Funny (true) story: In one memorable case, I went the opposite route and stated my salary expectations up front, knowing full well that they were likely above the HR-approved salary scales the company was likely to offer. The point was I was not prepared to work for that particular company (life insurance) unless the money was eye-wateringly good.
Despite their (supposedly) knowing that, they put me through all their HR hoops anyway, all the way to a final interview, when the manager I'd have worked for looked across the table at me and said, "So what sort of salary would you have in mind?"
I looked him in the eye, didn't blink, didn't blush. Repeated the figure I'd given up front. The interview was over.
Why the fuck did they bother with all the palaver when they knew they were never going to pay that much. Did they think I'd blink?
Last laugh: I ended up doing a short consulting stint there several years later and took more off them in a couple of weeks than the annual salary they'd failed to meet.
You might be overestimating their ability to communicate that information internally throughout the process. Even if their process was set up to request that information, it’s likely that many of the interviewers/hiring managers didn’t see it or remember it.
Yep. I was never totally sure who was bullshitting me, the manager/interviewer or the recruiter person who'd started the ball rolling, hence my "supposedly" above.
> Last laugh: I ended up doing a short consulting stint there several years later and took more off them in a couple of weeks than the annual salary they'd failed to meet.
This is still a dream of mine. I'd like to pull this off somehow. The answer is apparently not "Fiverr" or "Upwork".
1. having a network of trusted people you've worked with in the past
2. building some sort of public reputation where people seek you out.
They're not mutually exclusive, but #1 is probably easiest for people already in a job. Go to networking events (covid has muted a lot of this, I know, but it's coming back). Tell people you're looking for consulting work or open to new jobs. Be nice.
Yes, the answer for most people is not fiverr or upwork. I've known a few folks who've done good there, but they're outliers in my network. And even then, the few businesses I've known that have used platforms like that use it as a test ground, and then go direct with someone they click with.
That said, I've never taken a full year salary in 2 weeks. I have taken my own full year salary matching my early earning days from 30 years ago in 2-3 months now.
Despite their (supposedly) knowing that, they put me through all their HR hoops anyway, all the way to a final interview, when the manager I'd have worked for looked across the table at me and said, "So what sort of salary would you have in mind?"
I looked him in the eye, didn't blink, didn't blush. Repeated the figure I'd given up front. The interview was over.
Why the fuck did they bother with all the palaver when they knew they were never going to pay that much. Did they think I'd blink?
Last laugh: I ended up doing a short consulting stint there several years later and took more off them in a couple of weeks than the annual salary they'd failed to meet.