So many red flags. I knew the pay would be less than my previous role. I wasn’t expecting it to be so grossly under market. They were ideally looking for someone with 1-3 years of real estate and or finance experience, but would consider a new grad. Ideally a finance or related field grad. They ask for my salary expectations, I ask for a range (ballpark) and they refuse to provide me with one. So I say 65,000-75,000 (already less than my previous role). They say that’s too high and refuse to provide a range they are comfortable with even after I say I’d consider going lower. The average starting salary for a finance grad from my university is $60,000. Let’s say that’s inflated by the top earners and put the median at $55,000, what they were thinking still seems low. I have 2 years experience post grad and 2 years of industry related experience during university, yet the range they had for the role matched a new grad salary. I’m guessing their range was $50,000-$60,000 for 1-3 years of experience, and $45,000-$50,000 for a new grad. I made $50,000 right out of school and $75,000 at my job before applying. A new grad range for 1-3 years of experience. In Calgarys commercial real estate sector for analysts, ranges seem to be 75-85k for asset management, 70-80k for acquisition, 65-80k for debt. So quite below market. Their hook was that you could earn close to six figures as a senior analyst, the next promotion. I asked how long I could expect that to take. They embellish on the hypothetical scenario of “as quick as six months”. I ask for a more realistic timeframe, they say the fastest they saw someone do it was just over a year because he worked in a similar role prior. I then ask what the average is, 1.5-2.5 years. Which they disclosed after being pushed. All of that is fine, but I wouldn’t think of it negatively if you were honest. But they tried to make everything so opaque in the process. I don’t think they liked that I knew what market seems to be. Other red flags not mentioned, but I believe I was a finalist for the role, and they let me know I didn’t get it via a generic copy and paste corporate email, not even having the courtesy to give me a call after a month long process.

Casual conversation mixed with behavioural fit questions and technical clarifications. Spent most of the time asking questions about resume and also providing a more nuanced understanding of the role, how the team operates, and where one would see themselves in the team down the line.