16. What are your monthly expenses?
Your current financial situation is of no concern of your recruiter. If you tell a recruiter you are running low on funds, it may be passed on, and employers will be able to use this information to their negotiating advantage. If you pass on this information, it’s much more likely to hurt you than help you.
A recruiter should not require a bank statement from you as proof of your current salary. If a recruiter does request it, make sure you delete any other details that reveal your financial situation. This is none of the recruiter’s business. How you choose to spend your salary is entirely up to you and has nothing to do with your job application. It’s not up to a recruiter to worry if you are living within your means.
All a future employer needs to know is that you’re qualified for the job and your salary requirement fits their pay scale. As long as they know what salary you expect, they definitely do not need to know whether it will cover your living expenses or anything else of that nature. They can either make you a realistic salary offer or hire somebody else.
Many professional recruiters would not dream of requesting your financial details. They are aware that this information is as private as their clients’ payroll information. Some U.S. cities have even banned the practice of asking for past salaries of job applicants. Requesting personal financial details goes far beyond what’s acceptable to any professional recruiter. The best professional recruiters won’t tolerate being asked by their clients to pry into a candidate’s finances.
