“Don’t be afraid to ask what you’re worth”: Kalibrr’s Co-Founder Paul Rivera Provides 4 Important Interview Tips

A discussion has emerged on the internet after an employer posted her interaction with a job applicant. She sent the applicant a message telling him what requirements to submit, to which he replied by asking how much the salary was. The employer immediately dismissed him by saying that the applicant should not be asking about the salary while applying. 

In the post, the employer stated that applicants must always be ready to apply instead of asking about the salary range and the application process. This sparked a debate on whether it is considered a “red flag” for applicants to ask about the salary package during a job interview.

Screenshots from Facebook

Kalibrr’s Co-Founder Paul Rivera, together with ONE News’ “Afternoon Delight” hosts Lourd de Veyra and Denise Tan, sat down to discuss the do’s and don’ts in a job interview, particularly on how to ask about the compensation.

“I think it’s unfair for that CEO to be upset at the job applicant because the applicant has to put in work.”

Rivera has this to say when asked about the viral post. He continued to explain that a job application requires effort and that an applicant must know if their effort is worthwhile. He also said that it is only fair to ask about the salary range during the first step of the interview process.

However, for him, it should not be the first question. “Instead of ‘what will I earn’, I want them to ask ‘what would I learn’ and who will I learn it from,” Rivera explained. Asking the “what would I learn” question would make an impression that the applicant is interested in the company, their personal growth, and how it aligns with the company’s growth. 

Like how employers are not obligated to disclose the salary during the job application process, Rivera stated that the applicants are also not obligated to apply in the first place. “It’s a very competitive landscape for talent. Employers have to be proactive in terms of making themselves marketable to the best candidates,” Rivera added.

According to Universum’s Talent Survey 2023, 82% of Filipinos aged between 16 and 23 years old prefer remote work opportunities as cited by the Philippine News Agency. Since more and more applicants are seeking a remote set-up, it has become a challenge for many companies to attract talent. However, as an employer, Rivera advises fresh graduates to spend their first years working in an office to build more relationships and network with other people. 

Since a few years ago, Rivera shared how employers have also taken an interest in assessing job applicants through their social media. In 2020, a survey created by The Manifest, it was revealed that 90% of employers have checked applicants’ social media profiles and 79% of them have rejected those with inappropriate content on online platforms. Candidates then became more cognizant of their personal brand and started going private. This leads to it being less significant. “Whatever information is available to the public, put your best foot forward,” Rivera advised. 

Rivera continues to say that 90-99% of job applicants do not ask questions and that is the worst thing that they can do. He shared a few tips on preparing for a job interview to avoid such mistakes:

• Ask about the company. Ask what you will learn from them. Ask about the company’s goals, plans, and objectives.

• Learn who you are meeting. Know about the interviewer, from how to pronounce their name to their role in the company. 

• When asked about yourself, direct it to your strengths. If the question “Tell me about yourself” pops up, tell them only the relevant information. Not doing so will lead you to lose control of the interview.
• When asked about your weakness, be honest. Nobody’s perfect and everybody has their own weaknesses. The best way to answer this is to connect to dots between your weaknesses and your strengths. Think of your weakness as a learning opportunity.

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Lastly, if you want to negotiate your salary, Kalibrr’s Co-Founder has these important tips to share:

• Understand the market. Is the company below, at, or above market? This is crucial so you know how to negotiate.

• Ask about your role and its impact on their business. Know how much value you can give to the company.

• Do not just ask and do research. Negotiating salary is a process that may happen over a few days or weeks. Be sure to be prepared.
• Do not be afraid to ask what you’re worth. Remember that you also have to put in work for the company.

[RELATED: How to Successfully Negotiate Your Salary]

If you think these tips are helpful, check out more job hunting tips and create your profile for FREE Kalibrr! Join millions of jobseekers and explore thousands of opportunities at your fingertips.—

Kalibrr is a recruitment technology company that aims to transform how candidates find jobs and how companies hire talent. Placing the candidate experience at the center of everything it does, we continue to attract the best talent from all over, with more than 7 million professionals and counting. Kalibrr ultimately connects these talents to companies in search of their next generation of leaders.

The only end-to-end recruitment solutions provider in Southeast Asia, Kalibrr is headquartered in Makati, Philippines, with offices in San Francisco, California, and Jakarta, Indonesia. Established in 2012, it has served over 18,000 clients and is backed by some of the world’s most powerful start-up incubators and venture capitalists. These include Y Combinator, Omidyar Network, Patamar Capital, Wavemaker Partners, and Kickstart Ventures.

For more tips on acing job interviews, follow Kalibrr on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Tiktok.