WHAT TO DO ABOUT SALARY HISTORY & SALARY REQUIREMENTS?
By Gwen Harrison

Employers and recruiters often ask for a "resume with salary history" or a "resume with salary requirements." Many job seekers think that means the salary history or requirements should go in the resume, or that a salary history is a separate document. The fact is, neither assumption is true.

You should never, never include your salary history in your resume, or your salary requirements either for that matter. Furthermore, revealing this information when it is not specifically requested puts you at a bargaining disadvantage in terms of your salary. Your rationale may be that you don't want to waste your time with employers who aren't going to pay you at least $X amount. That argument is logical, but more often than not, revealing your salary requirements voluntarily will only hurt your job search-especially if you interview well. Employers can be convinced to pay a new employee more than they had originally planned if the candidate's resume, interviews, and other communications make a strong impression.

So if an employer or recruiter requests a salary history/requirement, where does it go and how do you handle it? The best and most appropriate place is in your cover letter. Near the end of the cover letter, after you've "wowed" them with a brief synopsis of your experience and achievements, include a sentence like this:

"In my first position with XYZ Company, I was earning $15,000 per year. Since that time, my career and compensation have progressed based on my contributions. In my current position, my annual salary is $75,000 annually. However, salary is not my primary motivation; I am open to any combination of salary and benefits for the right opportunity."

Employers and recruiters don't want to know what you were earning at every previous employer. Instead, they want to know: (1) whether your performance has merited progressive increases in salary, with few or no salary reductions; and (2) if your current salary is within their budget. Therefore, it's not necessary to put your salary history in your resume; just cover it briefly in your cover letter. You can completely avoid providing a salary history with a sentence like this:

"I am confident your compensation plan is in line with industry standards, and I would be open to discussing this issue further during an interview."

As for your salary requirements, you can include it in your cover letter if you wish, but it's in your best interest to avoid being the first to name a dollar amount. I recommend that you avoid this question with a sentence such as this:

"In terms of salary requirements, I realize that flexibility is essential, and am therefore open to discussing your company's salary range for an individual with my qualifications."

If you are concerned that not providing this information might keep you from being considered, that is sometimes true-but not usually. In the May 2000 Society for Human Resources Management (SHRM) survey on resumes and cover letters, the majority of respondents indicated they would not eliminate good resumes and cover letters from consideration simply because the documents didn't include salary history and/or requirements, even if the employer had specifically requested such information.


About the author: Gwen Harrison