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A duty to ask about your salary

Li Xiaoming, 22, a senior computer science major, dares to ask all sorts of questions in a job interview.

He won’t hesitate to inquire about a company’s merger or acquisition plans or its strategy in building brand reputation.

But there’s one thing he often lacks courage to ask: his own salary.

“I am afraid that bringing up this topic might offend the recruiter and damage my chance of getting an offer,” he said. “So I am shy and reluctant to talk about it.”

Li, a student at Hebei University of Economic & Business is not the only one who feels this way. According to a latest survey by 51job.com, a major recruiting portal（平台）, more than 30 percent of job interviewees find it hard to raise the salary issue.

As a result, many end up in jobs without knowing exactly their pays and conditions.

Examples abound（大量存在） about those who learn too late that they lag behind their peers on a starting salary.

“Job candidates need a realistic picture of their paycheck from their future employer. It is in their best interests,” said senior consultant Chen Xi from Zhaopin.com. “They have a duty to obtain that information before they sign any contract.”

Career experts say that job seekers should not be hesitate or shy inquiring about the pay. However, they still have to do in a “proper and tactful （机智的）way.”

Raising the pay issue too soon may turn away an employer or reduce one’s competitiveness.

“The sensitive topic is normally not touched upon in the first one or two rounds of interviews,” Chen pointed out.” At this stage, your priority is to prove your value to the company.”

Once a company develops a genuine interest in a job candidate, they’ll send HR personnel to negotiate the details, either in the format of a last round interview or a private talk about a contract.

What if the company has not addressed the issue directly?

Chen suggests that students seize the chances when asked” Do you have any more questions about our company?” or “Anything else you want to know about us?”, and bring up the topic naturally.

Most recruiters will not be offended by a candidate’s straight forward but polite manner.

Jia Lan, a recruiting manager from Yongche.com, a car-renting service portal, prefers candidates to lay the cards on the table.

“It is fine that they state what they want and we’ll see if we can help realize it,” she said. ” It helps with decision-making.”

On some occasions, graduates become tongue-tied when asked ”How much do you expect to earn?”

Career consultants advise job seekers to do research online about the average salary range in a specific sector and a company’s level within the industry.

This has occupied Lin Jinbing, a senior electronics major from Hunan Institute of Science and Technology. The 22-year-old, who wants to join a newly set-up IT company in Beijing, is busy surveying friends and alumni（校友） in similar positions. “So I’ll know what to expect form the company,” he said.

Expectations and reality often don’t match, especially fro green hands. Chen says capable students politely ask if it’s possible to raise the bar（提高标准） a little, but they can’t count on that.

“A salary package comprises more than wages. It also contains benefits, insurance, paid vacations, training, and even a free hukou,” he said.