Interview story: It is not about money to it is all about money! - 05/24

In 2015 I was in IT service industry and decided to move to pharma consulting. Having recently switched jobs with a 30% salary increase, my current annual package stood at INR 14 lakh per annum. My sights were set on ZS, a renowned consulting firm, and I applied for a consultant position. The hiring HR inquired about my salary expectations, and I told here it is not about money but about working in a place like ZS (I knew ZS would offer me 24lpa+ which is offered during B-School placements)

Eventually, I received an offer from ZS, but it fell short of my expectations at INR 17 lakh which I conveyed to the hiring HR. 

The following day, the hiring HR escalated the matter to her manager. Manager said: “Vivek, you initially claimed that switching to ZS wasn’t about money, yet now you’re emphasizing it.”

I defended my position and negotiated hard but as he shifted the conversation from English to Hindi, I sensed that further negotiations were useless. In the end, I said: “I genuinely want to work at ZS. Please offer me anything above 17 lakh.”

And, I received an improved offer—18 lakh—which I accepted.

So in the end HR manager ensured I stayed true to my statement that shift to ZS was not about money 😄

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