General Cover Letter Examples

General Cover Letter Examples : Help-wanted ads are a source of job leads, even though we ernphasis self-initiated outreach. Sometimes those ads ask for a salary expectation or salar history. What do you suggest?

Some people suggest mentioning salary expectations in the cover letter. What do you think?

In most cases it would be a mistake. Salary information is unlikely to make you more attractive to an employer and it could pose a barrier to interviewing you. It is best to discuss compensation after a job offer is made, not when you are seeking an interview.

There may be two exceptions. First, in some cases a person absolutely, positively wouldn't even consider a position that compensates him / her below a certain amount. This exception is more likely to apply to a highly compensated professional than to the average job-seeker. Second, in some sales situations, a reference to commissions generated may appeal to an employer.

Your first mistake is selling yourself short in your own mind. Consider the value of your positive characteristics to your next employer. If you are worth the hiring, you are worth a reasonable salary. Second, stating a salary expectation can have a perverse effect. Your expectation is likely to be either too high or too low and therefore a negative in the employer's eyes. Even if you are right on the mark, that probably won't have a positive influence on your getting the interview.

Help-wanted ads are a source of job leads, even though we ernphasis self-initiated outreach. Sometimes those ads ask for a salary expectation or salar history. What do you suggest?

There may be some inclination to ignore that request because of the perverse effect. In addition, some ads are really attempts to gather salary data per se rather than bona fide announcements of an opening. Still, we would respond in case the ad is legitimate and some reference to salary is necesary even to be considered for an interview.

The best way to respond to questions about salary is with intelligent impression. Use a statement such as, "I anticipate a compensation package that is competitive with the market." If you feel the need to give a number at all, us an elastic expression such as, "in the mid-$20s," rather than giving a specific salary figure as $25,000. If the request is for a salary history, respond with an imprecise salary expectation or say "My current base salary is in the $30s," rather than detailing every dollar from every job you ever had.