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Find a fair salary ask from posted pay ranges
Practice: Giving the right context. About 5 minutes.
About this exercise
You're in Columbus and want a salary number for interviews. Use the midpoint of each posted range; convert hourly pay at 2,080 hours a year; leave out the New York posting (different cost of living). Write exactly 4 numbered lines, one per posting, each showing the math (or marked excluded), then one unnumbered last line averaging the 3 midpoints. Plain text, under 90 words.
Common mistakes when you ask AI for this
- Not saying where you live. The AI averages in the New York posting and inflates your number. Try: Add: "I'm in Columbus. Leave out the New York posting."
- Mixing hourly and yearly. The AI averages $26 with $52,000, or guesses the hours. Try: Add: "Convert hourly at 2,080 hours a year."
- Not asking to see the work. You'll want to explain your number if asked. Try: Add a line to copy: "1. Brightline: ($52,000 + $60,000) ÷ 2 = $56,000"
- Trusting the AI to count words. AI is bad at counting. Ask for a total word limit and it often lands over it. Try: Cap each line: "each line under 20 words."
- Forgetting where it goes. AI loves markdown tables and bold, which show up as clutter in your interview notes. Try: Add: "Plain text, no bold, headings or tables."
What a strong prompt includes
- Gives your location
- Converts hourly pay
- Asks for midpoints
- Asks to show the math
- Asks for plain text
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