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Subject:How Do You NOT Mention Salary First? From:Tom Campbell <klook -at- EUDORAMAIL -dot- COM> Date:Wed, 14 Apr 1999 10:50:01 -0500
Most agency recruiters talk to me as if they're going down a checklist: "Do you have BlameTaker Pro 2.3? Great. And let's see, they want Fluvio 5, how about that? OK...What part of town do want to work in? Is [names work site 2 miles from home] good for you? [I try to conceal salivation noises.] Good--and, oh yeah, what's your hourly rate?"
On this question I follow the advice of a successful former co-worker: State a $5-per-hour range, the low end of which is at least as much as you want to make. If you want to make, say, $30 an hour, say, "Well, I'm looking for something in the $30-35 hourly range, depending on benefits and how the job fits with my goals." (Or if you're feeling feisty, or you think the job could pay more, state a range even higher than that.)
The recruiter immediately starts trying to figure out how to get you work for less than $30/hour, but you tell them that's just rock bottom. And if they say "the client just won't go any higher than that" (which, of course, means that the client will pay $45 an hour but the agency wants to take $15+ off the top), Just Say No Thanks. But keep it cordial, because maybe something else will come along later where you'd want to work through them.
If they ask what you're currently making, just tell them you're not being adequately compensated and you know what people with your skills and experience are able to make in this market, and that's the range you stated. I've done that, and it's earned me the respect of the people I talked to--and gotten me the pay increase I wanted.
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Tom Campbell
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