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August 21, 2005

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Claire Bush
Republic Career Builder

Ask the Experts

As posted in the 8/21/2005 Arizona Republic CareerBuilder Ask the Experts Column.

Question:

By Arizona compensation standards I made a lot of money in my last position. Now that I'm searching for a job this seems to be a handicap. How do I overcome the phrase on applicatinos that says, "Please include previous salary and/or salary expectation"? I've tried the "salary is negotiable" routine without success.

Linda’s Answer:

One solution is knowing what the range is for salaries for the position you are seeking. Salary.com and other sites provide the data you need. You can say, Having just relocated from the East Coast, I have found that salaries may be quite different here in Arizona; comparing my past compensation to a similar job here is like comparing apples to oranges. The research I have done indicates the range to be $x to $x. I am confident that you offer a competitive salary for good people. Let's meet to discover if I am the right person."

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