Why not mentioning the reason for a career change is often the best approach

Dear Sam: I am in my mid 40's and have driven a tractor-trailer for most of my career, however, due to a recent accident with my hand, I have been forced to look for another occupation. How do I create a cover letter explaining why I am changing careers? Thanks – Tim in Columbus

Dear Tim: That’s a really great question. You didn’t mention whether you knew what career you were interested in at this time, but identifying that is the first step to take before you can begin writing your résumé or cover letter.

When you are embarking upon a career change, you first have to define your purpose and identify your transferable skills. This is much more important than explaining the reason for the transition, because if your résumé and cover letter do not make a strong case for your ability to perform within the new occupation, then you probably won’t get the interview in the first place. Additionally, explaining that you had an accident, without going into too much detail as to the limitations it has now presented, may make a hiring manager question your ability to perform other job functions. Therefore, the best approach is to market your transferable skills and not mention the reason for the career change. I always tell clients that it typically never serves them to highlight a disqualifying factor, unless by not doing so you just won’t get the call for an interview. In your case, an explanation as to the impetus for the move will do nothing but highlight the lack of experience in your newly desired profession. It will also tell the hiring manager that it was not your choice to change fields, and could make them think that you might be less than enthusiastic to do so. Stick with making a case for how well you can perform within your desired profession based on your past experiences, skills, and education. All the best.

Importance of updating references

Dear Sam: I worked for a company that changed their name no less than four times during my employment. I just read in the paper where the name has changed again. What are my responsibilities with regards to keeping up with the name changes, and or address changes, and possibly the company going out of business? Thanks – Pam in Columbus

Dear Pam: Good question…and one I am asked quite frequently! Your résumé should present the name of the employer during the time you worked with the company, or as explained later, the past and present name noting each as such. Your reference sheet should also include both the past and present name, and the current contact information for your reference. If you are relying on the human resources department to provide your reference, and the company has changed names, then you’ll need to note the current name of the company in addition to the name when you worked there so the hiring manager understands what position they are calling to verify. This may be presented as such:

ABC Company
Formerly known as XYZ Company
123 Any Street
Columbus, OH 55555
555-555-5555

As mentioned above, you can also use the same presentation on your résumé if you like, something that works well if the most recent company name is more recognizable.

As to whether it is your responsibility to keep up with this information, I suppose the answer would come from whether you wanted a reference from that employer! A hiring manager won’t have time to track down the current contact information, so I’d say that you should do your best to have current information on your résumé and reference sheet. You can also use a former co-worker or supervisor as a reference, and simply maintain contact with him/her regardless of where they work now, which may be easier than tracking the actions of a company. Remember that many candidates are in this situation, so hiring mangers understand if references are not available at times due to situations outside of your control.

Incorporating self employment on your résumé

Dear Sam: I currently own and run a very successful consulting business on a part-time basis. I also maintain a full-time job. My question is how do I incorporate my skills and experience gained from my own business onto my resume. The work experience is tremendous. Also, how do you list volunteer work on your résumé? I'm the Business Manager for a local nonprofit organization. Thanks. – Shawn in Columbus

Dear Shawn: How you incorporate your consulting experience is somewhat based on your current career objective. If your goal is to secure a new full-time position, and I am assuming it is as you are creating a résumé, then you need to tread lightly when highlighting self-employment. When presenting your own business in addition to a full-time position, a hiring manager may feel that you would be a short-term employee if your own business became successful enough. Moreover, if you are seeking a challenging full-time engagement, some might question your commitment to your employer. While this is unfortunate, if you have another engagement, you may not have the availability to stay late, work weekends, etc., something that might be required of your full-time role.

To highlight related self-employment experience without disqualifying yourself for any of the above reasons, you might want to include your consulting experience in a second professional experience section on your résumé. You would therefore first present, and focus on, your full-time positions, and in a second section titled “Consulting Engagements” present your self-employment. By doing this you can easily incorporate highlights from either tracks of your career in your cover letter, qualifications summary, and even an accomplishments section.

I mention an accomplishments section as depending on the chronology of your career and strength of accomplishments in your full-time positions, it may serve you best to pull out all of your accomplishments and place them on page one of your résumé. As you mentioned your consulting experience is very valuable, this would allow you to highlight that experience without showcasing that it was performed during an independent engagement. To do this, simply list your accomplishments with the employer or client name at the end of the statement. Then, in the consulting experience section, be sure to note the same clients for consistency, and so the hiring manager will understand the scope of the engagement.

