LinkedIn Post Goes Viral For Pointing Out That How You Phrase Your Salary Expectations Gives A Different Impression To The Recruiter

"Negotiating salaries is hard and awkward and most people hate it as it's a necessary evil. Unless you like volunteer work. But, luckily for everyone, it doesn't have to be a should I rip the band aid off quickly, or take my time and peel it? sort of situation. Maybe more of a let's soak it in water and then take it off with more ease. There's a neat language tactic people can use to assert a grounded stance on where they think their salary should be, providing more legitimacy to their request and making it a tad bit harder for employers to low-ball them."

"More Info: TikTok Negotiating salaries ain't easy, but choosing particular language might go a long way and may just help you crack the code to salary negotiations Image credits: Sora Shimazaki (not the actual image) Talent acquisition and career coach Sam Struan came out with a post on LinkedIn discussing a salary negotiation tactic that's based on the intricacies of language. Specifically, he suggests avoiding saying "I'm looking to make $150,000-$170,000" and instead opting for "I'm currently interviewing for positions that pay $150,000-$170,000.""

"The argument here lies in looking to make expressing a hope, and not necessarily a realistic market value for their particular set of skills. In contrast, currently interviewing for means that the jobs the person is interviewing for are actually offering that, with an added bonus of showing that the professional is in demand. Now, some people might argue that this particular sum may or may not be a true reflection of the market, i.e. folks may lie. Also, this does not guarantee that the company will be swayed to take people on in the end as competition can be fierce and there might be someone willing to work the same job for less. Or the company just straight up doesn't have that kind of budget for it."

Negotiating salaries is difficult and awkward for many people. A language framing that presents salary expectations as backed by active interviews can strengthen perceived market value. Saying "I'm currently interviewing for positions that pay $X–$Y" implies that those roles offer that pay and signals demand for the professional. Avoiding phrasing like "I'm looking to make" reduces the impression of mere hope. Recruiters who research markets can verify ranges, which can limit lowballing. The tactic can help, but budget limits, fierce competition, and inaccurate claims can still prevent securing the stated salary.

Read at TVovermind