What to Do If You Get Asked About Your Current Salary During a Job Interview

What to Do If You Get Asked About Your Current Salary During a Job InterviewWhat to Do If You Get Asked About Your Current Salary During a Job Interview When you set out for a new job, youre probably excited about learning things, meeting people, and expanding your expertise. But more money is a great perk, too, especially if you feel youve been undervalued at other jobs.So what happens if youre trying to earn what you deserve and a profil employer asks what youve earned in prior positions?There are a few places where its illegal to get asked about salary history . If youre lucky to live in those areas, you might not have anything to worry about. For those who dont live in lucky spots, you can do a few things to skirt the salary history issue.Employers ask about salary to gauge the market for your position . If youre interviewing for a position thats like what youve been doing in the past, a company might look at your compensation as a competitive rate. But not all jobs are created - or paid - equally and fairly.I never thought that asking questions about a candidates salary history was particularly useful in the first place, said Timothy Wiedman, a retired associate professor of management and menschenwrdig resources at Doane University . Candidates have had a long history of embellishing their backgrounds, so self-reported salary histories are not necessarily going to be reliable.Even if youre honest with a potential employer about your earnings, Wiedman said theres no way to verify that information with those employers.Theres no ethical nor practical way to verify self-reported salary histories since virtually no former employers would ever divulge that sort of information during reference checks, he said. Hiring managers who asked applicants to provide salary histories were simply fooling themselves if they thought they were getting much useful information.More cities and states are changing those salary history questions. At the time of publication, its illegal for employers to ask candidates about salary history or current wages, includingNot all laws are the same for each location. In Pittsburgh, for example, only city agencies cant ask about salary history. In California, neither public nor private companies can request past compensation information.If youre preparing for an upcoming interview and want to cover all your bases, make sure you know whats legal in your state. Its also good to know how to phrase answers that are firm and direct without coming off as disrespectful to your interviewer.1. Know your states salary history laws. If you live in an area where its illegal for a company to inquire about your past earnings, know that before going into an interview. Wiedman suggests responding with I believe theres a new law that puts that type of question out of bounds. But Ill be perfectly willing to discuss my salary requirements.2. Redirect the answer. If its legal to ask the question where you live, ge t back to the subject of salary requirements, not history. You can also try to chat more on the career opportunity and if the job is a good fit for both you and the employer. Instead of giving them your current actual salary , discuss the salary range youre seeking based on your experience, education, skills, and certifications, said Robin Schwartz, managing partner of MFG Jobs .3. Use your lack of history to your advantage. If youve recently finished college, its easier to showcase that a job could be your first out of school. This will prove that salary history has no point in your current negotiations.4. If you want to share, you can. Disclosing your exact salary is your prerogative, Schwartz said. In some cases, interviewers might discuss a specific range they are looking to pay. If its below what youre already making, it might benefit you to mention your current salary so the hiring manager is aware youre not willing to take a decrease in pay.What youve earned in other jobs sh ould not dictate what you should be earning in your next job. You might even consider job-hopping to boost your salary . Your past earnings are in your past, and you should be aware of how to handle yourself if questions of salary history come up.Know what your position earns. Check out Glassdoor and Salary.com to see what your job earns with your years of experience and where you live. What you earn in your state might be more or less in other places around the country.Use your knowledge and skills to your advantage. Prove to your possible future boss that youre valuable and worthy of more than what youve earned in the past. Talk about how youve overcome obstacles and challenges to showcase your worth.Dont be afraid to play the field. If youre out of work and looking for a job quick, having multiple job offers might seem far-fetched. But if youre applying at many places at once, you can negotiate a salary with one job by sharing your offer from another one. It could start a bidding war for you.Since some of the salary history bans are relatively new, you might not be in a place that enforces it yet. If thats the case, go over how best to answer the question depending on your job field and potential employer.You dont need to divulge that information unless you want to, and its OK if you do. Make sure sharing your past earnings doesnt hurt your future earnings.This article was originally published by Student Loan Hero . Reprinted with permission.