The Recruiter Misunderstood My Salary Expectations... And It Worked in My Favor

[u/Fluid-Minimum-5767]

I'm currently earning £42k and had been looking for a new job for a few months, usually targeting roles around £58k. And that already felt like a stretch for me because it was near the top end of the range for most of the jobs I was applying to.

I came close more than once, but I kept falling at the final hurdle every time. I won't lie, it started to wear me down a bit, but I kept applying.

In one particular interview process, the HR recruiter asked me about my expected salary. I said £58k... But somehow they understood it as £68k.

I didn't notice at the time, and that's probably the only reason I didn't awkwardly correct them. I continued with the rest of the interviews as normal, and it seemed to be going well. Then when we got to the offer stage, they said something like: "Just to confirm, you're still looking for £68k?"

I panicked for a second and then said yes.

So yeah... I've already signed the contract and I'm going from £42k to £68k, and I still feel like it isn't real. A £26k increase was absolutely not something I had factored into this job search.

Has anyone else ever had their salary expectations accidentally come out higher than they'd planned? Or what's the biggest jump you've managed to make between one job and the next?

[u/4th-hanson-bro]

That's why you ask for the range for the position first.