How does your salary history matter when you apply for a new job? Or does it matter at all? Whenever you’ve applied for a job you might have noticed that the application forms invariably ask for your current or previous salary and then the salary you expect to get from the place you're applying to.
What importance does this information have and how significant is it for your career? Past salaries and their value don’t always affect the current salary range and the prevailing market value. However, your previous salary could be reviewed and seen as a benchmark.
If your salary was lower than the market value at the time, be ready to explain why that was so. Some of the common reasons for lower salary packets are:
• a move from one city to another
• a career change or
• inability of the company to increase pay
You should however be able to offset your low pay by revealing the competitive advantages you learned during your tenure in that company. If you’ve learned skills, improved on your experience or just about anything you’ve gained from your previous job should find mention. If you could illustrate your claims with anecdotes, that is always a better idea.
Do not be afraid to ask for higher pay, even if your salary history is not as stellar as you wished it to be. State that you are open to negotiations, but have some expectations with regards to salary.
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salary history
