Navigating Salary Discussions in Job Interviews

When you've been invited to an interview, don't be afraid to broach the topic of salary. If you have a particular target salary in mind, that fact alone is relevant for an employer.  Some people have many dependents and care about things like the quality of possible neighborhood schools; others people are single and would happily rent a small room one block away.  Your prospective employer doesn't know any of this and can't ask these types of questions.  Sometimes it's good to phrase questions in such a way that shows concern for the other side.  For example, if you say that you're interested in learning about the salary range because you don't want to take up too much of an employer's time if there isn't alignment, that's a gentle way of exploring a sensitive topic for the mutual benefit of both sides.  In the end, proceed cautiously but also openly about a topic that too often is postponed until the very last minute.