Is it ok to ask the interviewer to leave discussions of pay to the end? I had an interview where one of the first things we discussed was pay. It was much lower than I anticipated and for the rest of the interview I had trouble focusing and was thinking if there was a point in continuing the interview.
I have a friend at the company I applied with. I used him as a reference. On the application form it asked what my expectations for compensation are. My friend advised me to say $x per hour. I did this but the interviewer said “I see you specified $x per hour. The starting wage for this position is $ (x/2) per hour, plus or minus a few dollars. Also it may be a part time or full time position. Are you ok with this?” I said yes but wasn’t sure I gave the right answer.
First off, if I had said no is it likely they wouldn’t consider me or would I have been able to negotiate a higher pay? Right now I’m desperate for money and this would have been work related to my degree. But at $x/2 per hour, I don’t think I can live. I have a rough idea of my expenses (they are rent, food, phone bill and monthly bus pass but soon I need to start paying student loans) but she said it could have been part time or full time and that makes a difference. So how can I answer the question if it's enough money if I don't even know the hours? This is why I’d rather defer these conversations to the end of the interview so I’m not thinking about it while answering technical questions. Could I have asked if it was ok to think about it and reply latter with an answer?
Out of curiosity why would the company ask what you expect get paid if they have decided anyways?