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

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

Irrespective 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?

Apart from the anxiousness I really feel enthusiastic about the 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 had been taking place head to head).

I are likely to overthink what to say throughout robust conversations and might discover myself writing and rewriting one thing like a wage negotiation e-mail for over an hour.

So, I requested an knowledgeable tips on how to reply wage expectations over e-mail — after which I put ChatGPT to the take a look at 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 need to 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 in your function, you possibly can analysis common salaries for the function utilizing web sites like PayScale or Wage.com.

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

It’s additionally vital 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 recognize the wage vary in your function, contemplate 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 charge, assuming this can be a function you’re very concerned about.

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

Perhaps you’re making a profession pivot or switching roles, and the expertise is extra vital. 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, it is best to have a good suggestion of your goal wage. Give you a variety that you simply’d settle for, ensuring you have got a minimal that you simply’d be pleased with.

4. Put together a counteroffer.

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

Begin enthusiastic about wage negotiation and contemplate 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 tips on 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 needs to be completed in your first name with the recruiter or preliminary level of contact,” he states.

Whereas the wage expectations query is normally requested by a recruiter through the screening course of, you would be introduced with this query on the job software or in an preliminary e-mail.

This is the reason you’ll have to have a script and reply ready.

2. Set up a minimal.

After conducting analysis, it is best to know what the going charge is in your place and trade. Use that quantity as a baseline and regulate primarily based in your expertise and what you recognize concerning the function you’re interviewing for.

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

That stated, you should be affordable about your ask. Identical to you have got 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 have got 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 convey to the function and firm.

Smith suggests writing one thing alongside the strains 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. Specific gratitude.

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

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

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

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 a protracted one!):

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

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

If I had been scripting 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 vast, I’d personally slender it down much more.

ChatGPT type 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 E-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 otherwise:

Apart from the size of this e-mail (I’ll deal with that subsequent), I feel the adjustment to the wage expectation portion is best.

It’s possible you’ll 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 value pursuing. You probably have an absolute minimal wage vary that you simply’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 jot down a shorter e-mail and received 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 bins of an efficient wage expectations e-mail.

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

4. Wage Expectations E-mail: Speaking Worth

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

And right here’s what it wrote:

Typically, I feel this e-mail works effectively. That is far 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 points of the compensation bundle, which communicates flexibility.

If you happen to’re open to negotiation for the proper place, this can be a sensible component to incorporate in your e-mail.

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

For my closing immediate, I needed to see how ChatGPT would write an e-mail within the situation the place I wish to deflect the wage expectation query.

As Smith advised earlier, this dialog is best to have in individual 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 a bit of verbose nonetheless (to be truthful, I by no means specified a sure tone I would like it to emulate), it does a superb 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 once I’m extra knowledgeable about every thing this function will entail.

If you wish to delay the wage dialogue, you would additionally use this time to ask questions concerning the wage and funds. That’s one thing that this AI-generated e-mail didn’t embrace, however that is what I’d add if I had been scripting this.