Your résumé would therefore be ordered as such:

1. Qualifications Summary
2. Select Accomplishments
3. Professional Experience
4. Consulting Engagements
5. Education, etc.

By following this strategy you will showcase your value to the hiring manager. You will also have all of your critical data on page one of your résumé, and perhaps most importantly, not disqualify yourself by being seen as a budding entrepreneur seeking interim full-time employment.

As to your question of how to list volunteer experience, you can follow the same formatting as with your professional experience, as long as the experience warrants that focus. Remember, in your case you might already look like you have too many time commitments, so again, be careful about focusing on this too much unless it really enhances your candidacy over and above your consulting roles and professional experience. Thanks for the great questions!

Résumé Makeover

Client Background

Susan came to me without an existing résumé, seeking to target a new position in account/relationship management. As Susan was not certain of her career accomplishments, she found it difficult to complete my Client Questionnaire. This was evident in the fact that she provided less than 100 words or 1 paragraph to detail the past 8 years of her career. It was therefore imperative, as with any project, to conduct additional research to help Susan identify and market her value to prospective employers. Susan also provided information on her 6-year absence from the workforce, and her tenure with two retailers in the 70’s and 80’s.

Résumé Strategies

After conducting research to ensure I knew more about Susan’s line of work and employer, I used our consultation to probe deeper into Susan’s background and achievements. As with most clients, once Susan started talking about her experiences, more and more information was revealed about her career and accomplishments. She felt more comfortable exploring what she had accomplished while talking to someone, telling me that she found it nearly impossible to capture her career on paper – particularly when she was writing about herself. With her objective defined and more than 3 pages of additional details gathered through research and our consultation, I began creating her résumé.

I opened Susan’s résumé with a qualifications summary communicating her value to prospective employers. In this paragraph, I highlighted both experiences and soft skills, in order to showcase her related background. Additionally, opening the summary with the professional title of “Account / Relationship Manager” serves to frame her candidacy for the hiring manager. Within the professional experience section, I placed focus on Susan’s achievements, being sure to quantify wherever possible to show actual results. Statements were presented in bullet points to facilitate ease of readability, and certain phrases were selected to ensure notable keywords appeared within her résumé. I chose to omit earlier retail experiences from the 70’s and 80’s, as these would have only unnecessarily aged her candidacy. Additionally by including those experiences, I would have highlighted her absence from the workforce, something that was easily avoided when highlighting the desired 8-10 years’ experience.

Lastly, as Susan did not have a degree, I omitted the education section, and instead replaced it with a list of her recent professional development. By omitting the education section when you feel the lack of a degree is going to detract from your candidacy, you actually focus the hiring manager’s attention elsewhere, thereby minimizing the appearance of a potentially disqualifying factor. The professional development section ended Susan’s résumé on a strong point, reinforcing her up-to-date training and continued development in her field.

Client Comments / Results

Two weeks after receiving her new résumé, Susan wrote:
“You did a remarkable job! I was struggling with the best way to communicate the skills and knowledge I had amassed from my past experiences and present them in such a way that they would appear very transferable. I highly recommend your services. By the way, I’d only sent out two hard copies less then two weeks ago, interviewed with one of the companies just yesterday, and they just called me an hour ago to schedule the second interview. It was the way you pulled my work history together and presented that is making the difference. Thanks so much!”

Two weeks later Susan wrote:
“I just wanted to let you know the work you did on my résumé did more for me than I ever expected. Having been focused for the last 10 years on performing my “job” duties, I wasn't able to see how accomplished I'd actually become. The way you presented my skills and accomplishments allowed me to see how much I had to offer potential employers. Feeling more confident about my career future I sent hard copies only to two companies I wanted to work for. The résumé not only helped me get the initial interviews, but also provided me with the confidence necessary to impress the prospective employer, and I am happy to say I accepted a position this morning. Thanks so much for everything!”

Success Factors

Susan started with a clearly defined objective, which helped tailor her résumé to meet the needs of the intended audience. She was also willing to spend the time to think about her past experiences and achievements, and explore those in further detail during our phone consultation. While not all job searches can be so targeted, this makeover illustrates how effective a résumé can be when not written with a one-size-fits-all objective – something Susan understood and capitalized upon to achieve success.

Can you list your degree without your major?

