, and it’s too early to anchor in on a number at that point.