If we remember 2021 for anything, it could very well be the year when everyone quit. The Department of Labor reported a record 4.3 million workers turned in their notice in August, topping July by some 242,000 quits.

The good news is that this trend has put many workers in the potentially lucrative position of negotiating for higher pay with a new employer.

If you’re thinking of quitting soon or you’re simply interviewing to keep your options open, get ready for these awkward salary questions.

“How much are you earning at your current employer?”

Avoid this question at all costs, especially if you think you’re currently paid below market value for your skills or you are applying for a new role that would require more responsibilities.

For women — especially women of color — this question can be especially harmful. We are simply more likely than our peers to be underpaid for our work and overlooked for opportunities for advancement and the pay raises that come with them. If we tell a recruiter or hiring manager what we are currently earning and they base their offer off that figure, that could make it even harder to catch up to our peers.

The good news is that several states have made it illegal for recruiters to ask this question of job candidates (see if your state is one of them here). Otherwise, here’s a suggested response if you do get this question during the interview process:

“I’d rather not disclose my current salary and instead focus on the market rate for my skills today and the scope of this specific role with your company.”

If the question appears on an application form, fill in $0 or N/A.

“What salary range do you have in mind?”

I’ve mentored several dozen women this year as they’ve navigated the job market and I’ve seen this question come up earlier and earlier in job interviews. Time-strapped and overworked recruiters are juggling many candidate screening calls each day. They don’t want to waste anyone’s time by pushing forward candidates who are too expensive for their approved budget for the role, so they use this question to weed out folks early in the process.

Still, avoid giving a range early in the process. Even if you do your research and make your best guess at a good range, you may still be underselling yourself. You may also realize after a few interviews that the role is more complex than you expected and your range wasn’t high enough.

Try answering this way:

“I’d love to learn more about the role and its scope before discussing compensation, but do you have a particular budget in mind that you can share?”