Invisible wrote:
> Unfortunately, it seems I either pick a number that's too high and they 
> say "sorry, the job we were going to offer to you doesn't pay that 
> much", or a number too low and I end up getting less money than I should 
> have.

Whoever is the first to give a number loses. That's why recruiters ask you. 
You're not their customer. You're their product.

A good answer when they ask is "I expect above the industry average" or 
"Industry standard wages would be good."  Don't give them a number, because 
you don't know a number, because they haven't offered you a job yet. After 
they offer you the job, you can give them a number that makes sense for the 
amount of work, the distance of the commute, the cost of living in the city 
where the job is, the intangible benefits at the workplace, etc.

If they insist, tell them you insist on knowing how long it'll take for them 
to find you a job first.

-- 
Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   The question in today's corporate environment is not
   so much "what color is your parachute?" as it is
   "what color is your nose?"

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