08/14/2026
💼 “WE DON’T WANT PEOPLE APPLYING ONLY FOR THE MONEY.”
Imagine this:
You’re already earning $135,000.
You see an interesting job opening, apply, take time off work, prepare for multiple interviews, talk to HR, and spend hours proving that you’re the right person for the role.
Then comes the salary conversation.
HR: “What are you currently making?”
Candidate: “$135,000.”
HR: “And what are you looking to make?”
Candidate: “Around $165,000–$175,000.”
HR: “Unfortunately, that’s above our budget.”
Candidate: “What’s the budget?”
HR: “$110,000–$120,000.”
😐
So the candidate asks the obvious question:
“Then why wasn’t the salary listed in the job posting?”
The answer?
“We don’t want people applying only for the money.”
But here’s the problem:
People have bills.
People have families.
9 People have mortgages.
People have careers they’ve spent years building.
Salary is not the only reason someone takes a job — but it is absolutely one of the most important factors.
And nobody should have to spend hours preparing, interviewing, taking PTO, and potentially traveling for a position that could never meet their basic salary expectations.
💡 The advice for job seekers:
Before investing too much time in an interview process, ask about the salary range early.
A simple question like:
“Could you share the budgeted salary range for this position so we can make sure we’re aligned before moving forward?”
can save you hours of wasted time.
And for employers?
Salary transparency doesn’t attract people who only care about money. It attracts people who value their time.
Would you continue interviewing for a job that refuses to disclose its salary range? 👇
