I Requested ChatGPT Tips on how to Reply Wage Expectations in an Electronic mail — Right here’s What I Received

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

Regardless of what number of instances I’ve accomplished 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?

Except for the nervousness I really feel occupied with the end result, the opposite difficult a part of the method is writing the precise wage expectation e 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 robust conversations and may discover myself writing and rewriting one thing like a wage negotiation e mail for over an hour.

So, I requested an skilled learn how to reply wage expectations over e mail — after which I put ChatGPT to the check to see if it might write the e-mail for me.

Desk of Contents

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

2. Analysis wage information.

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

If the corporate is sufficiently big, there may additionally be information from present and former workers who’ve shared their salaries on web sites like Glassdoor.

It’s additionally essential to think about 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 the wage vary to your function, think about your personal expertise to resolve what you wish to ask for.

You’ll doubtless goal a wage greater than your present one — or, on the very least, the identical price, assuming this can be a function you’re very excited about.

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 essential. Or maybe the corporate provides advantages that make up for the decrease base pay.

Utilizing your analysis on trade salaries in addition to your present wage, you must have a good suggestion of your goal wage. Give you a spread that you simply’d settle for, ensuring you could have a minimal that you simply’d be proud of.

4. Put together a counteroffer.

The wage expectations dialog sometimes comes up at the start of the interview course of, but it surely’s by no means too early to consider what kind of give you’d be proud of.

Begin occupied with wage negotiation and think about 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 could all be negotiable.

To seek out out precisely learn how 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 ought to be accomplished 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 in the course of the screening course of, you could possibly be introduced with this query on the job utility or in an preliminary e mail.

Because of this you’ll must have a script and reply ready.

2. Set up a minimal.

After conducting analysis, you must know what the going price is to your place and trade. Use that quantity as a baseline and alter based mostly in your expertise and what concerning the function you’re interviewing for.

“Having the hiring staff settle for the minimal of your compensation window is completely important,” says Smith.

That stated, you have to be affordable about your ask. Identical to you could have a minimal quantity in thoughts, hiring managers even have their restrict.

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

3. Talk your worth prop.

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

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

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

4. Categorical gratitude.

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

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

To precise gratitude in a wage expectations e mail, you may say one thing so simple as, “I’m excited concerning the alternative and stay up for subsequent steps.”

Picture Supply

1. Wage Expectations Electronic 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 e mail.

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

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

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

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

2. Wage Expectations Electronic mail: Setting a Minimal

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

Right here’s what I requested ChatGPT to jot 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:

Except for the size of this e mail (I’ll handle that subsequent), I feel the adjustment to the wage expectation portion is best.

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

It additionally helps you resolve if this place is price pursuing. When you have an absolute minimal wage vary that you simply’ll settle for, it’s price sharing that early on so that you don’t waste your time.

3. Wage Expectations Electronic mail: Quick Electronic mail

Now, it’s time to handle the size. I requested ChatGPT to jot down a shorter e mail and acquired particular concerning the size:

Right here’s what it generated:

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

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

4. Wage Expectations Electronic mail: Speaking Worth

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

And right here’s what it wrote:

Usually, I feel this e mail works properly. That is rather more aligned with how I’d write a wage expectations e mail.

It emphasizes my pleasure concerning 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 elements of the compensation bundle, which communicates flexibility.

Should you’re open to negotiation for the proper place, this can be a sensible aspect to incorporate in your e mail.

5. Wage Expectations Electronic mail: Deflecting the Wage Expectations

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

As Smith recommended earlier, this dialog is best to have in particular person as e mail is “impersonal and lacks nuance.” You may additionally wish to study extra concerning the function earlier than you share a selected quantity.

Right here’s what ChatGPT wrote:

Whereas this e mail is slightly verbose nonetheless (to be honest, I by no means specified a sure tone I would like it to emulate), it does an excellent job of deflecting the query.

The e-mail states that whereas I’m longing for 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 could possibly additionally use this time to ask questions concerning the wage and finances. That’s one thing that this AI-generated e mail didn’t embody, however that is what I’d add if I have been penning this.