How should I format my salary requirements? Should it be built into the cover letter?

Question

Clearly I need to clarify my previous question about salary requirements. I'm really not that dumb.

Answer 1

First, know the area you live in and the going rate for the position and education level you are at. This will help you be in the ball park most of the time for when you negotiate in person.

If the company asks for it when applying, I use my resume with my salary history and put nothing in my cover letter. But putting your salary history could allow you to be undercut also.

If I am asked during the initial contact with the company representative about my salary requirements, I turn the question around by stating "What does the position pay?" They let me know the range 99.9% of the time. That way I know if they are low-balling me. Too many smaller companies don't have the resources to pay what I make and I will not take a salary at 50% of what I was making - until I absolutely have to.

I have put "My salary range in negotiable" in my cover letter, but I know it went into the circular file as I applied a couple of months later with my salary history resume and received a call. This has happened many times.

Answer 2

If you have a definitive salary requirement and state it before the interview, then you have no room for negotiation - or even to adjust it based on the information you will find out on the company.

For instance, what if they offer an extensive training program that would increase your value by 10k per year - would that not be worth 2k per year? If the commute ends up being horrid due to traffic, wouldn't you want to get a few hundred more for that headache? If you get an office instead of a cubicle. If you are allowed to telecommute vs facing strictly defined office hours. If they let you wear jeans instead of a suit and tie. If the workload ends up requiring many hours of overtime. All these things should impact the final requirement.

For as much as the company is interviewing you - remember that you should also be interviewing the company. Everything you learn during your interview should impact the final salary you ask for. So wait until after you get the information to determine what it should be.

Answer 3

I would NEVER put salary requirements in a resume or cover letter. Depending on the job level you are applying for and if the employer is asking for it or not! IF the do ask I would write it at the bottom of the resume as negotiable, but would prefer to be at X amount. I worked with human resources in my previous job, and resumes with salary requests were automatically put in the NO pile. Usually save the pay talk for your first or second interview. Focus on your skills and abilities and make the employer drool over your resume and want you to work for them no matter what it will cost them! Also.... if you do get the interview... DO not be the one to bring up pay first. Let your prospective employer do that, and once again stress that you are negotiable..... They will most likely low ball you to begin with... but as I said before make them drool over you and you will get at least what you want.... mabey even more! Good luck to you!

Answer 4

i does not be which include revenue criteria in an introductory letter. Wait till you get a head to head interview previously raising this difficulty. As a sparkling graduate, you could come for the period of as too cocky in a letter. once you're sitting with a ability employer, study their way, their body language and their style of talking previously starting the issue. oftentimes, someone searching to employ a sparkling graduate ought to have a sparkling theory of what revenue they are going to grant, so i experience they are going to strengthen the issue first. in the journey that they ask you what your revenue expectation is, attempt to word your reaction as humbly as you may even as nonetheless last sparkling and agency about what you opt for. i do not comprehend what market you're talking about, yet in elementary words this week i began a sparkling graduate. I informed him on the interview what remuneration i replaced into providing and left it to him to opt for. good luck

Answer 5

I usually note what my previous salaries were and say that it is negotiable for now. This way they know what ball park range you are already used to

Answer 6

Definitly not.

That would look bad. Don't even worry about salary untill you get into your second or third interview. Get through Human resources first and then it would br appropriate to bring up salary.

Good luck!

Answer 7

look at monster.com careerbuilder.com