Negotiating pay when I have been out of work - 22 weeks in

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a store manager. I looked up ranges in Little Rock and they vary a lot.

Benefits matter too. A slightly lower rate with better coverage was better for me.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 14 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.