Negotiating pay when I have been out of work, call-centre agent here

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as a call-centre agent. I also do not want to sell myself short.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.

Check several sources for pay in Portland, then pick a range where the low end is one you can live with.