IDL how job listings say "competitive salary" and then lowball you with the number
Applied for a job last week. The listing said "competitive salary."
Went through two interviews, a panel with three people, submitted a portfolio, and wrote a cover letter tailored to their "mission-driven" language. All for the reveal.
$42,000.
In a city where a one-bedroom apartment costs $1,800 a month.
That's rent. That's it. That's what $42,000 is. The apartment and nothing else.
How is that competitive. Competitive with what. With other poverty?
I asked the recruiter about the range before applying. She said "competitive, based on experience." I asked for a number. She said they'd discuss at the offer stage.
The offer stage is when you've already spent four hours interviewing and want the job. Not great leverage to walk away.
This is the whole game. "Competitive" is a placeholder for "we won't tell you until you're emotionally invested." They need you to spend time on the application, spend time in interviews, spend time thinking this could be the one. Then reveal the number when backing out feels like failure.
Most job listings don't post salaries at all. They hide the numbers until you're already in.
Meanwhile the LinkedIn posts say "know your worth!" and "don't settle!"
Great. How do I find out what the compensation is before I apply? I don't. That's the design.
Competitive apparently just means someone else accepted it.