When asking for a raise, it’s important to showcase your best work with confidence. But confidence alone isn’t enough — it has to be backed by real skills and results. Many professionals overestimate their worth without properly evaluating their contributions. Before making big salary demands, it’s always wise to step back, assess your skills, and ensure your expectations are realistic.
Recently, Mani Maran Ramalingam, a marketing consultant from Chennai, shared a hiring experience that sparked a heated debate online. He interviewed a Gen Z candidate for a job, only to reject him after an unexpected salary demand — more than double his current pay.
A Candidate’s Bold Salary Demand
According to Ramalingam’s LinkedIn post, the candidate was earning ₹5 lakh per year. Initially, he asked HR for a hike to ₹8 lakh. However, during the interview, he suddenly raised his demand to ₹12 lakh. This sharp increase made Ramalingam question if the candidate had the skills to justify such a jump.
When asked why he believed he deserved the higher salary, the candidate simply replied, “I believe I have the skills.”
Confidence vs. Capability
While confidence is a great quality, it does not always equal ability. To test the candidate’s claim, Ramalingam asked him to present his work. Unfortunately, it failed to meet expectations.
“He showed his work, and honestly, it was subpar. I wouldn’t even pay him the ₹5 lakh he’s currently earning,” wrote Ramalingam.
To help the candidate understand where he fell short, Ramalingam broke down his work frame by frame, highlighting gaps in quality and providing insights the candidate had not learned in his 2.5 years of experience.
A Harsh Lesson or Necessary Reality Check?
Ramalingam admitted that the candidate looked heartbroken but stood by his decision.
“I could see, hear, and feel his heartbreak. But I’m glad I did it. This generation needs to understand what real skills, deliverables, and quality mean.”
He concluded by emphasizing that salaries should be based on both confidence and proven ability. Simply saying, “I can do it” is not as valuable as having already done it.
A Debate Sparks Online
His post quickly gained traction, igniting a divided discussion. While some agreed that unrealistic salary expectations should be challenged, others felt that he was too harsh on the candidate.
So, what do you think? Was the candidate being unrealistic, or should employers be more open to higher salary expectations?