How much salary should you target if you were laid off?

Question

I’m interviewing actively these days and still struggling with this question - What’s your desired salary range? So far I’m telling them I haven’t decided yet.

At my previous company my base salary was 170k and stock options about 70k per year. So around 240k range excluding 401k and inherent health benefits.

From my understanding people bump 20% of their salary when they switch jobs, but in my case it is different. Given my status as unemployed and job market. I need to prepare how much I am willing to take a paycut.

Stock-wise my employer was already public, so it also feels a different case since start ups, stock options mostly turn out to be blank paper.

So realistically, I’m only seeing the base salary in cash as a meaningful comparable. Having said that, what do you guys think about the situation? So far I’m willing to take up to 30% base salary cut given the job market is bad and I don’t know where I will end up.

Thank you for checking in.

embarassedring · Accepted Answer

Instead of saying you haven't decided, you could ask them what's their approved salary range. That should give you a good understanding and not to quote anything higher than their range.

Sdsarakas · Answer

People bump 20% of their salary when they switch jobs. . . This doesn't apply to being laid off and market trends

jaygr · Answer

I've been struggling to find a job for a long time now, so I have no proven good answer. But now when I'm being asked that, I try to make it honest without sounding desperate, saying "we all know the market is tough these days, it's tough for the companies and it's tough for workers (so you put them on the same level as you, not above, you sound more empathetic and less desperate, "we're all on the same boat"), so give me (or, you will give me if we get to that point) your approved range, and we'll stick with that, as I don't want money to be a blocker". I can't say exactly what they think of that and I'm still unemployed, so, I can't give an informed advice.  But that's what I do, just my 2 cts.

Seaweed · Answer

I would ask about their approved range, and if it is at your expectations then say it is within your expected range. If it's on the low end or much lower then you can find out whether they are willing to offer higher. Whether you are laid off or not has little to do with how much you get paid from your next job, because you will produce value for the next job regardless you were job switching or have gotten a new job after being laid off.

How much salary should you target if you were laid off?

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