薪金薪金，談起來就“傷心”！

Randy： Wow， Rochelle！ You’re dressed up today.

Rochelle： Do you like it， Randy？ It’s my new “professional lady” look.

Randy： It suits you. But what’s the occasion？

Rochelle： I just had my third interview at my dream company.

Randy： Congratulations！ How did it go？

Rochelle： It went like a dream. This position really fits my skill set， and has great potential for development. I get on great with the department head， and the office culture seems relaxed but focused. On top of that， the company is growing really quickly and is developing some new markets. Randy： It sounds like you really know a lot about the company. So what’s the starting salary？

Rochelle： I don’t know. I haven’t asked.

Randy： You never cease to surprise me. ①How can you go through three rounds of interviews and never make a peep about 1）compensation？

Rochelle： I don’t want to look like I’m just in it for the money， you know？ I want them to feel like I’m looking to make a contribution， not just to get paid.

Randy： Well， be careful. If you don’t make your expectations clear， it can be easy to get trapped in a bad situation.

Rochelle： Such as？

Randy： My girlfriend got taken advantage of in her last job. She never asked about salary， and after she signed the contract she learned that her salary was only one third of her peers’.

Rochelle： What？ Why would a company do that？

Randy： No matter how much you like the people in the company， a company’s purpose is still to make money. If they think they can get away with paying you less， then they will. After you sign the contract you have no more room to bargain.

Rochelle： ②So if I don’t give a salary demand， they’ll skin me alive. Yet if I do bring up salary， then they’ll think I’m just being a 2）moneygrubber. ③Looks like I’m darned if I do and darned if I don’t.

Randy： ④It’s not necessarily a catch twenty-two. There’s a right time and a right way to bring up compensation during job interviews.

Rochelle： ⑤I’m all ears.

Randy： You probably don’t want to bring it up in the first interview. That’s when you need to be making a good impression and proving that you’re worth their time.

Rochelle： I know that much.

Randy： ⑥After they seem interested in you， it’s OK to break the ice about the salary and benefits. If you have a chance to talk with the HR department， that’s the perfect time. Managing salaries and benefits is their job.

Rochelle： I guess that makes sense.

Randy： A confident， experienced employee will want to ensure that the position fits their expectations. Researching the average salaries in your field and asking about salary at the right time can make you look like an even better candidate.

Rochelle： I didn’t think about that. ⑦Have I already missed the boat on salary 3）negotiations？

Randy： Have you signed anything？

Rochelle： Not yet.

Randy： Then it’s not too late yet. Next time you have a chance， talk with their HR about the salary they expect to pay， and let them know your expectations. Rochelle： Will do. Thanks for the tip！

Randy： No problem！

蘭迪：哇，羅謝爾！你今天打扮起來了。

羅謝爾：你喜歡嗎，蘭迪？這是我新的“職業女性”行頭。

蘭迪：你穿著很合適。但是在什么場合上穿呢？

羅謝爾：我只是剛去參加了我理想公司安排的第三輪面試。

蘭迪：恭喜你！事情進展得怎樣啦？

羅謝爾：這真的像做夢一般。這個職位真的和我的技能很合適，而且有很多好的發展前景。我和部門主管相處得很好，（那里的）工作氛圍看起來融洽而專注。最重要的是，那家公司發展得很快，正在開拓一些新的市場。

