Dealing With Salary Requirements

iIt's the sentence that most job seekers dread seeing on a job posting: "Please include salary requirements in your cover letter."  Generally speaking, people have a pretty good idea of what they think they should be paid.  But that doesn't mean they are comfortable asking for what they think is a fair salary.  They would much rather get into that at a later date.  Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid the topic when it's required you include it in your cover letter.  If you are one of those individuals who is having cold feet about listing their desired salary, you'll be glad to know that there are ways to comply with the employer's request without providing a specific answer.

The biggest reason that job seekers are hesitant to list the salary they want is the fear of pricing themselves out of the job.  That's why it's important to do research about the type of salary someone typically earns in the position for which you are applying.  You can do this by reading salary surveys or asking your networking contacts.  If you have this information, it should be a lot less nerve-wracking to say what you really want.

It's still important to remain flexible when it comes to your salary requirements.  For example, you could say the following: "I have earned anywhere from $30,000 and $50,000 throughout my career.  Any salary within this range would be an acceptable starting point, though I am more than willing to negotiate this further with you."  See?  You've answered the employee's question honestly while leaving room for negotiation.