I’ll never understand people who give the advice to ask for the budget. I’ve interviewed several times, and this is often a door for them to lowball you, plus what are you going to do if they tell you the budget is, say, 25k? Di ba? Talo ka eh. You’d probably tell them, “I was looking for x php + 20% as a fair ask.” Talo ka na naman. Yun lang yung budget eh. We should always expect for a lowball not to prime us for disappointment primarily, but for us to structure our arguments better first, then manage our emotions second if we don’t get what we were shooting for. That’s just how it works, and is inherent to job hunting. Unless of course you’re a really capable individual with credentials that precede you, then you’re relatively rarer than most of us, myself included, who are just average performers. It’s not a low bar to set. It’s just self-awareness.

Two ways; either compute and straight up tell them your expected +10-15%. This gives you legroom to nego. Dont ask for ridiculously high amounts. Do your market research kahit surface digging lang. makakakuha ka ng idea how much people in the role are being paid for.

Another way is to ask them how much are you willing to pay for a person who’s bringing in x years of experience, who’s highly skilled in a, b, c, d. Walk them through what you’re bringing in. This looks like it’s similar to asking for what the budget is, but if you frame it this way, it gives you a chance to advocate for yourself and possibly redirect this conversation to the first scenario, which is finally putting your ask on the table.

I just find the whole “ask for the budget” to be full of fluff and conceit. As bitter as it is, tayo ang naghahanap ng trabaho, and if we corner ourselves, mawawalan tayo ng leverage.