Then you can verbally give them a range... like HR said, a wide range. I sometimes ask for this too just because I don't want to go through the interview process just to find out they are offering too low. But never put it on your resume. Even in an application I put open.
You won't get your resume tossed, unless you are asking for way more than market rate. If you want to apply for it, give it to them. Then, they can decide to move on or go for it. When I was younger, I was making less than $25k/yr. I reported my salary history to most jobs. I had an offer for $37.5k/yr from one company. A staffing agency had a potential job for $40k-42k/yr. The company paying $40-42k/yr bumped my offer to $50k/yr, after the interview. They weren't trying to lowball me. It was in everybody's best interests to know my salary requirements. I still received offers for 50%(1st offer) and 100%(2nd offer) more than my old salary.
Then why does the employer need the info? I could be making $x in salary but have all kinds of other assets, or have major debt issues, etc. typically you aren't asked for credit scores or balance sheet info. In my view, the employer knows what he is hiring for, how much he is offering, etc. the only reason to ask for salary requirements are to limit wasted time. Which is a valid reason, but can be mitigated by the employer listing a salary. If someone applies and goes through interviewing, it's in their range, and no wasted time.
I never really gave it much thought. I was always focused on getting $20k+/yr increase, that I didn't want to exclude anybody. I went job hunting again, a couple years later. I never really picked out companies with salary ranges over ones with no reported range. The first company told me from the start, it was paying $10k more. I took an interview with a 2nd company. I wasn't able to get a salary from HR or the interviewer. I didn't want to eliminate them prematurely. A week later, the hiring manager said they were still working on getting HR approval for my salary. Finally, after 2 weeks, they called with an offer for $20k+/yr. If I had eliminated them based on their salary range, I would not have gotten the extra $20k/yr vs $10k/yr. Maybe companies don't want to advertise their salaries to avoid a bidding war. I wonder if I would be working for the 1st company, if they kept their salary under wraps until the final stage and then offered more. However, since the offer was lower from the start, I never went back to renogtiate. Honestly, the hiring manager seemed really sincere at the 2nd company. They seemed nervous that I would leave for the first company. They were genuinely concerned that the paperwork for HR salary approval would fall through and leave me with their next best offer. Honestly, I am naive about the inner workings of HR, job hunting, and why companies do what they do. I love learning from other's experiences with salaries and job hunting. It helps me figure out what to do on the next search.
Job Search Tip of the Day August 29, 2012 When thinking about achievements to include on your resume, use the C-A-R formula: Challenge-Actions-Result(s). Oh, and those are all good points above. I've been doing this for 12 years, and I still have questions about how certain companies/industries do things. Technology has also changed many aspects of job search, so it's an ongoing study. Dan Dorotik, Nationally Certified Resume Writer; President, 100PercentResumes www.100percentresumes.com / contact@100percentresumes.com / 806-783-9900 "Everything looks fantastic! I feel you did a great job and I can clearly see a difference between a well organized resume and my bland one...I could never have written anything like this. I can confidently apply for jobs knowing I have a good resume now. Much appreciated." - ClutchFans Member/Client 1, 8/6/2012 "Hey Dan, thanks for the resume. It looks great!" - ClutchFans Member/Client 2, 8/17/2012 ""Dan did a fantastic job providing me with a professional resume that I'm confident will help me be successful in my job search." - ClutchFans Member/Client 3, 8/20/12
Actually, more and more employers are doing credit checks, even for positions that do not require you to manage financials or handle money. Which I think is a big load of s**t. No offense. Someone going through tough times sometimes has to delay certain bills, and a few 30-day-late payments can lower your FICO considerably. Shouldn't be a reason to screen you out unless you're in a situation handling money (yes, I know, you can say, "well, if someone has bad credit, they could steal equipment from the company, etc., but really, I just don't feel credit checks should be used for all forms of employment).
