Sometimes the poor recruiter is just trying to establish that he’s not wasting your time with something that pays way below your expectations.
I agree, which is why I START the conversation by having the recruiter describe the position in detail, and first see if it is a good fit for my skills.
The second step is to let them know I dont come cheap and for the job of XXXXX, I expect a compensation package of YYYY. And then directly ask the recruiter are we still able to proceed. Several times I have been told no, that my expectations were not in alignment with the business’s compensation plan. To which I stated that I understood and if they had a position more in line with my expectations, feel free to call me in the future.
another winner.....you sir are correct.