Resume Tips...

Graceful Ways To Deal With Salary History

When applying for a job, the question of your salary history will often come up as a request from your potential employer. The company may ask for your salary history, or perhaps it is already a question on your application. This presents a problem. You don’t want to an employer to throw you out of the consideration stack simply based on past salaries. The best way to avoid this situation is to avoid the question all together.

If a company requests that you give a salary history, let them know that you have received the request and will honor it when you talk with them in person. When you submit the cover letter with your resume, include a line stating that in regards to their salary request, you would prefer to discuss it in an interview. Ignoring the question is the wrong path to take and will cast you in an ill light before you’ve even met with the company. Dodging the question in a professional manner is a skillful tactic to use in this situation. Stating that you will discuss salary at the interview lets the employer focus on the important parts of your resume, the qualifications and experience.

When you are faced with an application that requires your salary history to be written and turned in, write “Will be discussed during interview.” This is another gracious way to dodge the question. When you go to the interview, you can talk with your employer and let them know that your past salary history will not affect your performance or qualifications for this job. A face-to-face encounter will convince the employer that you mean what you say about your salary history having no affect on this new job. If the rest of your resume is polished and impressive, the employer will overlook the salary history and you’ll get the callback.

If not, it is in your best interest not to work for an employer that would pass over the perfect candidate for the job simply because of their gracious refusal to report salary history until the job interview.

by Jessica Reed

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