Asklemmy

I say it sometimes as a bit of a joke. It depends on when it comes up. It's moreso with third party recruiters through forms that refer your resume to other places because they ask things like "what are your top 3 wants." So I'll typically say salary is number one because I wouldn't work for free.

If the question is ever "why are you looking?" No. I wouldn't say I "needed money", even if I was taking a sort of unpaid sabbatical and ran out of savings. The reality is everyone knows you need money. Another reality is looking "desperate" is a negative at times. Frame yourself as someone confident and ambitious. "I'm looking for the next step in my career journey." "I'm looking for an increase in responsibility and an increase in compensation to match." Things like that.

I'm essence, yeah. I had nothing but nice things to say about the current company I was working for. Liked my job, like the company, boss, etc. Whenthe interviewers asked why I was leaving I told them that it was a small, family owned business (not my family). I loved working there but I'm only making about half the market value for my degree. The current boss told me from the start that he wouldn't be able to pay what I'm worth, but asked that I learn what I could there, then let them know when I'm going to move on. I relayed all that to my interviewers and they loved it. Later they cited that answer as one of the reasons they hired me.

I absolutely joke with the interviewer by saying I like being able to pay my bills. It always gets a laugh, and then I go into fake reason I want to work there.

They're not asking "why do you want a job" they're asking "why do you want this job".

As in, out of all the jobs that will pay you money, why do you want this one in particular?

There are other points during an interview process to lay out your pay expectations.

No, because I need that job to get money but saying so would most likely prevent me from getting that job and, by extension, money.