Negotiating pay when I have been out of work (update)

A recruiter asked for my salary expectations on a first call as I look for work as an administrative assistant. I would rather hear the honest version than the polite one. I looked up ranges in Salt Lake City 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 13 months ago, and it got easier once I kept a simple log of every call and form.