Salary History & demographic info?

[WCUgirl]

Well, certainly don't lie.

List your salary, and when they ask you what you're thinking a good compensation amount would be, explain to them what you just explained to us.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
OK can we talk about me?

I'm getting a RIDICULOUSLY low salary at my current job. I'm applying at several new places, and with the combined factors of my education, experience, clearance, (and the fact that I shouldn't have settled for such a low salary to start with, but whatever, i wanted a foot in the door) I'm putting my LOW salary range at a LOT more than I'm earning now. That range is still pretty typical (if not on the low side!) for my position in my field.

My point being -- for obvious reasons, I don't want to list my ridiculously low current salary. I don't want them to think I'm worth that, for starters. And I certainly don't want them to think they can offer me that -- that's the whole point of switching jobs.

So what do I do? Not list it? Even when it's requested?

Do you get anything else in your compensation package? For example I get meals and car service so if someone asked how much I made on a survey like that, I would feel comfortable factoring that in. Maybe you get something like classes or whatever too...

-Rudey

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

good call, Rudey -- I could either factor that in or use it to explain why my previous salary was so low.

AXiD670, I certainly wasn't planning to lie -- more of a question of "to leave out or not to leave out?"

[WCUgirl]

Originally posted by HotDamnImAPhiMu
AXiD670, I certainly wasn't planning to lie -- more of a question of "to leave out or not to leave out?"

Sorry, didn't mean to imply that you would. It was more of a general reminder to anyone who is searching for a job to not lie about such things.

I know someone who, while being interviewed for a new job, said he made "about xxx" in his current position - which was "about" $3,000 more than he really made. I think you can guess the outcome of that interview.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

Hahaha!

Dumb question -- but how'd they find out what he really made?

[adpiucf]

They verify your salary and employment history by checking with your previous employers.

DON'T LIE ON YOUR RESUME.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

OK. Again -- wasn't planning on lying on my resume.

I'm not giving permission for any potential employers to check with my current employer -- in my case, it'd be ridiculously unprofessional for someone in my field to do that. And I'm concerned enough about maintaining clearance that I don't have much interest in lying about, well, anything when it comes to getting/maintaining a job.

I just can't imagine how that conversation would go.

"Hi, this is Jan from XYC. We're considering hiring a job applicant, Mary Myrick. Did she work with you? How was her job record? What was she paid?"

maybe I'm just from a family where, still, what you make just isn't discussed.

[WCUgirl]

I know a lot of times the previous employer will only verify that yes, Mary Smith worked for us as a ___, and yes, she made $xxx. (By the way, that's how he got busted - they called to check his salary.)

If the new employer has your ss#, can't they check it using that?

[texas*princess]

Originally posted by AXiD670
List your salary, and when they ask you what you're thinking a good compensation amount would be, explain to them what you just explained to us.

What if they don't ask?

For example, let's say there is a job posting... it lists the job duties/responibilities, the "requirements" of the canadates to be considered for the job, and that a salary history is required. In other words, they won't give a range of what that position will be paid.

As paranoid as this is, I honestly wouldn't doubt if there was a candidate- in this example, we'll use Mary Sue - that met all the requirements, etc., but included a salary history that was ridiculously low for the field.

So Mary Sue is called in for an interview and they think she is a good candidate, but since her salary history is kind of low, they knock a couple thousand or whatever off what they were planning on paying before... and they tell her (notice I didn't say "ask") what the pay would be.

That sucks, but that's just business sometimes. That was my concern w/ the whole salary history thing. And I wasn't planning on lying either.. that's just asking for trouble

[aphigirly]

well my company can find out what i made at two of my previous employers, because my company is in hr outsourcing and my two previous employers where my current companies clients. the company that i work for already had my salary data


though i dont know your specific situation, i think its a bad move to not allow a future employer to not contact your current employer. it shows that you have something to hide, whether or not you do. its also impolite not to let your current employer know what your plans are. employers are understanding that people want to be challanged more or make changes in their life.

plus, out of experience, companies already have a good idea (if not a predetermined) salary. When i graduated from college on my first job applications/resumes, i was asking for a salary that was about $5000 less then what i was hired for, and a salary history that is typical of a college student. My company started me at the starting salary that they gave to everyone who were entering my position right out of college.

[HotDamnImAPhiMu]

It's actually pretty common to not allow your current employer to be contacted.... depends on the field you're in, regarding the appropriateness of letting your current employer know you're "searching".

[aphigirly]

i know that its common, its just that it always appears shady to future employers, i know it appears shady to me as well as my company.

part of my job is to interview and help with the hiring process, and whenever we have to conference calls to discuss applicants, believe it or not, that comes up

either way, do what you want. i do think you are overthinking the salary stuff. like i said before, employers usually already know exactly what they are going to pay a future employee for a certain position before they even start the interviewing process. i know that we dont really even pay that much attention to salary history, if anything we take note if the applicants previous salary is higher than we are willing to offer, so we can sell them on the other things that are great about my company

[nikki1920]

What is shady about not contacting your current employer if you are looking for another position? So my current employer should know that I am actively (or passively, for that matter) for another job? That just doesn't seem right to me.

[Sadfly]

They may rethink giving you additional raises and/or other responsibilities if they figure you won't be around long.