Searched the forum for an answer to this but all previous threads seem to focus how to answer this question to negotiate a higher comp offer.
I've reached the point in my career where I've gained a couple years under my belt post undergrad. At this point, the volume of calls/emails/LinkedIn IM's that I've received from recruiters has scaled as well as the quality of mandates which they are putting forward. I've attended a couple of interviews so I'm fairly confident that the mandates that I've been discussing are "legit".
Question: specifically when a recruiter, who has a portfolio of mandates which he/she thinks you suit, asks "What is your current all-in comp?", what's the best strategy for a response? I'm slightly confused with this because:
A) As opposed to a company's HR, who are only negotiating 1 position, a recruiter with a solid portfolio of say 5 mandates to discuss may rule out 3 due to your implied salary expectations, even if you say you're willing to tone down your comp expectations. However, if you low ball to try and see all 5, he/she may only present you the lower salary positions.
B) As opposed to a company's HR, recruiters typically don't like to take "market" as an answer and may guesstimate what market means when presenting mandates to you, which brings me back to problem (A).
Like dick size, always give yourself some extra margin
you should just say "my confidentiality agreement prevents me from disclosing my comp...however, my comp is the going market rate...and i'm flexible depending on the opportunity"
A. For recruiters, you need to know a reasonable target market range for the recruiter's portfolio, that suits your skillset, target position, and company expectations.
B. You don't need to say "market" but always say a range. You can change your range later too, once you know more about the company and expectations.
Even if they're asking what your salary is today, you should withhold that, until you feel more comfortable with the person. Let them know your target first, and keep in mind, if it's a 2x jump in your expectations from where you are today, you're going to look stupid.
People are not too uncomfortable with you withholding your actual salary today, because they know it's a prudent decision. But not having a target range makes recruiters and HR feel like you could potentially waste their time, and they may just decide to move to the next candidate.
If they press for your current salary later, remember that you didn't give an unreasonable market and bump up from where you are. Phrase it as you think you have skills that fit the current market rate.