It’s the question we all dread.
這是一個我們所有人都不敢直視的問題。
Sometimes it comes up in the first interview, and sometimes hiring managers hold it until the very end. But it always comes. "What were you earning at your last job?"
有時一面的時候就會被提出來，有時招聘主管會在終面的時候才提出來——“你上一份工作的薪水是多少?”
For job seekers, this question should keep you up at night, since it has the potential to negatively affect your income for your entire career.
對求職者而言，這個問題會讓你夜不能寐，因為它足以對你整個職業生涯的收入帶來消極影響。
That means if you accepted too little or didn’t negotiate early on, one bad salary move follows you to each next job.
也就是說，如果你的目標薪酬過低或沒有早早和公司協商好，一份低收入會隨著你影響下一份工作的收入。
"How are you ever going to increase your earnings if every time you change jobs, you get a tiny raise over what they paid you at the last place?" writes Liz Ryan, founder of one consulting firm.
某諮詢公司創始人瑞恩女士寫道：“如果每次你換工作都只是在上一份工作的基礎上漲那麼一點兒，你怎麼提高收入呢?”
“We’ve gotten used to the idea that the question ‘What were you earning before?’ from a prospective employer is perfectly reasonable. It’s not, of course. Your personal finances are your business.”
“我們都覺得面試官問‘你以前掙多少?’太正常了，也習慣於去回答這個問題。但這個問題當然不是非答不可的。你的個人財務狀況關他們什麼事。”
So how do you avoid the fateful question without hurting your chances of landing the job?
所以你怎樣才能既確保得到這份工作又完美地回答這個關於薪水的問題呢?