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    "Salary expectations"

    What do you reply when a job application form asks you about your "salary expectations"? It's a bit off, if you ask me, to expect an applicant to name a figure. Too low, and you set them up to stiff you. Too high, and you risk pricing yourself out of contention. And I've been out of proper employment so long that I genuinely have no idea what the approximate going rate for the job should be.

    Is it appropriate to say, "I would expect a salary that fairly reflects my age, my experience, and the demands of the job."? Does that sound vaguely sarcy?

    #2
    "Salary expectations"

    sarcy?

    Whatever you made last year plus 3-5% is what I've been told (ages ago). (Obviously, you have to adjust if you were part-time and are going to full-time or vice versa.)

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      #3
      "Salary expectations"

      There are websites that you can look up what people are being paid in specified jobs in your area. But I know what you mean. I also don't like providing my salary history, since I've earned so little in my past jobs. But clearly that hasn't been appealing enough for an employer looking to get a cheap worker, as I'm still unemployed.

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        #4
        "Salary expectations"

        Hard 'c' I'm guessing.

        I hate that too. For exactly the reasons you lay out, imp. It should be about getting the best person for the job, not the cheapest.

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          #5
          "Salary expectations"

          .

          It should be about getting the best person for the job, not the cheapest.
          It should, in a perfect world, but with the crisis and everything ... I kinda understand firms wanting to get the best deal for themselves, given that the difference between applicants on a short-list that have similar qualifications and experience is probably not going to be that great, and anyway, a good applicant in the recruitment process and at interview might not be so good in practice.

          It's a buyer's market at the mo' (maybe not, in your sector?), so I suppose the order of the day is to play by their rules.

          [ducks under parapet]

          As for how much to quote ... I think there's an implicit sliding scale linked to how much you want the job. I didn't want my present job very much, so quoted what I thought was actually a very generous salary for the functions involved. They gave me the job, so I was happy. If they hadn't, I'd have been happy.

          .

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            #6
            "Salary expectations"

            I think that's sound advice. One should decide how much they'd have to offer for it to be worth the expenditure of one's time, effort and self-regard.

            That last one may not be applicable. What sort of job is this?

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              #7
              "Salary expectations"

              Lots of advice on this Unfogged thread.

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                #8
                "Salary expectations"

                Thanks for that link, GY. It in turn linked to another site, which advised you never to reveal either your previous salary (another one of the questions on the application form), or your expected salary, until the prospective employers have revealed theirs. I've gleaned two possible repsonses: "I will consider any reasonable offer," which politely lobs the ball back across the slip cradle, or: "I would rather you named your range first," which sounds a little more aggressive, but at least makes it more clear that you don't expect to be the first to name a figure.

                I've also looked up a site linked to from the NUJ site that gave me a rough idea of what this job ought to pay, which was around what I considered to be the reasonable sum that I'd already come up with off the top of my head.

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                  #9
                  "Salary expectations"

                  Turn it around and ask what their salary range is.

                  It is an employees' dream market here because of the resources bonanza.

                  Our employee turnover is up to 25 per cent now and if you are offered an increase from a poacher our mob at least match it straight away.

                  One story doing the rounds is a miniing company HR guy walking into the canteen of a rival firm and offering an immediate $50,000 sign on fee to train drivers who swapped employers.

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                    #10
                    "Salary expectations"

                    Write "market" or some-such. I have never revealed my salary and have little intention to in future.

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                      #11
                      "Salary expectations"

                      The management consultant types who were one-time clients of mine said that you should never under any circumstances answer any question about salary until right at the end of the hiring process. Meaning, I think, when it was made clear the employer was interested in offering you the job and you were interested in taking it. Until then it should remain a no go area for both parties as it's an unfair question. A prospective employee cannot address the issue of salary until he/she knows in great detail what the work entails, where it is to be done, within what time, and who with. Similarly an employer cannot get a sense of how quickly and effectively you will integrate into the organisation and how much that might cost. Apparently job applications asking salary expectations are sometimes also traps, especially in an employers' market. During pre-screening anyone who puts in a number is ruled out on the basis that they should know better than to do that.

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                        #12
                        "Salary expectations"

                        Tell 'em "market rates" and if they look at you funny stick a fork in their retinas.

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                          #13
                          "Salary expectations"

                          imp, why should your salary reflect your age?

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                            #14
                            "Salary expectations"

                            I'd second most of what's being said here - don't name a figure if it's at all possible to avoid it. Get through the interview process, meet perspective bosses/coworkers, etc. The more they invest in getting you aboard, the better position you are in when numbers finally do get discussed.

                            Also, do look around at a variety of salary sites. Not sure if it was on the other link, but Salary.com is one that all HR/compensation people look at to get an idea of what potential employeess will be asking for - the free numbers aren't perfect, but they are certainly directionally accurate. The NUJ site is probably a good one - you could also look at any other associations/membership organizations in your perspective employer's industry. These organizations often do their own salary surveys, and some of their data (at least in summary form) will probably be available on their website.

                            Good luck!

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                              #15
                              "Salary expectations"

                              Salaries should be negotiated collectively, standardised with those of others doing the same or comparable jobs, and publicised in job ads. Is the right answer of course.

                              Christ, that was a predictable first-post-after-a-week-off, even by my standards.

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                                #16
                                "Salary expectations"

                                I like the idea of just putting in "market". I'll have to remember that... for the future... should I ever be in a position to get a new job... that isn't advertising its salary... etc...

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                                  #17
                                  "Salary expectations"

                                  Cheers, everyone. It's been so long since I applied for a job, it's been a haul getting the language right across the whole thing (used to do four job applications in a morning). On this particular question, I answered that the salary should "fairly reflect my experience and the demands of the job." JtS - indeed, I'd already realised that my age was pretty irrelevant.

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                                    #18
                                    Depends how badly you need a job, sometimes.

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                                      #19
                                      I was about to write what dglh said fourteen years ago.

                                      In the circumstances posed, it isn't a question that merits an honest response.

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                                        #20
                                        Why has this come up today?

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                                          #21
                                          Because of me pissing about, mostly

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                                            #22
                                            Originally posted by TonTon View Post
                                            Why has this come up today?
                                            Random thread thingy: look elsewhere.

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                                              #23
                                              I was about to write what E10 Rifle said fourteen years ago. The first bit anyway.

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                                                #24
                                                Just as an addendum to this, the likely reason why this is being asked is that there are business studies that have shown that given differing expectations from both parties, the side that reveals their number first is at a disadvantage in the ensuing negotiations, so of course hiring being full of MBA-style folks, generally hiring teams are primed to get you to say something. "Market" is a great response.

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                                                  #25
                                                  Did he get the job?

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