What is your current slary qu-Problem

musashi10

No each and everyone has asked how much I am on. Aside from the interviews, each and every recruitment agent has also asked the same question. It seems to be a standard question, at least in the field I am in. I also don't want to lie either, but I could extend the truth and add in my potential bonus (which I know I will not actually get at the end of the FY)

Mistral001

I see. It is definitely OK to include bonuses. If you are unsure discuss it with the agency. It is their job to deal with these matters.

getmore4less

phrase it as a renumeration package, with bonus and benifit it's £K more than the salary.

Be prepared to do breakdown and compare against the package on offer.

Also since you had a previous role that was more you could use that if it was not too long ago.

How long have you had this job.


Could you word it so your job is less but you are doing more(comensurate with a higher possition) but it may not be always there as you are filling in and are looking to do this level on a permanent basis.

Try to tie it in with the reasons for moving.

Any

I know it is common practice to ask how much you are on, but the only reason for the employer to do this is to find out how little they can get away with paying you and nothing else. So if they are not playing fair (I hate when they ask this), either answer you would need to be looking at £XY and above (and don't worry about not giving straight answer!! They asked rude question) or formulate it as remuneration package (ie "well, my package is worth XYZ - car, pension, bonus... whatever).

I don't think that they shut down at hearing the figure though.. I cannot see that happening.

Mistral001

getmore4less wrote: »

......
Try to tie it in with the reasons for moving.

Is this a good idea. Inferring that you want to come to work for an employer at an interveiw because they pay more money may be resented by a few employers.

I suppose this is the stumbling block that the OP is coming across. The interviewers could think that they are seen by a candidate on a presently lower salary but doing the same job as a cash machine and not as a means of getting promotion or a change in direction of career etc.

Also, inferring that your present employer is not a good one will not be thought much of at an interview. The OP should try to be positive throughout the interview.

Any

Mistral001 wrote: »

Is this a good idea. Inferring that you want to come to work for an employer at an interveiw because they pay more money may be resented by a few employers.

I suppose this is the stumbling block that the OP is coming across. The interviewers could think that they are seen by a candidate on a presently lower salary but doing the same job as a cash machine and not as a means of getting promotion or a change in direction of career etc.

Also, inferring that your present employer is not a good one will not be thought much of at an interview. The OP should try to be positive throughout the interview.

I don't think that is what was meant by that post.
Obviously some diplomacy must be in place, but let's face it, they know the main reason one would move is to progress/get better job!

dilemma10

Hi,
I don't wish to hijack the thread but this is really interesting.
I have alot of people in the sector tell me I could earn about 10k more for the nature of the work I do but because of my age I shy away from applying for jobs in that region.
When it comes to applying for the next round of jobs, I think I will have to lie and add at at least 10k to my present salary as there is no way they will think highly of me for doing so much work on such a pay scale. Is it okay to lie?
I've never lied in any interviews before but in order to get remunerated at the level I think and others think I should be, should I?

musashi10

getmore4less wrote: »

phrase it as a renumeration package, with bonus and benifit it's £K more than the salary.

Be prepared to do breakdown and compare against the package on offer.

Also since you had a previous role that was more you could use that if it was not too long ago.

How long have you had this job.


Could you word it so your job is less but you are doing more(comensurate with a higher possition) but it may not be always there as you are filling in and are looking to do this level on a permanent basis.

Try to tie it in with the reasons for moving.

Hi, thanks for your input.

Well my job is different now than before. It has less responsibility, but has more technical aspects to it + its in the private sector, so I think I have made myself a much more broader candidate than before; even though my job is maybe "slightly less important"

I have been working here just over a year now

InsideInsurance

Its not ok to lie, it obviously doesn't set a good prescient for the relationship if its based on lies but it is very common because its almost never going to be caught. I have seen reference forms that ask for salary but I've never seen one returned with that field completed.

Is it really because of your age or because of your level of experience? I always earned less than my colleagues but it wasnt because I was 10 years younger than them on average but was because I had 5 years experience to their 15. Whilst I was able to argue I was good enough to do the same job as them I obviously wasnt able to say I had as much experience to call on as them.

musashi10

Yeah, well I know it isn't because of experience or age, because I was earning the market rate previously. Both myself and my employer know I'm getting quite a bit lower than the market rate, and the only reason why I have put up with it, is because I wanted to work rather than go on jobseekers allowance.

So even though I'm being slightly hard done by, I am still grateful to my current employer for giving me a job, because I know (as they well know and sometimes exploit) that there are a lot of people who don't have jobs at the moment.

I think next time I will just say my salary was £x, and I had to take a less paid job because of the econmic climate and its now £x (basic + bonus).