what salary to expect

[vmmk]

hi, i am from bangalore,india. i have been freelance sw developer for 4 years in vc++ and have done around 4 software packages,for engineering applications, all alone, for govt orgs. i am very good in sw development and know several languages.i also heve exp in embedded systems. although i am be mech,i am equally good in all the 3 domains. now i am applying for steady job in different companies.they ask me my expectation.i dont know. please help me.also please tell me what ctc means and also other jargons. thanx. -vmmt

[David Crow]

All positions within a company have a budgeted range. This question is just a way of weeding out those with too high of expectations. If you respond with a number that is low, don't expect to be able to negotiate any higher. If you respond with a number that is high, you take a chance on not getting the job. For starters, don't talk money until later in the interview process. Get all of your other questions answered before talking money. Let the interviewer know that you will be open to discussing fair compensation when the time comes. If pressed for a more specific answer, always give a range, rather than a specific number. A good answer might be, "My salary expectations are negotiable based on the total compensation package." This is stating that you need to know the value of the benefits before you determine the salary you need. Or, "There are so many things to take into account such as what the people I would be working with are like, the type of work, the benefits, and so forth that it's not something I could estimate at this point."

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