How to ask for a better salary while job interviewing

Dear Don,

I’ve started reading your book, and I’ll save my good remarks for later,
but for now, I really would appreciate if you could give me more
pointers on how I can ask for a good offer that is, lets say, twice or
thrice as much as my current salary?

I worry that during the interview, they’ll ask me how much I am earning
right now. Because I am not earning what should be the going rate for my
position. And I can’t lie, or give a range, cause my salary is written
on my employment certificate. How can I go about this?

I wish you can dedicate 5pages on how to go about asking for better
salary.

Thank you, and more power!!!

Sincerely,

Dianne

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Hi Dianne,

What you’re earning right now should not impact how much you’re actually
worth and should be paid. If it were me, let’s say $20,000 was written
on my employment cert. and I went for a job interview, and people in my
profession with my experience level, and where the average salary was
$50,000, then that is what I would list as my salary requirements. And
I would not even bring up the $20k. If they bring it up, and ask why are
you asking for so much more that what you’re making, then you could tell
you were forced to take a job with less pay until something else better
came along. Tell them that $50k is the average salary for people in
your line of work and that is what you feel you are worth. Ask them,
“that’s not a problem for you, is it?”

I really doubt anything like that will even come up, because companies
are not out to low ball you like that anyway. Most companies will pay
you what they feel you are worth and use industry standards as guide
lines.

I hope this helps. Let me know if you need anything else.

Best regards,

Don

Why are you leaving your job for people 50 years and older

Don,

One of the questions that has me having nightmares is “Why are you
leaving your job?”

I can’t very well say, “I am burned out” nor does ” It is time to move
on” work. The latter usually gets me that “What is wrong with you” look.

Plus the “I am exploring going back to school” answer gets me that look
like I am hiding a serious issue. Lets face it I am in my 50’s and
interviewers tend to look at me like I am a liability. I go in confident
and I know they are thinking this person is not going to stay long, she
is going to retire soon so why hire her. Thank you for any advise or
suggestions.

Judie

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Hi Judie,

I think one of the best ways to answer this question is to tell your
interviewer you are leaving because your current job is not as
challenging as it once was and that if you are not continually
challenged, work becomes boring and you’re not one to sit around all day
and be bored. You could even throw in that you asked your boss for more
challenging work, and after 3-4 more months your situation has not
changed and your job remains unchallenging, hence the need to find new
and more challenging work. Now of course, these are just suggestions
and ideas and would need to be reworded and put into your own words so
your statements are factual.

Only in your 50’s? Is that all? You’re a youngling compared to some of
the people I work with. I just helped a 67 year young woman land a
$125K management position. I’m not saying I can do that for you because
I can’t – She landed the job; I didn’t. I just helped with her
confidence and technique and she did the rest.

If you see your age as a problem, then so will your interviewer.

Lead with your many years of stable and proven job experience, that you
know how to get things done and most importantly, that you are a
solution to their problems.

If you look at your age as a drawback or liability, then so will they
and that will be your downfall and you’ll have a harder time getting
hired. It’s more of a mindset than anything, but it’s very important to
think positive and use what you have, and forget about what you do not
have.

You you’re not 35, so don’t think that you have to be to get hired. If
in your mind you think that you need youth to get a job, then your brain
will work against you and make sure that you don’t get hired because
you’re not meeting your own criteria. Your mind really does work that
way. Henry Ford always said, “whether you think you can, or you think
you can’t, either way you’re right.”

I’m not trying to get you all jacked up on being positive, just get you
in the right frame of mind and to lead with what you do have and most
importantly, your strengths.

Good luck on your interview and please let me know if there is anything
else I can do to help you.

Best regards,

Don