It's the question we all dread.

這是一個(gè)我們所有人都不敢直視的問(wèn)題。

Sometimes it comes up in the first interview, and sometimes hiring managers hold it until the very end. But it always comes. "What were you earning at your last job?"

有時(shí)一面的時(shí)候就會(huì)被提出來(lái)，有時(shí)招聘主管會(huì)在終面的時(shí)候才提出來(lái)——“你上一份工作的薪水是多少？”

For job seekers, this question should keep you up at night, since it has the potential to negatively affect your income for your entire career.

對(duì)求職者而言，這個(gè)問(wèn)題會(huì)讓你夜不能寐，因?yàn)樗�足以�?duì)你整個(gè)職業(yè)生涯的收入帶來(lái)消極影響。

That means if you accepted too little or didn't negotiate early on, one bad salary move follows you to each next job.

也就是說(shuō)，如果你的目標(biāo)薪酬過(guò)低或沒(méi)有早早和公司協(xié)商好，一份低收入會(huì)隨著你影響下一份工作的收入。

"How are you ever going to increase your earnings if every time you change jobs, you get a tiny raise over what they paid you at the last place?" writes Liz Ryan, founder of one consulting firm.

某咨詢(xún)公司創(chuàng)始人瑞恩女士寫(xiě)道：“如果每次你換工作都只是在上一份工作的基礎(chǔ)上漲那么一點(diǎn)兒，你怎么提高收入呢？”

“We’ve gotten used to the idea that the question ‘What were you earning before?’ from a prospective employer is perfectly reasonable. It's not, of course. Your personal finances are your business.”

“我們都覺(jué)得面試官問(wèn)‘你以前掙多少？’太正常了，也習(xí)慣于去回答這個(gè)問(wèn)題。但這個(gè)問(wèn)題當(dāng)然不是非答不可的。你的個(gè)人財(cái)務(wù)狀況關(guān)他們什么事�！�

So how do you avoid the fateful question without hurting your chances of landing the job?

所以你怎樣才能既確保得到這份工作又完美地回答這個(gè)關(guān)于薪水的問(wèn)題呢？

Ryan advises answering it indirectly by giving your target salary range instead.

瑞恩建議可以給出一個(gè)目標(biāo)收入?yún)^(qū)間，避免直接回答。

If the interviewer asks for your previous salary a second time, Ryan says you can simply respond that you'd prefer not to give it.

如果面試官追問(wèn)你之前的薪水，瑞恩認(rèn)為你可以直接說(shuō)“不”。

It will likely be uncomfortable the first few times you do it, but remember that most services are not valued by what another customer previously paid for them.

可能你一開(kāi)始會(huì)不習(xí)慣這么做，但是請(qǐng)記住絕大部分的服務(wù)都不是靠之前的某位顧客定價(jià)的。

As Ryan writes, "When we call the plumber because our tub drain is clogged, we don't ask, ‘What did you charge the guy down the block to unclog his drain last week?' If we do, the plumber is going to say, ‘My rate is $95 an hour. Do you want me to come over or not?'"

瑞恩寫(xiě)道：“我們下水道堵了會(huì)叫水管工，但我們從來(lái)不會(huì)問(wèn)‘上個(gè)禮拜你給我們小區(qū)的某某通下水道收多少錢(qián)？’。如果我們真的問(wèn)了，這個(gè)水管工只會(huì)這樣回答,‘我收費(fèi)95美元一小時(shí)，到底要不要我來(lái)？’”

Setting and sticking to a reasonable rate for your services will actually make you a more appealing job candidate, and in the long run, you'll make more money.

對(duì)你所能承擔(dān)的工作定一個(gè)合理的價(jià)格并堅(jiān)持，這會(huì)讓你更吸引公司的注意。長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)來(lái)看，你也會(huì)掙得更多。