It is only when you take the time out of your busy schedule to draft and write out a proper resume that you can expect to be called in for an interview in person. If your resume fails to impress the recruiter then bagging a job might prove to be an impossible task for you.
Nowadays a resume is not to be thought of as a boring document containing all your particulars. Rather it should be seen as a marketing tool that will heighten the company’s interest in you. Given here is how to list your salary history on resume.
Incorporating Salary Requirements and Salary History on Resume:
The following mentioned are a few tips on adding salary payment history and salary requirements on the resume.
1. There is no need to mention the exact figures:
When you are writing your salary history on your resume, there is no compulsion to mention exact figures. You are free to mention the range of your salary. Companies merely ask for salary history to get an idea of how much you have earned and to see whether or not they can afford to pay you anything near that amount.
There would be no point calling you in for an interview if they are not even willing to pay you anything near to what you received in the past, let alone anything more. This having been stated, some companies need you to mention the exact figures. So make sure, you mention your information accordingly.
2. Mention your annual salary along with bonuses:
Many people make the mistake of mentioning their monthly salary on their salary history. This is something that should not be done. Rather you are expected to mention your annual salary, which you get in hand after the taxes have been deducted.
In addition to mentioning your annual salary as it is, you should also mention the bonuses you would receive from the company at different times of the year. If the bonus was a significant amount then be sure to mention it without fail. In addition to this also mention other monetary incentives and employee perks which you as an employee received.
3. Think about under which heading you would like to include it:
When it comes to writing your resume, there are no hard and fast rules which you need to keep in mind. The better you can construct your resume the more benefits it will yield for you in the time to come. Many people include salary history under the experience section.
In this way, they do not have to go on mentioning the same details twice. Ensure that when you sit down to write your resume you are doing so with a clear head. If your mind is anxious and preoccupied with some other thoughts then you’ll not be able to write an impressive resume.
4. Do not confuse salary history with a salary requirement:
Many people believe that a salary history and a salary requirement is one. This is wrong. Make sure that you know the meaning of the terms which you are using on your resume.
Salary history is a list of the salary which you have received in the companies which you have worked in the past, whereas on the other hand, a salary requirement is the amount of money which you expect to receive from this job. If you make the mistake of confusing both these things up, then you are going to show yourself in very poor light indeed.
5. Seek out help if you are confused about what to do:
There are some things that you need to include in your resume. Most of the other things which are to be included are stated in words and do not have to be mentioned in figures.
If you are someone who has never included a salary history on your resume in the past and confused about how to go about it then it is advisable that rather than making any mistakes you ask help from someone who is a professional in the field and knows how things like this ought to be mentioned. Ensure that this piece of information does not look out of place.
6. Mention the benefits you enjoyed along with your previous salary:
There are many companies that might not be paying heavy salaries but they compensate for this, by giving their employees other benefits to keep them happy and content. These benefits work as incentives that spur the employees to work harder and give their best no matter what hurdles come their way.
So if you were one such employee who received many benefits in the form of insurance, paid vacations, working from home facility and even transportation to and from work, then mentioning things like this is certainly not a bad idea at all.
7. Know that it is not mandatory to mention your salary history:
When writing your resume there will be many people who will be coming up to you with pieces of advice. You should listen to whatever is being told to you, but only make use of those pieces of information which you think are relevant to you.
You must know that all companies do not stress on salary history. So inquire from beforehand if the company which you are applying to requires this piece of information or not.
8. Remember that mentioning it makes things more complex for you:
In an attempt to be very honest, many people mention their salary histories even when they not told to do so. Though there is nothing wrong with doing this and this is probably just them playing it safe. You ought to know that, when you mention your salary history you are doing nothing but making things more complicated for yourself.
When you do list your salary history, if it is above what the company is willing to pay, then they will not even call you in for an interview and if it is way below than what they were ready to pay, then you are losing out on what could have been rightfully yours.
9. Be sure to check for any mistakes or typing errors:
When making your resume you have to include some things, like your skills, educational qualifications, and even your awards and achievements. Things like this are not very tough to list. However, trying to recall and type your salary history is not as easy as you might think it to be.
So this having been stated, ensure that you make no mistakes or typing errors when filling in your details or it could spell disaster for you. Be sure to check at least twice whether what you have mentioned is correct. Any error on your resume will reflect badly on you as a person.
