When the reason is flat-out “I need more money”?
The job I’m in I love. I get along with everyone, my boss is great, but they don’t pay me enough for the amount of work to do, or really even enough for a mouse to live on in comfort. (OK, a little hyperbole). But I really have no other reason to leave! What do I say?
Tell them just what you said here. You love it there but can’t live on the salary. Who knows, maybe you’ll get a raise to entice you to stay…
You don’t have to give them a reason. “Better opportunity (to increase your lifestyle), new horizons (like the chance to take a cruise)” etc. I wouldn’t mention the salary increase…if they counter offer and you take it, then you are in a weaker position.
Nonono, sorry, I didn’t explain properly. What do you tell the interviewee for the new jobs? I won’t say much to this job, but if the new ones should ask? It seems so mercenary.
“For personal and professional reasons I have decided to end my employment with ___________ effective ________. I do so with nothing but the greatest respect and appreciation for the company and my co-workers.”
I’m assuming you mean interviwer. Inthat case, same answer. I loved it there, great job, great people; I couldn’t get by on what they paid me. They couldn’t pay me more, so I have to find something new. There’s no shame in wanting a living wage. Just make sure you make it sound like you’re angry about. Even if you are.
Gah! :smack: Sorry, i did mean interviewer. My head is falling off. I am the interviewee. And I’m not angry about it, much, so it shouldn’t come through or anything.
Thanks! I just wanted to be sure it was OK to say that.
I don’t think it is wrong to say what you just said. It is not wrong to want to be paid what you think you are worth. Tell the interviewer what you said: You love your job and your co-workers but you feel that you are worth more. Unless you are asking for more than the market usually pays, people will understand that reasoning.
FWIW, I have given that exact reason (loved the job and people, need more money) in two different job interviews, and I was hired both times.
You should get an idea of the salary range sometime during the interview, so I don’t see the need to bring it up. There’s nothing wrong with saying you want to explore new opportunities and expand your skills and expertise. The days of working at the same company from college graduation through retirement are long gone.
Remember, whoever brings up a salary figure first loses. Say you’re being paid $X per year now. If you tell your interview you want to make $Y per year, and he was planning on paying you more than $Y, you might sell yourself short. He may say the job pays $Z, in which case you smile and nod and say that will do nicely. Resist the urge to scream “Wooohoooo!” and jump up and down. 
I can officially say this is 100% correct. I was unfortunately put on the spot with this about a month ago and was offered a position at what I’ve been told is a wage far below what they expected to pay me :smack:
Regardless, it’s a 25% raise for me, so I can’t complain too much.
I find this comes up pretty early in the application process, usually when I’m contacted by someone who has no actual control over salary decisions (recruiter). I explain that I take a variety of variables into account when answering that question, blah blah blah, so I might expect compensation in the range of (somewhat above the low end of the market rate for the job title) to (somewhat above the high end of the market rate, or above what I’m making at the time of the conversation). It’s been an effective non-answer for me - I can sound flexible while making it clear that I know perfectly well what the market rate for the job is. It’s helped me weed out jobs where they weren’t even planning to match the market rate, or where they’d badly overstated the job title.
I’d probably go with something like “I felt it was time to advance my career beyond the opportunities I had at my previous job.” Doesn’t sound quite as mercenary as “I want more money.”
You should always tell the truth, but the phrase “I want more money” isn’t going to go over well. “I currently lack enough opportunity for advancement” will get the same message across.
Mention the money aspect, but downplay it a little.
Of course this is from the guy, who at the interview for this job (in front of 10 people) came right out and said:
Basically, I told them I’m good at what I do, but spoiled and lazy and I want more money than I made at the time.
On review, nevermind I have no good advice.