putting salary history on applicaton -HELP PLAESE!

Salary_Diz

OK, so HJ is applying for this new job and everything is going well and she has an interview on friday, but on the application they want to know her salary history. Thats fine, I guess, but we both assume that they want to know her current salary and base her offer off of that, which I think is crap. She is about to get promoted and get a raise at her current job, and she wants to put that number on the application, even though it wouldn't be for a few months. but she is also worried that this new company would some how find out her current salary (they do a background check) and it wouldn't match up.Since I don't actually want to put her real salary online, i'll make up some fake numbers here.suppose she is making 15 dollars a year.she wants to make at least 20 to 25 at the new job, because 15 a year is crap.With her promotion she would be making 20, but thats not official yet, and still a few months away.She is worried that if she tells the absolute truth and puts that she is making 15 on the application, then they will lowball her and offer 17.If she puts that she is making 20, then the offer will be more in her range, but then she's worried that they will find out that her real salary is 15 and then she's screwed.Not to mention, they also want her to put her bonuses in there, which is like an extra 2 dollars a year. When thats tacked on, she would be putting 22 dollars a year on her application, and then what if the new company thinks "oh, we can't afford her."so... what should she do?

monty

why does life have to be so complicated?

tell the truth, but "calling those things which shall be as if they were" is not a lie?

i dunno

Belson

Say what she is currently on.

Then, as a side or foot note to that section, mention that her last appraisal succeeded in offering her a pay increase to start at *whatever date*.

Looks good on the CV to the potential employer cos she wouldn't be getting a pay increase if she didn't deserve it.

funky16corners

I can't imagine the prospective employer has any access to her salary information at the current job (where I work all they'll do when called about an application is confirm employment).

ehuffman

I can't imagine the prospective employer has any access to her salary information at the current job (where I work all they'll do when called about an application is confirm employment).

depends. they sometimes do a salary confirmation for the "position" but not necessarily the person who is in it. You know, we have a blah blah here and how much does a blah blah make there. Its on an HR high up level though, they wont ask the old boss that.

When i relocated to the university of virginia, they did do a "salary investigation" here...state agency though.

pkny

Is that promotion and raise guaranteed, or is it more of an assumption? In any event, I'd be honest all the way through. List exactly what you're making now. If they make an offer that you think is a lowball figure, then let them know what you feel is adequate salary compensation for that job, and see if they'll play ball.

BlowFly

Does anyone have any privacy in the US?

Swayze

they check that shit for sure... every friday i do the accounts payable for our foundry, and i've had to obtain that same information for prospective hires. it's all pretty accessible. good luck.

Salary_Diz

they check that shit for sure... every friday i do the accounts payable for our foundry, and i've had to obtain that same information for prospective hires. it's all pretty accessible. good luck.

oooohhh.... see i was thinking it wasn't. thanks for the advice guys....

ariel_calmer

I can't imagine the prospective employer has any access to her salary information at the current job (where I work all they'll do when called about an application is confirm employment).

I'd never put salary info on my resume. It's always in your advantage to keep this kind of thing secret. If you have to, give them a ballpark.

If they disclose their figure before you do, you win. Because you can cater your response to their expectations, instead of vice-versa. The figure in their head is probably lower than they're willing to go if they like what you have to offer.

Swayze

Is that promotion and raise guaranteed, or is it more of an assumption?

that's what I was wondering.

if it's definite, put it on there. if they call her out, it's easily explainable.

Salary_Diz

Is that promotion and raise guaranteed, or is it more of an assumption?

that's what I was wondering.

if it's definite, put it on there. if they call her out, it's easily explainable.

Its more of an assumption I guess. She applied within the company, and everybody says she has it, but nothing "official" has been set in stone....

pkny

Is that promotion and raise guaranteed, or is it more of an assumption?

that's what I was wondering.

if it's definite, put it on there. if they call her out, it's easily explainable.

