Competitive-salary Memes

Company: "We offer a competitive salary range!" Candidate: "Cool, what's the range?" Company: *stone-faced silence* Candidate: "...can you at least tell me what YOU think I should be paid?" Company: *visible anger* The classic standoff where companies want you to lowball yourself while pretending they're being transparent. They'll post "competitive salary" in the job description but treat the actual number like it's classified intel. Meanwhile, they expect you to reveal your current salary, desired salary, your mother's maiden name, and your social security number in the first interview. The asymmetry is chef's kiss.