Some of you may know as I posted a similar related question before but anyway, I recently found out I am making $6,000 less than the lady who worked in my position before me did.
Anyway I decided I really don’t feel comfortable working there so I am looking for another job.
Here in lies the question. As I currently see it, there is no point in quitting this easy job to take a job somewhere else, that pays just as much. So is it acceptable to put on my resume or cover letter the least amount of money I will except. Or perhaps a range.
I realize this may shortchange me if I ask for an amount and the new job pays more, but I plan to make it clear I will not take less in any case then the last person who had the job.
I hate to go to job interviews and waste everyone’s time. Or maybe should I ask when I get the call for the interview.
The resume is to sell your skills to an employer; to tell them why you’ll be making them money in the long run. It might save time and effort to get the salary issue out of the way, but it can come across as very mercenary (“I’d like to join your company, but only if you pay X”).
I’ve been very, very busy lately writing covering letters and CVs. I never, ever mention money unless specifically asked, and even then I stick to something like this:
“My current salary is £20,000pa plus benefits, so I would be looking for a similar figure.”
Most job ads I saw say up front what the package is like; if not, I usually leave asking until the end of the second interview. Having said that, I’m going for graduate jobs which usually pay about the same regardless of company.
As someone who works in HR, I also recommend that you DO NOT put a monetary figure on your resume. It’s unprofessional, and you might lose an opportunity where they WOULD be willing to pay you more.
Also, you’re more inclined to lose than to win with the attitude of “I’ll only take the job if…” Notice that employers are not actively seeking YOU out. Your asking them for an opportunity. Often these opportunities include pay and benefits, which are seen as one in the same.
If you really don’t want to spend time interviewing for employers who won’t give you at least “x” number of dollars, only apply at places that clearly state in their ad that they will.
I would definitely not suggest putting your salary requirements on your resume. Save that discussion for when they interview you, and even then, only either at the end of the interview or when they bring it up. If they’re going to ask you back for a second interview, then don’t bring it up. At least, that’s what the career office at school told me… I’ve never tried putting salary requirements on a resume.
“…Dark Matter, every pound of which weighs ten thousand pounds” -Futurama
There will be cases where applicants for a position are asked to include salary requirements and/or salary history, and when they do, amend your resume as warranted or include that information in your cover letter.
TIME ELAPSED SINCE I QUIT SMOKING:
One week, 18 hours, 36 minutes and 55 seconds.
311 cigarettes not smoked, saving $38.88.
Life saved: 1 day, 1 hour, 55 minutes.
I guess you’re right but the point is I am GETTING unsolicited offers and right now I can’t just take off work and run out to interviews. And clearly I can command at least 6,000 more than I’m making.
Other people in my postion were getting it and I am better than them. I know this. I got stuck with this job as I was on unemployment last time and they offered me slightly more than I was making so I had to take the job or else lose the unemployment.
I mean right or wrong I feel and would feel cheated working for a company that won’t pay me at least what the last person was getting. And right now, at least in Chicago, jobs are everywhere and pay is up. I mean our reservationist are starting at 12.50/hr.
And in my company we hired a sales manager that should’ve gotten 38K and he upped himself to 51K (which is dumb for the company as he bested every other sales manager in the company)
The GM is really bad with Excel and since the incentive plans are in Lotus and have to be put into Excel then fed into Word I do it as he can’t. Thus I know what everyone makes)
So I won’t put my salary requirments on paper but what is a good way of saying I want this much and I must be making minimum what the last person in the position held.
There isn’t a good way to do it unless the ad/offer specifically requests your salary requirements (which I hate and always put that my requirements are “negotiable”). It’s unlikely you’re going to be offered as much as the person you’d be replacing, because they most likely have received merit and COLA raises over the term of their employment, plus which they have experience with the company and you don’t. But $6,000 less for the same work is unconscionable.
I get irked with the employment ads that say to include salary requirements. It’s like when you want to buy something and someone asks you what you think it’s worth. What I’ve been doing recently is including a figure that is far higher than I expect, figuring it will have one of two effects: They ignore me, and I don’t get a job that I otherwise wouldn’t have applied for anyways, or I wind up with far better pay than I thought I was going to get.
You can usually leave off salary requirements on a resume/cover letter without it hurting your chances. Have a figure in mind when you go to the interview, however, and be sure it’s at the high end of the range for people doing the same work. Asking for a higher salary in the interview doesn’t disqualify you, and gives the impression you are worth something.
In my case, once when I was interviewing, I told them I was looking for around $25K (this was quite a few years ago). I had never made even $20K. They offered me $23.5K.
When the employers are contacting you, however, it’s different. They’re the buyers, so put the ball in their court and ask what they are thinking of as a salary. They don’t want to waste their time recruiting you if you aren’t going to accept their offer. Further, they’re going to want to make an offer that entices you away from your current job, so most likely it’ll be a good one. If the question pisses them off, you probably won’t want to work there anyway, and in any case, you’re no worse off than you started.
“What we have here is failure to communicate.” – Strother Martin, anticipating the Internet.
I would like to reiterate the “don’t mention money until at least the interview” point. We’re interviewing people right now for several positions we have open. I called one man who had submitted his resume to us in order to schedule an interview. He returned the call when I was out of my office and left a message saying, “Call me back to schedule an interview if the position you have open has a salary of at least X.” Although the salary was quite a bit more than X, I did not call him back because I thought he was unprofessional. I don’t want to hire someone who is going to be that unprofessional with our clients.
But you can call the human resources office & ask for the salary range [range, not the exact amount, which they certainly, if they are ethical, won’t say] for the position you want. I do that.