Its more of an assumption I guess. She applied within the company, and everybody says she has it, but nothing "official" has been set in stone....

Unless it's in writing, it ain't a slam dunk...

Salary_Diz

I've think we've decided to just go ahead and be honest with this one, while making a note about the promotion. Thanks to all who posted/PMed.....

AlGarth

I'd never put salary info on my resume. It's always in your advantage to keep this kind of thing secret. If you have to, give them a ballpark.

If they disclose their figure before you do, you win. Because you can cater your response to their expectations, instead of vice-versa. The figure in their head is probably lower than they're willing to go if they like what you have to offer.

Absolutely corrct! NEVER put any salary info on the application/resume and DO NOT discuss it at the interview UNTIL it is for sure that you are to be hired/promoted.

At professional job seeker seminars they will always say that the first one to mention a figure is the loser! This goes for both the "previous salary" and "Desired Salary" boxes.

Most will suggest putting something generic like "top market rate" but sometimes that is impossible with on-line resumes with pre set boxes etc...

Don't ever lie. Remember applications are a test. Any lies is an automatic fail. If she has no choice have her put in the real figure and then brush up on her salary negotiation skills for when she has the actual interview.

I suggest taking the free course on job searching (I am currently enrolled) at the el cajon education center. It's a grueling 4 hours a day for 5 days but she would especially benefit from going at least Wed.-Fri. It's 8am-12:10.

PM me for more info.

-Al Garth

hogginthefogg

You can also tell her to state her actual salary, but add that she feels she's vastly underpaid for all that she does. "Why do you think I'm here interviewing for another job?"

I was in an interview last week where, luckily, I knew what the salary was for the position. I had to fudge my current salary up a bit when they asked me, point blank, what I'm making now. I also said, "They've made other concessions because they know that they're undercompensating me. I work from home on Fridays, leave at 5:00 every day, and get a free gym membership." (All basically true)

Second interview tomorrow--wish me and HJ dual luck!

Swayze

Dear Abby,
Thanks for the really neato advice.(this is Han Jew by the way) I think this site is really keen!

For some reason this is the hardest part of the interview process for me. I have just always accepted the amount they offered because I was so excited about actually getting a job that pays any amount of money. But really, now that I have Salary Diz pimping himself to the man, I should really pursue my next career as a woman of leisure.

ariel_calmer

I'd never put salary info on my resume. It's always in your advantage to keep this kind of thing secret. If you have to, give them a ballpark.

If they disclose their figure before you do, you win. Because you can cater your response to their expectations, instead of vice-versa. The figure in their head is probably lower than they're willing to go if they like what you have to offer.

Absolutely corrct! NEVER put any salary info on the application/resume and DO NOT discuss it at the interview UNTIL it is for sure that you are to be hired/promoted.

At professional job seeker seminars they will always say that the first one to mention a figure is the loser! This goes for both the "previous salary" and "Desired Salary" boxes.

Most will suggest putting something generic like "top market rate" but sometimes that is impossible with on-line resumes with pre set boxes etc...

Don't ever lie. Remember applications are a test. Any lies is an automatic fail. If she has no choice have her put in the real figure and then brush up on her salary negotiation skills for when she has the actual interview.

Good to see I'm not insane

Plus each job is so different. I'm about to accept a position doing IT work. Stuff I haven't done since high school. Why? They pay for 3/4 of my classes, I'm too busy this next month to sort out another job, and I only work part-time for 16 weeks. But you're out of your mind if you think I'm going to put that hourly breakdown onto a resume anywhere!

I always put "TDB" if asked for a salary, except if I'm giving a quote for a project. I can bend, but so can they.

re: testing, during the height of the dot-com bust I got an interview in the northeast. Out of soem 700 applicants I got an interview... one of ***5***. I was sweating and answered a highly technical flash question wrong. I was not on my best skills that day and I know that was what resulted in a no callback. I didn't even get a solid "no"... just the abyss.