Protocol for Salary History?

Kim writes:

I have a question concerning salary histories. What is protocol for including salary history with resumes?

Any assistance is most appreciated including urls of samples or sample sites.

The Career Doctor responds: Kim, I am assuming you have been asked to include a salary history, because if not, you need to know that the cardinal rule is NEVER send a salary history with your resume and NEVER put salary history information on your resume.

Employers use salary history for a variety of reasons. They want to see if your current salary is beyond the salary range for the position you are seeking; if you have made steady progress on salary in previous positions; and to gain the edge in salary negotiations — since they will have all your information and you will have very little of theirs.

For information dealing with this whole issue, I recommend you spend some time on the Quintessential Careers Salary Negotiation Tutorial. Here’s where you can find other salary negotiation resources.