Sure, but say you're underpaid at your current job by 20% because additional job responsibilities were added but the pay hasn't been matching pace. You say "Screw this" and look for another job with similar responsibilities but more pay. You truthfully put down your current salary. The hiring company says, we'll what you currently make plus 5%. Another one gives you only 10%.Exactly. When you're on the hiring side, there is a lot of strategy involved. If you hire the wrong person, you can waste a good $20,000 finding out that mistake. If the person doing the hiring knows anything, they won't try any tricks. They simply want the best person for the job for what they can afford.
It also shows career progression. I'd like to see that over the last few jobs you have moved up in pay and not down. Not a direct indicator of a successful candidate but it helps.
That's a bunch of BS.
Bingo. Most places today would pay top professionals minimum wage if they thought they could get away with it.
That's a bunch of BS.
Just about every company has lowered wages since it's an Employers market.
They can't verify it so why do they ask this question?
IMHO what you made has no bearing on what you are looking to make in a new position.
Maybe you were in a job that didn't reward your current skill set, or maybe you picked up new skill sets that are now worth more.
How do you answer this when asked?
And I would throw your application/resume in the trash and go on to the next one.This is the answer I give, it's the same answer I give when asked how much I want to be paid. I give this answer with a light tone.
"Well, it doesn't really matter what I was paid somewhere else, what matters is what you're willing to pay me. Lets start there and we can build on that. What are you willing to pay me?"
And I would throw your application/resume in the trash and go on to the next one.
For me, when I'm hiring someone, the application and resume are only there as tests to see if you know how to fill out an application and how to do a decent resume.
The rule for salary is don't lie, and if you want more money than you used to make, you have to come up with some accomplishment since then that will make you worth more money.
BTW, it's not lying to choose the week that you had a zillion hours overtime and use that as your "weekly salary" or something like that.
In today's information world, it's easy to check out salary info, if I really care, and one stupid little lie will sink your credibility and trash your chances. When you get the job, once I find out that you're a frigging genius at whatever I hire you to do, then you can play loose with the fibs to your hearts' content.
That's the smart way to do it, of course. Best of luck with your interviews and your job huntingYou would never have it to begin with. If I get an application which asks for that information, I move on to another company and don't bother to fill it out.
My response was really for the interview phase though. Typically HR people aren't knowledgeable about a position to decide what it's worth to the company anyway, so the fact that you would discount me doesn't hurt my feelings.
That's a bunch of BS.
Just about every company has lowered wages since it's an Employers market.
What do you guys do when you "have" to put a number in the online application even before the interview? Not range from x to y but z only.
And like usually, you're wrong. Your personal experience doesn't indicate that it's like that in the rest of the country. Like having to sign to buy vinegar, $7 gallon milk, $5 gallon gas, etc....
I just started a new job a month ago and the salary is an increase over my last job.