Li Xiaoming, 22, a senior computer science major, dares to ask all sorts of questions in a job interview.
22岁的李晓明(音译)是计算机专业的一名大四学生，他敢于在工作面试中提出各种各样的问题。
He won't hesitate to inquire about a company's merger or acquisition plans or its strategy in building brand reputation.
他会毫不犹豫地问及公司的合并、收购计划，以及公司树立品牌声望的战略。
But there's one thing he often lacks courage to ask: his own salary.
但有一件事，他总是没有勇气开口——薪金待遇。
"I'm afraid that bringing up this topic might offend the recruiter and damage my chance of getting an offer," he said. "So I'm shy and reluctant to talk about it."
"我担心提出这个话题会惹恼招聘人员，从而丢掉这份工作。"他说，"所以我总是不好意思，也不愿去谈论这个问题。"
Li, a student at Hebei University of Economics & Business is not the only one who feels this way. According to a latest survey by yjbys.com, a major recruiting portal, more than 30 percent of job interviewees find it hard to raise the salary issue.
就读于河北经贸大学的李晓明并非唯一一个这样想的人。根据知名求职门户网站——YJBYS求职网所进行的最新调查显示，30%以上的面试者都觉得对于薪金问题难以启齿。
As a result, many end up in jobs without knowing exactly their pay and conditions.
结果，很多人直到成功入职时都不知道自己确切的薪金待遇。
Examples abound about those who learn too late that they lag behind their peers on a starting salary.
种种事例表明，很多人过了很久以后才知道自己的起薪和同龄人差了一大截，但为时已晚。
"Job candidates need a realistic picture of their paycheck from their future employer. It is in their best interests," said senior consultant Chen Xi from Zhaopin.com."They have a duty to obtain that information before they sign any contract."
"应聘者应对未来雇主提供的薪水有一个现实的预期。这是为了为自身谋取最大利益。"智联招聘网高级顾问陈曦(音译)说。"在签合同前他们有责任掌握这些信息。"
Career experts say that job seekers should not be hesitant or shy inquiring about the pay. However, they still have to do it in a "proper and tactful way."
求职专家认为，求职者在询问薪金这个问题上不应犹犹豫豫或羞于开口。然而，他们也得以一种"得体且委婉的方式"来谈薪水。
Raising the pay issue too soon may turn away an employer or reduce one's competitiveness.
急于抛出薪水问题可能会吓跑雇主，你的竞争力也会大打折扣。
"The sensitive topic is normally not touched upon in the first one or two rounds of interviews," Chen pointed out. "At this stage, your priority is to prove your value to the company."
"通常在前一、两轮面试中应避免提及这种敏感话题。"陈曦指出，"在这一阶段，你首先要做的是去证明你对于公司的价值。"
Once a company develops a genuine interest in a job candidate, they'll send HR personnel to negotiate the details, either in the format of a last round interview or a private talk about a contract.
一旦公司对某位应聘者特别感兴趣，他们会派人事专员以最终一轮面试，或谈合同的一对一谈话的形式来商讨具体细节。
What if the company has not addressed the issue directly? Chen suggests that students seize the chance when asked "Do you have any more questions about our company?" Or "Anything else you want to know about us?", and bring up the topic naturally.
如果公司没有直接提出薪水问题该怎么办?陈曦建议学生在被问到"你对于公司还有什么其他问题?"或"你还想了解我们公司的哪些情况?"时，抓住机会，自然而然地提出薪金问题。
Most recruiters will not be offended by a candidate's straightforward but polite manner.
如果应聘者直接而礼貌地提出这个问题，大多数招聘人员都不会生气。
Jia Lan, a recruiting manager from Yongche.com, a car-renting service portal, prefers candidates to lay the cards on the table.
贾澜(音译)是租车服务门户网站"易到用车网"的招聘主管，她更喜欢应聘者能够直截了当的讨论薪资问题。
"It's fine that they state what they want and we'll see if we can help realize it," she said. "It helps with decision-making."
"应聘者说出自己的期望，我们看是否能帮助他们实现，这很好。"她说，"这对我们做决定十分有益。"
On some occasions, graduates become tongue-tied when asked "How much do you expect to earn?"
在某些情况下，当被问及"期望薪金"这个问题时，刚刚走出大学校园的应聘者们开始变得支支吾吾。
Career consultants advise job seekers to do research online about the average salary range in a specific sector and a company's level within the industry.
职业咨询师建议求职者先在网上调查一下某一具体行业的平均薪酬范围，以及该公司的薪资在业内所处的水平。
This has occupied Li Jinbing, a senior electronics major from Hunan Institute of Science and Technology. The 22-year-old, who wants to join a newly set-up IT company in Beijing, is busy surveying friends and alumni in similar positions. "So I'll know what to expect from the company," he said.
来自湖南理工学院电子专业的大四学生李锦冰(音译)最近就正在忙着做薪资调查。这位22岁的大学生打算进入北京一家新成立的IT公司工作，他正到处咨询从事类似工作的朋友和校友。"这样我就能知道自己对于这家公司的薪金期望值了。"他说。
Expectations and reality often don't match, especially for green hands. Chen says capable students may politely ask if it's possible to raise the bar a little, but they can't count on that.
然而现实与期望总是有差距，对于职场新人们尤其如此。陈曦表示，一些能干的学生可能会礼貌地询问是否有可能稍稍提高一下工资标准，但也不能完全指望这一点。
"A salary package comprises more than wages. It also contains benefits, insurance, paid vacations, training, and even a free hukou," he said.
陈曦说："薪酬待遇不仅仅包括工资，还包括福利，保险，带薪假期，培训甚至还是免费落户。"