Discussing Salary

Some companies will ask for salary requirements in a cover letter. Some will actually ask you to accept the offer before they even mention the word salary. There is no routine, no schedule for when companies will discuss salary with you. There is, however, an ideal.

It is to your best advantage to hold off on discussing salary until after you have been offered the position. Wait for them to bring it up, and try not to be the first to mention a range. Of course, the process rarely works this way. It is a little messier, a little more random, so you need to be prepared with information on how to handle every situation.

If you are asked to name your salary requirement in a cover letter or résumé, do so. It may be the criteria used to weed out résumés. If you do not include the information at all, your résumé will be quickly set aside because you don't follow directions. Put down a reasonable range such as $55,000 to $65,000, depending upon the responsibilities of the position.

If your interviewer brings up salary before you are prepared to discuss it, try to sidestep the question. Say something along the lines of, "Actually, I'd like to know more about the position before I can give you that answer." Then ask a question about the job's responsibilities.

Once you have been offered the position, and it is time to discuss the salary, you want them to name a figure first. This prevents you from naming a sum lower than they had been willing to pay, or a sum that is too high.

• Ask what the typical range is for others in the company with that position.
• Ask what they had budgeted for that job.
• Say you will consider any reasonable offer.
• Say that they are better informed to determine how much you are worth to the company than yourself.

All of these statements turn the situation around politely. It puts them in the position of naming a range first. If they counter, simply move on to the next statement. More than likely, they will return the question back to you no more than three times before they state a salary range.

Explaining your previous salary

It is probable that you will be asked your salary history at some point. If you were underpaid in your previous position, you may not want to reveal this information. Employers may base their offer on what you were previously making, or on the flip side, assume they can't afford you. You want the employer to base their offer on your value, not your previous salary.

• Let the interviewer ask you about salary. Be prepared to answer the question.
• Do not lie about your salary history. They can verify this information.
• If you do not wish to tell your salary history, answer with the salary range you are willing to negotiate within. If it is a reasonable range, they will more than likely drop the question of salary history.
• Do not become defensive or refuse to answer the question. It will leave a bad impression and only make the interviewer more interested in your salary history and possibly less interested in you.
• Talk about how your salary increased over time, how you received off-cycle adjustments, or bonuses.

What if you named a figure too early?

You messed up and named a figure too early. After some research, you found out that you deserve more, and they were probably expecting to pay more. The time has come for the negotiation. Now what? How do you go back and ask for more when you have already named a figure?

• Explain that you didn't realize the full responsibilities of the job. Now that you have more information of the level of the position and what it entails, that sum is no longer relevant. Then state the salary you think you deserve.
• Explain that you have done more market research, cost of living research, and researched salaries in similar positions, and have readjusted the salary figure accordingly.

Remember that it was your mistake. You did say you would accept that salary, so you need to be willing to compromise. Rather than refusing the offer, ask if you could have a review and salary increase after three months rather than six. Ask if you can have a higher percentage raise increase the first year to make up the difference. Ask for a signing bonus. You should decide beforehand whether you are willing to accept the sum you stated before you did your research, or whether you want to walk away and apply your newfound knowledge the next time.