The $64,000 Question, Please Include Your Salary History
In addition to your (fabulous) resume and cover letter, please include your salary history is a common request. This is one of the hardest questions a sector switcher must answer because comparing your previous salary to a nonprofit compensation package might show a BIG gap. And why would you leave all that money on the table? Because there are other things to consider in life besides compensation including more fulfillment and an opportunity to make a difference.
There are a couple of strategies to use when dealing with the salary issue:
- Don't answer it and hope it goes away. This isn't what I recommend, but if you want to take the chance, go for it. Most often it'll look like you are avoiding the question or think you're too important to answer it.
- Know when to answer the question. If you are at the beginning of the process, you can respond with a "I'd be glad to talk about this once the process moves forward. Why don't you tell me more about the job."
- Don't lie. Most important, don't be tempted to enhance or exaggerate your salary because the chances are VERY good they'll find out the real truth. Tell them the range of what you were making in the private sector, and then give a range for what your expectations are for this job.
- Do your homework. You can get a sense of what the salary range by investigating on your own if the potential employer hasn't shared this information up front. Visit www.guidestar.org to research Nonprofit 990s to find out what the top salaries are in an organization.
Salary history is used for to weed out candidates that are way above or way below a range and typically not a "We'll use this information in the negotiation when we get there" tactic. It's also your first attempt at following instructions from your potential, new employer. Given this, you should definitely answer the question.
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