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In article 5F99DEB56307D511AD250002A51314D42115C4 -at- exvan1 -dot- bby -dot- ca -dot- sfg -dot- com, kbailey -at- Cayenta -dot- com ("Bailey, Kate") writes:
>
>Salaries aren't arbitrary numbers pulled out of the air by either employees
>or employers. That's why we all start out at a low figure and work our way
>up to a higher one. Skills and experience on the job increase your worth,
>but rarely by $32,000 in one step. To jump from $32,500 to $50,000 sounds
>like a daydream, not a real-life
>situation. We all hope to make $50,000 or more, someday, but it isn't going
>to happen the way you describe it.
>
A big jump in salary is not necessarily that much of a dream. If
you've been at one company for several years, your raises are
never going to keep pace with what newcomers in your position
with comparable experience would be making. I jumped 30%
between my last job and my current one.
As several other people have said, the solution to this
problem is simply not to answer the question of "How much
are you currently making?" with a figure. Say that no two
jobs are identical so you don't think the question is
relevant, or my point above about being with the same
company for a while, or that you think the issue should
be how much you'd be worth to the joromg company, not how much
your previous company is paying. I've never been pushed to
the point where I actually told them my current salary.
I also agree with the people who said that you should always
go into the interview with an idea of what you would like to
make, what you would be willing to make, and what salary
would be too low for you to take the job.
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