Salary talks get awkward when employers assume you will be “expensive” simply because of your birth year. Some candidates under-ask to stay in the process; others quote their last package and stall the conversation. Neither habit helps.
Anchor on the role, not your birthday
Research Tarife or market ranges for the function and region — Stuttgart differs from smaller Franconian towns. State a range tied to responsibilities listed in the Stellenausschreibung. If you are open to a lower grade for better hours or shorter commute, say so early so nobody feels tricked later.
Handling the “overqualified” jab
Overqualified often means “we worry you will leave or resent the pay.” Answer with a concrete reason you want this level of work now: mentoring juniors, steadier hours, returning after a break, or applying deep knowledge to a narrower problem. Then return to the value you will deliver in the first six months.
Practising this aloud — ideally in the language of the interview — removes most of the flinch. That is why our interview rehearsals spend real time on Gehalt, not only on “tell me about yourself.”