You will often find that the employer replies by giving you a stated range. If an interviewer persists about how much you earned or want to earn, you have to exercise judgment. Here is one possible response. I would rather avoid discussing my compensation until later on. Job content and challenge are most important to me, and I would like to talk money after I know you want me for the job.
Many people misunderstand and think of negotiation as selling.
In truth, you cannot negotiate unless there is some hope that you can get the employer to offer new terms, and there is almost no chance they would offer you new terms unless they were sold on you. When you are ready to negotiate, you will find it helpful to have clear ideas about what you want. Realizing that you will not achieve everything, keep your main objectives in mind, and do not risk an entire negotiation by coming on too strong about less important points. Support what you want with only one or two strong reasons, rather than many which may be strong or weak. The moment you give a weak reason, the employer can use that as an excuse for not granting the item in question.