One of the most uncomfortable things to talk about is money. Our society doesn’t make it easy. We have trouble asking people how much they have paid for things. We have trouble asking people how much they make. Worse than anything, we have trouble negotiating salaries because a salary is an actual measurement of what you are worth. It is almost a numerical value of how much self esteem you should have. People are afraid to ask for too much, not wanting to sound like they are too self-assured and not wanting to price themselves out of the market. People don’t want to ask too little because then they have shot themselves in the foot. Salary negotiations are particularly difficult when you are interviewing for a job because you don’t really know the inside scoop on the company and have to do a lot of thinking on your feet as you try to gauge how they will react to what you are asking for. Many experts will tell you that you shouldn’t be the first one to mention a monetary figure when you are negotiating salary. They will tell you to try and have the interviewer make you an offer first. I am here to tell you that most of the time, that will be impossible. You are interviewing with them. They have a job. You don’t have the job. Who do we think has the power here?