About 7 years ago I interviewed for a marketing job. I was very excited because at the time I worked a physically demanding job in a hot warehouse around smelly food products. This job would be in an air conditioned office and I would be using my brain instead of my back. When I showed up to the interview they had me I fill out an application while waiting in the lobby even though I had my resume and had already emailed it when I applied. The application asked me how much I made currently and what rate I was asking for. I made $12 an hour at the time. This new company had a fancy office and everyone was wearing suits and nice professional attire. I assumed people made good money. I put down that I’m asking for $13 an hour. I thought that was probably lower than what the pay would actually be.
The interview went pretty well until the manager read that I was asking for $13 an hour. He pointed out that it was more than I currently made. He then smugly asked, “why should I give you a raise?” I was caught off guard and said something about trying to improve my life and that I’d need leverage to go to a new company in a new field.
I immediately decided that I was not interested in this job. I think he read it on my face. He tried to backtrack and say that in 6 months I’d be training new people and within a year I’d be making $60-75k. But he still seemed annoyed that I expected to make more at his company than I was making.
After that, I always say that I make more if that question comes up.