I tell them the number up front. Because I'm not spending a week in their interview loop to find out they're going to offer me 30% less than my current job. Benefits are never a decider, and equity is a lottery ticket.

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crystal_revenge 2 hours ago | parent | next [-]

> and equity is a lottery ticket.

What's surprised me is that most of the younger coworkers I've had, having grown up largely through boom times, absolutely believe that this equity has tremendous value. I've had multiple younger coworkers talk about how excited they are to have so much equity in companies that have no visible path to a liquidity event.

	▲	joezydeco 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		There's a mythology in this business and it's highly seductive. You need to get burned once or twice by the reality before you learn.

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gertlex 3 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

I assume the mention of benefits was mostly a polite way to decline giving a number... It might also be more applicable in other industries/roles where benefits are more varied.

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joezydeco 3 hours ago | parent [-]

In either case, it never amounts to more than a $10K swing in comp. Same for vacation time.

Yes, it's a polite way to brush off the question. But the end result is the same. A job offer way lower than what you're making, and now they have $20K in a bucket to go a little higher when you try to negotiate.

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adregan 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Last 2 positions I’ve had haven’t had 401k matching and the health insurance costs are eye watering. I might consider an improvement in both to be worth a fair bit.

	▲	joezydeco 2 hours ago \| parent [-]
		In my experience, those are the two things that are impossible to move. They're built into company HR structures and they don't bend them for individuals unless you're C-suite.

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danbrooks 2 hours ago | parent | prev | next [-]

Yes. I pre-screen job postings to make sure that the compensation is workable before applying.

	▲	joezydeco an hour ago \| parent [-]
		I don't trust the ranges put into job listings. It may give you a ballpark idea of the range, but anything that looks even slightly attractive or above market is usually put there to attract resumes. The real number is worse.

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onionisafruit 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

I’ve been surprised by too many low ball job offers to spend much time in an interviews without a good idea the salary will work for me. Usually I find out through back channels or levels.fyi though.