Kelly writes:
I am in the process of applying for a job that I saw an ad in the newspaper, and it asks for a salary history. Should I include this information in my cover letter, resume, or should this be a separate page? Also, how involved should this be?
The Career Doctor responds:
You are in a tough place, Kelly, because most employers who ask for salary history in a want ad do so as a method of screening applicants out who are outside the salary range.
So, the first question you need to ask yourself is whether you think you are outside (though mainly above) the salary range. If you are not, then you may choose to do a brief salary history, which can be part of your cover letter or on a separate piece of paper, just as a reference sheet. If you are above the salary range, then I suggest you take a different approach, stating in your letter that your salary range is negotiable.
The downside of not including your salary range is that you could be screened out anyway.
For more information on the salary negotiation process, please visit this section of Quintessential Careers: Salary and Job Offer Tutorial.
