Maria writes:
My husband is in the middle of trying to send out resumes wherever he might find jobs. The problem we are having is trying figuring out how to send a resume with a cover letter when the company wants you to send them his salary requirement.
I looked into your web page but you have nothing for salary requirements. If you could find a few minutes to help me with this question. What should he do?
The Career Doctor responds:
Reading between the lines of your question, I think you have an even bigger issue here. The first thing I think your husband needs to do is develop a job-search strategy. Responding to want ads — whether online or in print — is just not enough to successfully land his next job… or at least not the best job possibility.
Besides job want ads, job-seekers should be utilizing your network of contacts — friends, family, co-workers, business associates, etc. — to learn of new opportunities. If you are searching for jobs in a specific area, you should also research and target a specific group of employers — whether they have any jobs openings posted or not. And if you’re a college alum, consider contacting the career services office and the alumni office to seek help on job leads.
Once you have a larger set of job leads, the next step is to make sure you have a specific and tailored resume and cover letter going to each prospective employer. Use some of the words they use in describing themselves and the jobs… highlight the most important skills that each employer seeks. And be certain to show how you are the perfect candidate for each position.
And for those job leads that request a salary requirement, do your homework. If possible find an insider in your network who works at the company. With salary requirements, employers want the inside track on what you feel you are worth — sometimes giving you the under- or overqualified labels if your salary is too far below or above the salary range.
Finally, please do not put salary requirements on your resume, but do address them in your cover letter. Ignoring such a request will your application at risk (and possibly eliminate you from consideration).
I think your husband should read this article published on Quintessential Careers: 10 Reality Checks of Job-Hunting: Overcoming Common Job-Search Mistakes.
And to specifically address your question, please read this article: Responding to Requests for Salary Requirements or Salary Histories: Strategies and Suggestions.
