Interview Mastery

21 Oct 2025, 08:34

Interview Mastery: How to Nail the Entire Process & Secure Your Deserved Salary 💼🤝

Published on October 21, 2025 Professional Kenyan negotiating salary with a hiring manager across a table

You’ve polished your CV until it shines, dodged the automated screening and landed the interview slot. Congratulations! Now for the real heat: the interview panel, the tricky behavioral questions, and the ultimate moment of truth—the salary question.

In the competitive Kenyan job market, the interview is your stage. You need to be prepared, articulate and most importantly, know your worth. Let's break down the strategies that take you from nervous candidate to valuable hire.

The Big Question: What Are Your Salary Expectations? 🤑

This is the moment where many candidates—especially the youth—stumble. Ask too low, and you leave money on the table; ask too high, and you might price yourself right out of the job. Here is your fail-proof strategy:

1. Know Your Ksh. Worth (Research is Power)

You cannot guess this number. Before the interview, you must have a target range based on facts, not hope.

Market Rate: Use local platforms (BrighterMonday, Fuzu) to research the average salary range for a person with your experience and qualifications in your specific location (Nairobi, Mombasa, etc.).
Your Value: Calculate your unique contribution. If you’re moving jobs, aim for a 15% to 20% increase over your current total compensation to justify the switch.
The Safe Range: Establish a flexible range, ensuring the absolute lowest end is a figure you would be genuinely happy to accept.

Pro Tip: Practice saying your salary range aloud. Confidence helps sell the number.

2. Strategy: Timing the Response

The best way to answer depends entirely on when they ask.

Scenario A — Early Recruiter Call

They are testing if you fit their budget. Your goal is to keep the number vague and get their number first.

Best Response: "Thank you for asking. I'm excited about the potential for growth here. Based on my research and the responsibilities listed, I am confident we can align on compensation. "What is the approved budget or salary range for this role?" (Politely deflect and reverse the question.)

Scenario B — Hiring Manager Interview

You know more about the job. Now, provide your value-backed range.

Best Response: "Based on the market rate for a [Role Title] in [City/Industry] and the value I bring in [mention key skill/achievement], I am targeting a range between Ksh X and Ksh Y per month. I am flexible based on the total compensation package, including benefits." (Anchors the negotiation high while remaining open.)

3. The Negotiation Pivot: Total Compensation 🎁

If they make an offer that is slightly lower than your range, do not accept immediately! Negotiate. If the base salary is fixed, pivot the discussion to the other valuable parts of the package:

Training/Certifications: Ask for a dedicated annual professional development budget.
Leave: Negotiate for an **extra week of annual leave**.
Review Period: Ask for a guaranteed **salary review after 6 months** instead of the standard 12.
Perks: Negotiate a better **health insurance tier** or a higher **commuter/internet allowance**.

Key Phrase: "I am thrilled with the offer, but I was hoping for a figure closer to [Target]. If the base salary is fixed, would there be flexibility on [Non-Monetary Perk 1] or a guaranteed [Non-Monetary Perk 2] to bridge the gap?"

Nailing the Rest: Behavioral & Fit Questions 🧠

Salary only matters if you get the job! Master these common Kenyan interview questions by being structured, professional and focusing on quantifiable results.

✅ Your Secret Weapon: The STAR Method

For any behavioral question ("Tell me about a time when..."), use the Situation, Task, Action, Result framework.

S/T (Situation/Task): Briefly describe the context and the goal. (e.g., "Our team was behind deadline on a major client launch.")
A (Action): What you specifically did. (e.g., "I developed a new project tracking spreadsheet and led a 3-hour weekend session to reorganize tasks.")
R (Result): The positive, quantifiable outcome. (e.g., "We delivered the project on time and reduced errors by 12%.")

✅ The 3 Toughest Questions Solved:

1. "Why do you want to leave your current job?"

Focus: Growth and opportunity. NEVER badmouth your boss, colleagues or company culture. Frame it as running to a new challenge.

"I've gained valuable skills in my current role, but I'm now looking for a larger platform—specifically a company like yours—where I can take on more senior management responsibility and scale my work in [mention a relevant area]."

2. "What is your greatest weakness?"

Focus: Self-awareness and improvement. Choose a minor, non-essential skill and show your plan to fix it.

"I sometimes struggle with delegating tasks because I prefer to ensure quality myself. However, I’ve implemented a new system of checklist accountability with my team, which has improved their ownership and freed me up to focus on high-level strategy."

3. "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?"

Focus: Ambition that aligns with the company. Show you are in it for the long run.

"I hope to have mastered this role and be viewed as an integral leader in the [Department Name] team. I’d ideally like to be leading a specialized area of growth, perhaps mentoring new talent, while still delivering significant results for the company's long-term vision."

Closing Strong: Always Ask Questions! 🙋

When they ask if you have questions, the answer is always yes. Asking thoughtful questions demonstrates confidence and genuine interest.

"What does success look like for the person in this role in the first 90 days?" (Shows you're ready to hit the ground running.)
"What are the biggest challenges the team is currently facing that I would be tasked with helping to solve?" (Shows you’re a problem-solver.)
"What is the company culture like outside of work hours?" (Gauges work-life balance and fit.)

The Takeaway

An interview is a professional conversation — you’re not begging for a job, you’re demonstrating how you solve a problem. It is a high-stakes meeting where you sell the most valuable product: you. Walk in prepared with research, structured answers and a calm, confident voice. Negotiate respectfully; it shows leadership and self-awareness (it shows the company you understand your value and you’re ready for the responsibilities of the role.). Leave knowing you gave your best—and maybe walked out with an offer.

← Back to Blog List