Salary Hopping Q and A Bridging the Gap between Present and Future Employment Louise Garver

Question: How does someone tactfully answer the question of present employment salary in an interview? And what can you say when the position you're applying for pays considerably more than your current job? For example, I've been in sales and marketing for a number of decades with a successful track record. Presently, I'm going to school for my software engineering degree. My goal is to get into the enterprise software solution market. Unfortunately, because of the tight market and recession of the past several years, I've had to resort to a much less paying job in an entry level position. The job was clearly out of my area of expertise, but in order to feed my family I had to take the position. So now that I'm ready, how do I make the transition back to the top again? How can I do this without sounding too cynical and negative to a potential employer in regard to my current job?

Thank you.

Warmest Regards,

Cyrous Khavari
Arvada, Colorado

Answer: There's no way around it - salary questions are very uncomfortable for most job candidates. But your career situation isn't uncommon, so don't feel isolated. In light of the past several years' tight job market, many people have accepted stop-gap jobs to make ends meet.

In your case, you've also returned to college to pursue a new degree. This will work in your favor: it demonstrates career focus, interest in professional growth, and commitment to achieving new goals.

By your description, your current employment and salary level seem unrelated to your new career pursuit. Accepting a second consecutive, lowball salary offer in your new profession will cost you plenty of lost income over the course of your career. So avoid mentioning your low salary altogether - because it's irrelevant. After all, it's tied to a different position and level.

Keep in mind that the first one to mention a specific figure loses. And that the crucial period to secure what you're worth is between the offer and your acceptance of a new position. Once you receive the formal offer, you have an advantage in knowing the company wants you. So make sure you're getting as much as competitively possible for your new position.

The best strategy for approaching the salary question is to do your homework upfront. Research the market to get a general idea of the salary range for positions you're seeking. Online salary surveys, are great sources of information. They're also featured on other various employment sites like www.Salary.com. And be sure to check out professional journals and associations, as they usually provide some top-level data based on the annual salary surveys they conduct. Don't forget that, although high-level positions frequently don't advertise compensation ranges, job postings themselves are often one of most reliable indicators of an industry, region, or position's compensation patterns.

It's critical to be armed with this information before you begin interviewing. And it's just as important to learn how to effectively postpone salary discussions during the interview process.

With regard to your specific situation, keep the following points in mind:

1). Avoid tying the potential offer to your current salary. The offer you negotiate should be based solely on the value you'll bring in the position at hand. A tactful way to deflect the question during the interview is to point out where your current position isn't comparable with the one you're now pursuing. Although the question of what you're currently earning is specific, you don't have to be too specific in your response. You could say, for example:
"My primary focus has been on earning my degree in software engineering to make a career shift into this field. To finance a specialized education, I've been employed with a company in the __________ industry. As for my current salary, it doesn't correlate well to my worth for this position because the two jobs are so different."
The above is a great example of an answer that's neither too specific nor too vague. It's a solid answer because it firmly states the irrelevance of comparing one's present salary at a job unrelated to the desired position.

2). You should then mention, based on your research of the market, that your prior salary history is directly in line with the range for this position. For instance:

"Based on my research of the salary range for this field, my prior salary is directly in line with what I'm now seeking."
Bridging the salary gap between past and future employment will be much easier if you go into your interview prepared. So be confident in your personal value and make sure to stay abreast of current job market trends. If you've done your homework, you'll be able to turn interview challenges into opportunities. Good luck!