IT Professionals

The Salary History Request

Posted by on Jul 5, 2007 | 7 Comments

Believe it or not, there are some companies that will request a salary history from a potential employee. They are considering making you an offer of employment but want to see how much you have earned at your past jobs. The company may use this information as the basis for the salary included in their offer. It is entirely up to you as to whether or not you provide this information to potential employers but before you do, consider this second opinion.

The salary you have earned at your previous jobs should be of no concern to a potential employer. They should not be using this information to decide what kind of compensation to offer you or as a means of determining what would be acceptable compensation to you. Employers should be looking at market value and geography when deciding on the salary amount to offer.

If you are absolutely forced to submit a salary history, be sure it is clear to the company that your previous salary should not be used as an indication of what you will consider an acceptable salary for the position at hand. Otherwise you may be selling yourself short.

[tags]diana huggins, salary history, career, job hunt[/tags]

  • Andrew

    Alternately, you may live in an expensive are and be paid more as a peon than the CEO of your next company in a smaller area.

  • http://www.facebook.com/timothy.e.patterson Tim Patterson

    Choosing a new computer is a challenge. I went through that last summer as my 7 year-old Sony Vaio, which served me well, was ready to move on. I use the desktop for virtually everything (audio recording, video production, writing, blogging, surfing the net, maintaining several websites, etc.) as I don’t own a laptop (although I have access to my son’s if I need it for a presentation while traveling, for instance). I looked at a laptop but don’t like the keyboards – I’ve used an ergonomic keyboard for 20 years and am not about to change. I could add a keyboard to the laptop, but what’s the point? While I’d love to have a Macbook Pro it’s out of my price range. And I don’t know if I’d really like it for everything I need to do.

    I ended up with an HP desktop – lots of power, lots of storage and does all I need. Works terrific and Windows 7 is very smooth.

    Yeah, I agree…I don’t see the PC going anywhere soon. Nice post…

  • http://tonychung.ca tonychung

    Ron: Twitter led me to your post. Funny how the ad for the ZAGGMate iPad case with keyboard appears right above the comment box as I type. When I get my iPad2, I am definitely buying one of those!

    I’ve been a proponent of tablet PC computing since it first came out. I enjoy having direct access to a touch screen as well as keyboard. I used MS OneNote extensively for its handwriting and audio recognition, the ability to mix typing, writing, and drawing in a single entry, and its powerful storage and search capability. The problem with PC tablets is their battery life. Even with the additional slice battery I could only get maximum 4 hours of work, and that was pushing it. Plus, those beasts are heavy.

    My ideal computer would have all the features as on my tablet PC with OneNote, only on MacBook, as light as the Air. I’d want it to run the full Mac OS X, and not the mobile iOS in a desktop crap that the Apple rumour mill posts about. Give me a convertible keyboard, multitouch, and stylus access, a Mac version of OneNote, and I wouldn’t have to buy another computer for a long time.

  • http://twitter.com/harpreet06 Harpreet Bassan

    definitely right, although i just use a desktop computer and an iphone.

  • Ron_Schenone

    Thanks for the comments everyone. Sharing your thoughts is appreciated.

    doubledge007 – what I wanted to say is that the gaming desktop is not used that much. Since we have a Wii in the house, I have basically stopped using the desktop for gaming. :-)

  • http://twitter.com/futchd David Futch

    Hi Ron,
    I too agree with the previous comments and would like to add my spin as well. I’ve been in public education for 18 years and have recently left the classroom to start a education consulting business. I have been a dual platform guy for years. I’ve built many PCs for home use and have had multiple Mac laptops since 2000 in different configurations. Like many, I have an iPhone and like some finally was able to purchased an iPad2 last week.

    I have not been a fan of the tablet PC and to be fair I have not used OneNote to see its advantages. I’ve worked with them from time to time but found that the implementation into the classroom was rather narrow. What I have found is that broad implementations, Mac or PC, requires a device that can meet many needs.

    What I do find interesting is that as the iPad and competing types of devices are fairly narrow in their application to the education field. With that same view applied in my own experience I find that my new iPad2 is quickly settling into its own role in my digital life. When at home and I want to be productive with Twitter, reading blogs, etc. I find that I gravitate to my desktop PC with dual monitors. When on the road I use my dual boot MBP as a primary device and I find that my iPad2 is settling down to a tool to keep ideas, catch up on podcasts, and play games to pass the time. My iPhone is slowly finding itself as a mobile communication tool between stops and primarily used as a communication too (go figure) and GPS. In the past 7 days of having my iPad I simple find I am using the iPhone less and less.

    So, to echo what you have stated in you post. Yes, I think the laptop in its various forms will be here for some time… At least until the next “new thing” can bridge the gap between iPad and laptop much like the iPad took over functions that I use to use on my iPhone.

    Thanks for the post and getting us thinking.

    David

  • Anonymous

    I recently bought the iPad 1. I just didn’t need all the extra stuff on the 2nd version of iPad.

    The iPad doesn’t replace anything. The iPad is a device I can use while sitting on the easy chair, or when I go to the Public Library. I don’t currently have a laptop (notebook) computer.

    The iPad is nowhere near as powerful as my Mac Mini, or my dying iMac. The iPad will never replace those computers.

    My iPad serves a very important function. It allows me to sit on the easy chair and lift up my feet. I can surf the web, read digital comics, post on Twitter, etc. I can sit on the easy chair with the iPad for hours. It helps keep down the swelling in my legs.

    In short, the iPad is an indispensable device. It is good in its own right. It replaces nothing in my life.