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How to handle:
Ads requiring Salary History /
Ads requiring Salary Requirements
Until you interview for a
position, chances are you'll have only a limited understanding of the details and
responsibilities of the position being targeted. So how can
you address fair compensation when you don't have all the information?
Equally, the interviewer needs
an opportunity to learn what you bring to the table (what you have to
offer - the potential values and benefits of hiring you), or he or she
can't effectively address appropriate compensation with you. Instead, he or she can only
address what has been budgeted for the position. (For a primer on salary negotiation, or to determine your current market
worth, see article on Salary Negotiation.)
This lack of information on
both sides makes salary negotiation ineffective and premature, prior to the interview
stage.
While it's tempting for some
candidates to include a salary range or expectation ("It will save me from
interviewing for jobs for which I’m overqualified"), doing so can severely limit
your opportunities. If you provide a salary range
that’s too high or too low, prior to an
interview, you reduce your negotiation power and possibly remove the
opportunity of being offered the position altogether. The bottom line is this: if it’s not asked,
don’t volunteer.
Most companies will have
an established salary budget for any available position, but these budgets can be flexible,
depending on a particular candidate’s unique skill set and offering. For example, a candidate who brings unique skills to the table, skills that can be utilized and will benefit the company
(outside the duties already established for the position), may see the budget range
broadened to include these skills and their potential benefits.
Yet, some ads will require
that you provide “salary history” or “salary requirements” with your
resume submission. This indicates that the salary budget
may be more fixed, and
that salary requirements may be a major
factor in the mind of the hiring manager. This
doesn’t mean the budget isn’t flexible, just that it may be less so
– initially. What
to do when a job ad requires that you provide this information?
“Salary History,”
and “Salary Requirements” are two very different things, and need to be handled
in different ways:
For companies that require
salary history for consideration of a position, create a separate document that matches
the layout and format of your cover letter and resume, or CV, using the same letterhead, font,
format, and stationery. Following the reverse chronological layout of your resume or CV as your guide, present your entries as such, beginning with your most recent position:
Your Title
Company Name
Dates of Service
Annual Salary:
(or)
Beginning Salary:
Ending Salary:
(to show growth)
So that it would look something like this:
{Your contact information on
letterhead that matches your resume and cover letter}
SALARY HISTORY
Director of Sales & Marketing
ABC Corporation, Cleveland, OH
June 2010 - January 2012
Annual Salary: $78,000
(or)
Director of Sales & Marketing
ABC Corporation, Cleveland, OH
June 2010 - January 2023
Beginning Salary: $75K, plus insurance, 401(k) and travel expenses
Ending Salary: $78K, plus insurance,
401(k) and travel expenses
You can (and should) include other
compensation information, such as insurance benefits, 401(k), bonus packages, and
commissions - either as individual items or as an added financial figure in your total salary amount.
Why do potential employers want to know
previous salary history? Unfortunately, this information is used in two ways:
-
To weed out individuals who appear to be over or under qualified
(whether this is actually true, or not).
-
To gain an advantage at the
negotiation table.
For a position that has been budgeted in the $45K to $50K range, the candidate above will appear to be "overqualified," and will probably be less interested in pursuing the position. If the candidate has shown a previous
salary history well below the budgeted range, the hiring
manager may assume that the candidate will present a great opportunity for salary negotiation, and the hiring manager may actually be able to come in under budget.
Obviously, disclosure of salary
history is to the hiring manager's advantage.
Do you have to provide
salary history? Only if an ad states: "only submissions providing
salary history will be considered," or other wording to this affect, and only
then if it is a job you truly want to pursue.
Without this strict wording, you can make your resume recipient aware that the information is
available, and recognize the request, without
actually disclosing the information at this disadvantage point, by indicating: "Full salary history will be made
available once mutual interest is established," or "Full salary history will be
provided at interview."
Remember: only mention
salary history if it is a stated requirement of the ad. Never disclose this
information openly without it first being requested.
For more
information on salary negotiation, see
Salary Negotiation Skills. This article will also give you good resources for researching pay scales within different positions and at different locations. (Back to top)
Unless an ad states that "only submissions
including salary requirements will be considered," your best option is to
address the question without actually answering it, by using a statement such as:
“Salary is fully negotiable,” or “Salary is negotiable, dependent upon the
responsibilities of the position.” If your skills and background are an obvious fit
for the position being targeted, this will probably be sufficient.
It also shows your reader that you did recognize the question and didn't simply
ignore the answer. You'll place this statement toward the end of your cover letter.
In situations where an ad
states “only submissions including salary requirements will be considered,"
respond to this request in your cover letter, not the resume. Provide a salary range
rather than a single set figure. This will maintain room for negotiation during the interview and salary negotiation phases.
The lowest salary range should
be the minimum you would be willing to accept in this position, as you understand its
responsibilities to date (limited knowledge) - to the highest compensation you could
expect to be paid in this position, within the industry and location (different
locations provide different salary ranges). For more
information on salary negotiation, see
Salary Negotiation Skills - For Navigating The Tough Terrain. This article will also give you good resources for researching pay scales within different positions and at different locations.
If you don’t know what
the location averages are for individuals in your position, it’s time to do some
research. Talk to local recruiters or other hiring managers from companies in the
industry. Research local statistics in your library. Utilize
salary calculators online - I have a list of great ones on my
Career Resources page. Join a professional association or organization and do some networking (a good idea anyway). Or
check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook to get the
statistics you need on the targeted position, including educational requirements, national salary levels, working environment,
and more. Just keep in mind that national salary levels may not accurately reflect
local salary levels or what the current business market can bear.
Again, you'll provide this information toward
the end of your cover letter, right before you thank your reader for
his or her time
and consideration.
(Back
to top)
Should I Hire a Professional Resume
Writer? / 1st-Writer.com Services
See more articles on
job hunting
Good luck in your job search!
Sue Campbell,
1st-Writer.com - over 15 years
experience helping clients achieve their career and business goals. Feel free to
e-mail me
with any questions you may have. I'll be glad to help!
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