Forum - Ask the Hiring Manager
QUESTION:
I have enjoyed reading your book, "College Grad Job Hunter." I just relocated to Washington, D.C. and am currently searching for a job. Your book has been very informative. I do have a question. I have mostly been looking for jobs on the internet (Washington Post) and most of the jobs that I will be applying for say to send resume and cover letter "with salary requirements" or "salary history." How do I go about doing this? Where is the appropriate place to write this, and how do I best word it?
From: Teresa Brown
ANSWER FROM BRIAN KRUEGER:
Hi Theresa -
Regarding salary history, simply ignore the question in your response. It's a standard question asked at all levels, but obviously does not apply at the entry level. And really all they are doing is trying to smoke out your salary requirements (future vs. past).
Regarding salary requirements, state on your cover letter: "My salary requirements are open." Keep it simple. For most entry level hires, there is no valid salary history to reference, so just keep it to the above four words. The request is usually made by HR people who are trying to get a head start in the offer-negotiation game by asking a "freebie" question up front. That doesn't mean that you have to answer it.
Don't give away a negotiating chip early in the
process that could lock you into an artificially low salary or, worse yet, lock you out of consideration for what is viewed as an artificially high salary.
Author of College Grad Job Hunter
Do you have a question that you would like to have answered here in this forum? Send your question direct to Brian Krueger.
All job search information at this forum is provided by Brian Krueger, author of the book College Grad Job Hunter, the definitive guide for college grad job search. Used by permission of the author.