Job Search Tip of the Day August 30, 2012 If you are in a field that requires you to create PowerPoint presentations, create a PowerPoint version of your resume for presentation during an interview (and bring your laptop in case a computer is not available in the room where you interview). Dan Dorotik, Nationally Certified Resume Writer; President, 100PercentResumes www.100percentresumes.com / contact@100percentresumes.com / 806-783-9900 "Everything looks fantastic! I feel you did a great job and I can clearly see a difference between a well organized resume and my bland one...I could never have written anything like this. I can confidently apply for jobs knowing I have a good resume now. Much appreciated." - ClutchFans Member/Client 1, 8/6/2012 "Hey Dan, thanks for the resume. It looks great!" - ClutchFans Member/Client 2, 8/17/2012 ""Dan did a fantastic job providing me with a professional resume that I'm confident will help me be successful in my job search." - ClutchFans Member/Client 3, 8/20/12
Well, finally got hired out of college for the next year. To some degree, I'm happy, as the job itself is the first step to doing everything I've ever wanted to do, even though the pay sucks. The slight problem.... is that I'm now working for a prominent Tea Party leader.
Congratulations. It's a job. I wouldn't worry about the politics behind the company too much unless it's just totally against your beliefs. There are plenty of things that Chevron, Walmart, McDonald's, Apple, Nike, Google does that I'm sure you don't agree with. Would you not work for one of those companies?
Like I said, it's a political job directly for a Tea Party leader in DC. It's not just a company. Don't get me wrong, I'd work for the Communists if it meant I could do what I'm doing, so I'm happy. It's just the first step, after all.
Job Search Tip of the Day August 31, 2012 Have a positive outlook on your occupation throughout your job search- and choose wisely (BTW, video is pure genius, especially for fans of both MITM and BB): <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ky9VvH8fKhA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Dan Dorotik, Nationally Certified Resume Writer; President, 100PercentResumes www.100percentresumes.com / contact@100percentresumes.com / 806-783-9900 "Everything looks fantastic! I feel you did a great job and I can clearly see a difference between a well organized resume and my bland one...I could never have written anything like this. I can confidently apply for jobs knowing I have a good resume now. Much appreciated." - ClutchFans Member/Client 1, 8/6/2012 "Hey Dan, thanks for the resume. It looks great!" - ClutchFans Member/Client 2, 8/17/2012 ""Dan did a fantastic job providing me with a professional resume that I'm confident will help me be successful in my job search." - ClutchFans Member/Client 3, 8/20/12
Just out of curiosity, what companies/organizations certify resume writing? Do job sites like Monster do this? Any big companies I might recognize?
Professional Association of Resume Writers National Resume Writers Association A few others. The NRWA is the toughest, which is why I joined them and earned certification through them. The certification test is extremely tough- over 50% of our takers fail on the first try (basically, you make one mistake and you fail- but they do give you a comprehensive study manual- unfortunately, what we've found is that many candidates stick to their preferred ways rather than doing certain things the right/best way and thus fail- I'm now on the Certification Commission).
Here's a tip: Don't offer unnecessary and unrequested info. In an interview today I asked a guy: "Why was he the person for the job?" He responded with a story about how he's a revocering alcoholic... I don't even remember where he went with the rest of the story because he lost me at alcoholic. Would he have gotten the job had he have not said that? Maybe, I don't know. But he absolutely lost it with that piece of info. Kudos to him for putting the bottle down, but that was a prime example of TMI.
The TMI story is also a good example of how it's better to stay completely positive in interviews. Don't bring up anything negative - personal troubles, why you hated a previous job, etc. - even if it's behind you. If you are thinking of how much you want to improve over previous work situations, think of a way that is positive and leaves the other situation out of it.
Absolutely- and always consider listening to those who are in HR or recruiting. These individuals are on the front line, and when they tell you something, it is best to heed their advice.
One of the things you need to do is treat your education similar to work experience in terms of how you include it on a resume. What I mean is that- for someone's experience, let's say their most recent position, we're going to include 2 types of information: Responsibilities and Achievements. For someone with a strong educational background but limited experience, consider including 2 types of information under your university name and degree: (1) a list of specific courses you've taken- preferably ones in your degree field; and (2) a description of 3-4 major projects or assignments- including the outcome (presentation, paper) and reactions (top grade, positive comments from professor and/or classmates, etc.).
