Often times in salary negotiation the question about your salary history will come up. It is not a good idea to discuss your salary history if you can avoid it, as it can give the employer a hand up in negotiation.
My first rule of thumb is to never lie. It is not very good to talk about the salary, especially during an early interview.
Consider the following if you are pressured for your salary history when you aren't comfortable with it:
1) State that you'd rather not answer that question because your previous salary is not terribly relevant to the current job you're applying to. You'd rather be paid commensurate with the market and within the companies standard guidelines for the role and responsibility.
2) If the employer insists you mention your previous salary, mention with the total value of your salary package. Also, restate that it is not the same company you will be working for, and so your past salary is not related. There are so many factors including lifestyle, vacation, time in lieu of pay and other things that also factor in.
3) When you go in for an interview you should be armed with knowledge of the current market. You should know your level of skill and professionalism and knowing your local job market you should be able to command the price you expect. You need to do your research, and be realistic about whether you are superstar talent or just high performing.
4) You may had a valid reason in your past for working at a job where the pay wasn't up to industry standards. No matter what, it does not explain the value you will add to the company in a new job. You should always state your case for earning at least fair market value for the job, and know that if you're a top performer, that you should be at higher levels.
5) If you do talk about your salary history make sure to mention that you expect to be paid the current fair market rate for the job listing, and explain what you know about salaries in your field at the time. Many employers will respect you for standing up for what you deserve. Just remember negotiating is a professional situation and remember to be firm in your stance but respectful with the employer.
Never lie your interview. The employer has many ways to find out what you really earned in your past, either through asking your for some form of record, or they can confirm it with your previous employer. Just remember, you bring a lot of value, and that is the most important thing you offer to the employer. - 15433
My first rule of thumb is to never lie. It is not very good to talk about the salary, especially during an early interview.
Consider the following if you are pressured for your salary history when you aren't comfortable with it:
1) State that you'd rather not answer that question because your previous salary is not terribly relevant to the current job you're applying to. You'd rather be paid commensurate with the market and within the companies standard guidelines for the role and responsibility.
2) If the employer insists you mention your previous salary, mention with the total value of your salary package. Also, restate that it is not the same company you will be working for, and so your past salary is not related. There are so many factors including lifestyle, vacation, time in lieu of pay and other things that also factor in.
3) When you go in for an interview you should be armed with knowledge of the current market. You should know your level of skill and professionalism and knowing your local job market you should be able to command the price you expect. You need to do your research, and be realistic about whether you are superstar talent or just high performing.
4) You may had a valid reason in your past for working at a job where the pay wasn't up to industry standards. No matter what, it does not explain the value you will add to the company in a new job. You should always state your case for earning at least fair market value for the job, and know that if you're a top performer, that you should be at higher levels.
5) If you do talk about your salary history make sure to mention that you expect to be paid the current fair market rate for the job listing, and explain what you know about salaries in your field at the time. Many employers will respect you for standing up for what you deserve. Just remember negotiating is a professional situation and remember to be firm in your stance but respectful with the employer.
Never lie your interview. The employer has many ways to find out what you really earned in your past, either through asking your for some form of record, or they can confirm it with your previous employer. Just remember, you bring a lot of value, and that is the most important thing you offer to the employer. - 15433
About the Author:
Trevor Davide Grant is a IT manager in the IT field and has extensive experience in salary negotiation. Trevor has worked for large telecom, power utililties, software development consulting, and a prevalent web 2.0 site. He has learned how to negotiate a salary in the most powerfulway. Learn great tactics on the topic of negotiating salary at www.HowToNegotiateASalary.com.
