Salary Talk in Your Resume

A lot of job ads ask for a resume and salary history. Wait a minute… these employers don’t even know me, and they want to know how much I make? In my mind, talk about salary belongs in the interview, not on the resume.

You know what I’d do if I was asked for my salary history that early in the game? I’d flat-out ignore it. Yep, I’d take the risk that even though I didn’t include my salary history, I’d still get my foot in the door for an interview.

I say "risk," because there IS a chance I could be disqualified for not following directions. But there’d also be a risk if I DID comply, since I could easily be screened out for asking for too much money.

Personally, I prefer the first gamble to the second. But of course, you need to decide which risk suits you.

If you decide to send a salary history, do it in your cover letter — not on your resume! Speak in generalities, like: "My salary in previous positions ranged from $42,000 to more than $56,000, accompanied by benefits."

For more on how to talk about salary in your cover letter, read The Cover Letter with Salary Requirement Conundrum by Jimmy Sweeney.