Part of the reason I get a little nervous about putting my salary history on the cover is I'm afraid the job starts at 50K but they'll say "whoot! we got her for a bargain!"

Or maybe it starts at 42K, but there are awesome benefitsthat even it out, like a better retirement plan or more vacation time or the ability to work from home a couple days a week.

It's all so sketchy, but I give them what they ask for.

IMO, cover letters should have a range you're looking for, not your salary history. I mean, aren't you looking for a bump up? Yes you are.

I've had folks respond to an ad which specified "entry level" with requests for 80k a year. WTF?

Are they... lawyers? Doctors?

I've had folks respond to an ad which specified "entry level" with requests for 80k a year. WTF?

Same here.

If someone's going from a job waitressing at Chili's directly into the salary range it took me 16 years of skilled white collar work to get to, I hope it's because she saved a CEO from choking to death at one of her tables.

Seriously.

I am continually amazed at what people do when they respond. Most notably, they don't read the listing. I'm hiring researchers. The ads specificially say we're doing marketing research. I get buttloads of medical researchers responding. Ummmm...no.

I've had folks respond to an ad which specified "entry level" with requests for 80k a year. WTF?

Maybe I can make extra money by teaching a class on "what you can expect to make, and how much you'll have to bend over, after graduation."

"Hey, you! You with the Communications degree! You'll be getting 500 bucks a week to get lunch for David Greenwalt! This will afford you a bachelor apartment in the valley without a kitchen, and an '86 Honda."

IMO, cover letters should have a range you're looking for, not your salary history. I mean, aren't you looking for a bump up? Yes you are.

Yes, this -- the "required salary" on my cover letter is ALWAYS about $5k more than I'm making now (rounded up). First because switching jobs is a PITA (changing insurance, etc), and second because that way there's room to negotiate without ending up taking a pay cut.

Maybe I can make extra money by teaching a class on "what you can expect to make, and how much you'll have to bend over, after graduation."

"Hey, you! You with the Communications degree! You'll be getting 500 bucks a week to get lunch for David Greenwalt! This will afford you a bachelor apartment in the valley without a kitchen, and an '86 Honda."

I so wish you would do this. It would make my life easier.

IMO, cover letters should have a range you're looking for, not your salary history. I mean, aren't you looking for a bump up? Yes you are.

For me, I can tell if you're not in our range by your history, but if they give me a range, that's fine, too. I just need some kind of idea.

Thank dog I had a recruiter. Because I was willing to work for less than I'd made in MI, and she, with her pay in mind, got me more.

Scared to try on my own.

My boss just used a euphemism for shit in a meeting, and I have no idea if anyone else noticed. Curse this phone technology. She's the metaphorical sort, and I wonder if anyone actually listens when get starts going on...but "that's the sort of thing that makes flowers grow tall and strong" cracked me up. Good thing I was listening.

I just hate all the negotiating and shit. I want the price sticker on the front of the package, car, job, house, whatever.

OK, I did not schedule a murderous rage for today. So why am I having one?

OK, I did not schedule a murderous rage for today. So why am I having one?

Ours is not to question why, ours is to suggest people for you to rage upon.