When applying for a new position or starting the interview process, most experts would advise to not discuss salary until the hiring company brings up the issue.  Generally you will want to avoid quoting your salary requirements until you learn more about the company, the position,  the responsibilities, the growth opportunities, etc.  You don't want to leave money on the table by indicating a figure that is below what the company was prepared to offer and on the other hand, you may not want to overprice yourself for a lower paying position that is otherwise attractive to you.  In a typical negotiation scenario, you want the hiring company to give you their range first and the hiring company wants to get your salary requirements first.  Some say the first to blink (to name a figure) loses, but that doesn't  have to be the case.  You may have to  establish a salary range as a basis for understanding to keep the interview process moving forward, but don't try to negotiate until a firm offer is in hand.

So let’s say you get to the interview and the interviewer asks, "So what are your minimum salary requirements?", or "What will it take to get you to join us?"

A response might be, "Too be perfectly honest, I have not set any fixed, firm salary requirement.  I'm looking for the right job, a good challenging opportunity that fits my background and interests.  And while salary is important to me it is secondary to finding a good match for my skills and interests."

Or you might say something like, "I'm fairly open on salary and will consider competitive offers.  What is the range for this position?”

But the interviewer presses on and says, "Well you must have some idea, some number which you won’t go below."

And you reply, “No, as I said I am open and flexible on salary"

So now the interviewer asks, "Well how much were you making at your previous company?”

So now what do you do?  You may think to yourself that's none of their business, or what does my previous salary have to do with this job, but clearly the interviewer is pressing and the interview may not proceed (or not proceed positively) unless they have some idea that you are in the range they have in mind for the position.  An interviewer does not want to waste their time or yours if your salary requirements are not in line with or near what they are targeting. 

So here are some ideas:

1.     If you think the position may pay higher than your last salary, state your approximate past salary but indicate that you are looking for the next step (or two steps) up, based on the value you bring, the increased responsibilities of the new position, etc. You don't have to give exact numbers.  Now the important part:  You have given information and now it is critical that you get information back.  Ask again what  their range is for the  position, to calibrate to see if your approximate salary requirements fall within their range.   You might say “I was making in the 70k range and am targeting opportunities in the 80-100k range.  Are we in the same ballpark?  How does that fit in the range you have in mind for this position?”  You will likely get both verbal and non verbal feedback so pay close attention.  The idea is not to negotiate at a detail level but to respond to the question, get some information and keep the interview process moving forward.

2.      If you think the position may pay less than what your last salary was and you are concerned about being overpriced, indicate your approximate past salary range but also indicate that you have some flexibility depending on the specifics of the position’s responsibilities etc.  Again, once you have provided this information it is critical that you get information back.  Now ask the interviewer if your past salary is in the range that they are targeting and if so, where in the range.  This will give you some idea of what they have in mind.  Again the idea here is not to negotiate in detail at this time, but to keep the interview process moving forward.  If the position pays well below what you have made in the past and you are still interested, you will have to convince the interviewer that this is truly a good match for you and that you are still very interested so you are not considered “overqualified”  (i.e. too expensive).

3.      If you really have no idea what the position may pay, you might state your past salary (range) and indicate that you would of course like an increase, but might also be flexible depending on the specifics of the opportunity.  This way you can move up or down depending on the circumstances.  Again be sure to calibrate back with the interviewer to see what they are targeting.

Getting beyond the preliminary salary question is critical.  How you handle the question may determine if you get to the next step in the process.  If you completely dance around the question you might be viewed as evasive or uncooperative and may never get to an actual offer.  By offering some information, and getting information back, you and the employer can determine if you are on the same planet with regards to salary and can negotiate at a more detail level once an offer is made.  By keeping the interview process alive you will have an opportunity to demonstrate your capabilities and the value that you bring to the organization and position yourself for the best offer possible.