蘭迪：聽起來你真的很了解這家公司。那么起薪是多少呢？

羅謝爾：我不知道，我沒有問。

蘭迪：你總是給我“驚喜”。你怎么能經過三輪面試以后還沒有問到報酬的問題？

羅謝爾：我不想讓自己看起來就是為了錢才去那家公司的，你知道嗎？我想讓他們認為我是想來作貢獻的，而不是只拿薪水的。

蘭迪：好吧，你得當心了。如果你不清楚地表達自己對薪酬方面的期望，就很容易陷入糟糕的局面。

羅謝爾：例如？

蘭迪：我女朋友就在上一份工作中被算計了。她從來不問薪水，但是當她簽了合同后，才發現自己的薪水只是同級別的三分之一。

羅謝爾：什么？為什么一家公司要這樣做？

蘭迪：不管你多喜歡公司里面的人，一家公司的目的就是盈利。如果他們認為付給你更少的薪水也沒有關系的話，那么他們就會這么干。當你簽了合同后，就沒有討價還價的余地了。

羅謝爾：那么如果我不對薪水作出要求，他們就會剝削我。然而，如果我提起工資，那么他們又會認為我只是個財迷。看起來無論如何我都會有麻煩。

蘭迪：這也不一定是棘手的事。在面試中提起薪酬要有恰當的時機和方法。

羅謝爾：我洗耳恭聽。

蘭迪：你也許不想在第一輪面試就提到這個問題。這個時候你需要給人留下一個好印象，證明他們把時間花在你身上是值得的。

羅謝爾：這方面我也很懂。

蘭迪：當他們看起來對你感興趣后，是時候開始問薪酬和福利方面的問題了。如果你有機會和人事部的人談話，那就是最佳時機。負責薪酬和福利是他們的工作。

羅謝爾：我想這有道理。

蘭迪：一個自信、有經驗的雇員會希望確保這個職位符合他們的期望。調查同行的平均工資并且在合適的時間詢問關于薪酬的事，能夠讓你看起來是更合適的人選。

羅謝爾：我過去沒考慮過這個問題。我是不是已經錯失了商討薪酬的良機了？蘭迪：你簽了什么東西嗎？

羅謝爾：還沒有。

蘭迪：那么一切都還來得及。下一次你一有機會，就跟人事部的人談一下他們希望支付的薪酬，也讓他們知道你期望得到的薪酬。

羅謝爾：我會的，謝謝你的建議！

蘭迪：不客氣！

Smart Sentences

① How can you go through three rounds of interviews and never make a peep about compensation？ 你怎么能經過三輪面試以后還沒有問到報酬的問題？

make a peep： say one’s opinion about sth. （就某事發表意見）。例如：

Mrs. Howard said she would fight for our benefits， but she didn’t make a peep during the discussion.

霍華德夫人說她會為我們爭取福利，但在討論的過程中，她什么也沒說。

② So if I don’t give a salary demand， they’ll skin me alive. 那么如果我不對薪水作出要求，他們就會剝削我。

skin sb. alive： punish sb. very severely， or defeat sb. completely（狠狠責罰；徹底打敗）。例如：

If Mom knows I broke her favorite dishes， she would probably skin me alive.

如果媽媽知道是我摔壞了她最喜歡的盤子，她會把我生吞了。

③ Looks like I’m darned if I do and darned if I don’t.看起來無論如何我都會有麻煩。

I’m darned if I do and darned if I don’t： no matter what I do， there will be trouble； a proverb （無論如何，我都躲不過了；諺語）。例如：

If I take the IBM job， my Dad will get mad； if I don’t， my Mom will kill me. I guess I’m darned if I do and darned if I don’t.

如果我受聘于IBM，我老爸會生氣；但如果我不去呢，老媽會把我殺了。我想，無論如何我都會有麻煩的。

④ It’s not necessarily a catch twenty-two. 這也不一定是棘手的事。

catch twenty-two： a contradictory or tricky situation； a dilemma（矛盾的、棘手的情況；讓人左右為難的境況）。例如：

It’s always a catch twenty-two for new graduates—you need experience to find a job but you can’t gain experience until you’ve had a job.

對于新畢業生來說，情況是很矛盾的——你想找工作就必須有經驗，而你不曾工作，就不會有經驗。

⑤ I’m all ears. 我洗耳恭聽。

all ears： eager to receive advice（渴望接收建議）。例如：

Mr. Stone is all ears for any suggestions from his subordinates.

斯通先生對下屬的意見總是很歡迎的。

⑥ After they seem interested in you， it’s OK to break the ice about the salary and benefits. 當他們看起來對你感興趣后，是時候開始問薪酬和福利方面的問題了。

break the ice： get sth. started（開個頭）。例如：Breaking the ice with someone I don’t know at a party is always awkward for me.

在聚會時與不相識的人發起對話對我來說總是一件很尷尬的事。

⑦ Have I already missed the boat on salary negotiations？ 我是不是已經錯失了商討薪酬的良機了？

miss the boat： miss an opportunity that may not come again（錯失良機）。例如：

Man， you really missed the boat. Working under Mrs. Kelly is a wonderful opportunity.

啊呀，你真是錯失良機了，在凱利夫人手下工作可是一個極好的機會啊。