So, while applying for jobs, I’ve noticed many job listings ask for a salary history. Rude much?
What does my prior salary have to do with what I can do for an entirely different company? Also, what if I was drastically underpaid at my previous position?
This isn’t just a rant.
I recently wrote a cover letter for a position listed on a job board. The listing said it required salary history and salary expectations, which I artfully dodged in my letter by writing that “I’d be more than happy to discuss salary information in-person with the hiring manager.”
But no dice. I later received an email asking for my current salary.
What to tell them? I had a few ways to answer the question truthfully—my old salary, my new hourly contract rate (for my former full-time company), or my freelance rate (which is the lowest but factors in a minimum number of guaranteed hours and complete scheduling flexibility)?
I decided to answer with my current hourly rate as a contractor. It’s probably the most honest and straight-forward answer, and it also seems impressive if you multiply my hourly rate x 40 hours per week x 50 weeks per year. Of course, I’m not getting near 40 hours a month from that employer, let alone 40 hours per week, but it stands to reason I would be making that much if I received enough billable hours. I also mentioned that it includes health insurance, which is true—but only for the rest of January.
So how should I answer this question if I get an interview and it comes up in person? What if they ask for more details?
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The question is a bit of a pain because whoever says a number first is always the one who is at the disadvantage.
I think responding honestly with your contracting hourly was a good idea. After all, if this was a good economy and you could find the work at that price, then you would still be worth that hourly wage and could make $XXk per year. And it’s honest, because I always worry that making something up in a cover letter could come back to bite me.