There are a number of effective techniques, and A:  Dear Mary,

A. Dear Amanda:

You’ve hit on a topic that is somewhat controversial and that ultimately will need to be a personal decision as to where you stand on the issue. Here’s why. When it comes to asking for salary requirements, this is a common and acceptable practice. How else is your potential employer to know if your salary needs/desires are within what they are willing to pay for the position? The problem is when an employer asks a candidate for salary history – particularly in cases like yours where you’ve been underpaid in a previous position(s).

By providing a salary history, you’re disclosing what you made at your previous jobs. Armed with this knowledge, some employers will offer you near or even below what you were making in the past. Further, it can require an uphill and uncomfortable negotiation process, where you’ll need to demonstrate that you were underpaid in the past and you deserve a salary commiserate with your skill level and value.

It is for these reasons that for many years, disclosing salary history was considered unacceptable because this is confidential information. However, many employers today do ask for this information and may even consider it a requirement to even apply.

So, first you need to decide if you are willing to reveal your salary history to potential employers. If not, you’ll just need to focus on positions with organizations that don’t have this as a requirement. If, on the other hand, you are willing to disclose it here are a few tips to keep in mind.

• Don’t disclose it unless or until you’ve been asked to do so.
• Don’t lie about it. Be accurate about your previous salaries because some companies will verify or request this information from your previous employers. If you’re caught in a lie, it can obviously result in not getting the job or being fired if you’ve taken the job under false pretences.
• Prepare for the negotiation. Remember, you will need to demonstrate effectively and persuasively why the salary you are asking for is appropriate for your talent level and value. Therefore, do some research:
  • Review average salaries for your level of experience, education, etc. Use sites like www.salary.com to research salaries for the type of industry your potential employer is in, and geography.
  • Take into consideration the demand and supply for your type of skill. For example, if you have a specialized skill in short supply, you can ask for a higher salary. On the flip side, if there are a lot of people with the same skills as you, you can expect salaries to be lower.

Salary negotiation is always one of the hardest parts of job searching. But, if you are well prepared, it will make the process a smoother and more successful one.

Good luck!
Seymour