10. Be sure to show your salary progression (if there is any):
It often happens that when you join a company you receive a certain salary, yet when you leave the company after several years, then your salary changes as well. You must make it a point to show your salary progression over the years just to show that you worked in a company that gave you a raise each year.
In addition to this, if you received a promotion and a pay hike along with it, then mentioning these details is very important indeed. This will silently communicate to the recruiter that you are a person who has become better and more accomplished over time.
11. Do not include it in a separate sheet of paper or table:
One of the worst mistakes you can make when placing your salary history on your resume is placing this resume on a separate piece of paper. Doing something like this will just attract too much attention to how much money you have received and if it’s too much it is going to immediately eliminate you from the running.
In this day and age bagging a job is a tough thing to do and even if you willing to settle for a lesser salary, it unlikely that you will consider for the post as they will think that in your heart of hearts you will be feeling sad as well as disappointed.
12. Also, include your salary requirements along with this:
Along with your salary history, you can also include your minimum salary requirements along with it. Many people think that they need not mention a resume with salary requirements, but you should not shy away from mentioning the salary expectations which you have from the job. In the business world if you act vulnerable and weak then others are going to prey on your weakness.
Being bold and placing all your cards on the table will help you to get ahead. Companies are on the lookout for employees like this who do not shy away from speaking their minds and asking for what they think they deserve.
13. Be honest about what your previous salary was:
There is no need to tell any lies when enlisting your salary history. You might not think that your lies will be caught out, but what you need to know is that it is rather easy for the company to double-check about your ending salary with your previous company, especially if the salary you mention seems too large to believe.
Lying about salary is something so foolish as this could limit your chance of bagging a good job at a top company. So ensure that you are honest at all points in time and with all the details you mention on your resume.
14. State categorically the position you held and term or work:
You must be meticulous about how you mention your salary history. Do not simply mention the name of your company along with the salary which you received. You must mention the post which you held along with the number of years which you worked at the company.
Try and recall all the details to the best of your ability so that your resume looks complete and detailed. If you are unsure about some facts and figures, just leave it blank rather than mentioning something incorrectly.
15. Do not include your salary history on both your cover letter and resume:
If you’ve already mentioned your salary history in a cover letter then do not mention it again on your resume. Nobody has the time to go through the same details twice. Doing something like this will show you as someone who does not value the time of the recruiter.
Remember that it’s a better idea to include your salary history on your resume rather than on your cover letter. If you do include it in your cover letter include it right in the end.
16. There is no need to devote too much space to salary history on your resume:
Finally, your salary history should not be very wordy and you can include it in point form on your resume. The focus of your resume should be your talents and abilities rather than the salary which you received from your previous company. So ensure that you do not mention any unnecessary details which hold no importance.
Should Candidates Include Salary history on Resumes?
There is ‘NO‘ need to include salary history on your resume. The main certainty for including your salary history to make sure that your resume does not reject, leading to losing a job offer. But if the employer insists on, then there is no other option than providing salary history details on your resume.
But,
Can Employers Ask for Salary History?
As per the National Conference of State Legislatures, there are many states considering laws prohibiting employer questions about salary history legislation. Some of the states are,
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Georgia
- Iowa
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Maryland
- Maine
- Mississippi
- Montana
- North Carolina
- New Jersey
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- Texas
- Virginia
- Pennsylvania
- Vermont
- Washington
On a concluding note, almost all the countries and their state bureaucrats have passed the bill of banning interview questions related to salary history.
How to Respond When Faced Such Interview Question?
Though there are bills and laws regarding this salary history-related interview question, many employers still do not abide by them and ask the candidates to include their salary history with their resume. So the only choice left to respond.
Few options to respond :
- Include the salary history details
- Refuse to provide the information based on confidentiality
- Inform the total pay without any specification
- Provide the net pay along with other incentives
- Decline the question directly
Conclusion:
Writing a resume is not as tough as you might think it to be. If you give your best then you will able to produce an impressive resume that bound to knock the socks off the person reading it. Different companies lookout for different things on a resume.
While some companies do look for salary history and requirements, others are not so particular. You must ensure that you enquire about the things which you need to mention on your resume. If your resume looks incomplete and lacking in detail then it will immediately be rejected.