Dear Sam: I last updated my resume six years ago. I am now required to submit a resume as part of an accreditation review. The problem lies in that my degree is in one field (Education), and I am currently working in another field, in which I have over 20 years experience, but no Master’s degree. Is it acceptable to list your education background without mentioning the type or kind of degree you hold? Thank you. – Karen in Wheeling, WV

Dear Karen: If it would detract from your candidacy to include that your degree is in Education, then yes, it is fine to simply list the type of degree you have without the major. You would just list the degree-granting institution followed by the degree you hold, whether M.S. or M.A., with no note as to the major. That is a pretty common strategy for those who need to minimize the appearance of having unrelated education, or even a previous career, not noted on their resume. Good luck!

The reality of a job search

Dear Sam: I just got my associates degree and have sent multiple resumes electronically for a little over a week. I haven't received any responses at all despite following up on several potential jobs. This is a full-time job in itself. What do I do now? – Amy in Columbus

Dear Amy: Yes, searching job can be a full-time position in itself. A week, however, is nothing in the scope of how long the average job search takes. Don’t get discouraged — job searches can take weeks, if not months, and while that may not be something you want to hear, you need to have realistic expectations. As long as you have a strong resume, do your due diligence when submitting your resume and cover letter, and follow up on opportunities, you will almost certainly expedite your search. Use all of the available resources to source potential opportunities, including online job banks, newspapers, job fairs, networking, etc. Most importantly, don’t get discouraged and keep charging forward with a positive attitude.

Creating a resume for candidates with limited experience, education, and documentation

Dear Sam: Hello! I am a career counselor at a local non-profit refugee office. I often deal with clients who are looking for jobs but have no high school education, obscure work experience, and/or limited English skills.

Many job descriptions request a resume, even for low-skill jobs. Is it better to create a resume for these folks or to simply have them complete the company's application? I am afraid that for some of my clients, creating a resume will only highlight what formal experience they do not have. Also, even when clients do have work or school experience, they may not remember company names or dates, and diplomas or certificates may be lost or unavailable.

So, what is the best approach to creating a resume for those who do have marketable skills, but may not be able to prove it? Any advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated! Thank you. – Gretchen in Columbus

Dear Gretchen: Thanks for the great questions. I often speak with clients who are not sure if they really need a resume, either because they feel they don’t have a “professional” background or because they don’t possess the marketable skills needed to create an effective resume. The first step is really to decide whether a resume is the appropriate tool for your clients. If employers are asking for such a document, then one, of course, should be created; but if the hiring process is primarily driven by an application, then your clients may not need a resume. I’d always lean towards creating one, however, as it is the most effective means to highlight what skills your clients do have. Regardless, they will always need to know where and when they worked, so that is the place to start when creating a complete and accurate document.

Either by rooting through old files, enlisting the assistance of a background check company, or speaking with friends or family members who may remember names and dates, your clients have to develop a timeline of their professional background. This doesn’t have to extend for more than about 10 years, so maybe this will make the process a little less daunting. They will also need to contact educational institutions, ask for transcripts, and generally secure the correct information related to their educational pursuits.

Once your clients possess a complete picture of their professional and/or academic background, you can then begin the resume writing process. If your clients do not have a strong background to showcase, then you will need to feature softer skills that they feel will position them for what they now want to do. I do this a lot for my student and entry-level clients, as they do have less experience to showcase. In these situations, I use the skills they developed either in the classroom or workplace to position them as qualified candidates. There are a lot of value-added skills or attributes that candidates forget about when compiling their resume. These could include a sound work ethic, missing very little work, an ability to learn new processes quickly, a flexible attitude to changing environments, strong team work skills, etc. Use the qualifications summary section in your clients’ resumes to tout these values, which will market them for a variety of opportunities. You can then keep the professional experience and education sections brief, if necessary. Another tool that is very effective is including testimonials from former co-workers or managers at the beginning of the resume. Without much documentation, your clients may not be able to generate these positive comments, but if they can it will reinforce their ability to do outstanding work. All the best!

Tips on dressing for an interview

Dear Sam: Can you tell me what the rules are for dressing for an interview? I used to wear a red suit but I’m not sure if that is appropriate anymore. With the job fair coming up I want to look the part and present myself in the best possible manner to future employers. Could you give me some tips? – Sandra in New Albany

Dear Sandra: The safest strategy is to dress conservatively. There are always exceptions to this rule, such as companies preferring a business casual look, but unless you have been told otherwise, a business suit in grey, blue, or black is the best choice. Some say a black suit can look too serious and should be softened with a shirt or blouse of another color, but looking like a professional is key so black is better than other less conservative colors. Regardless of what you choose to wear you should look like a professional, dressing above the job you want, and nicer than what you would wear to work on a daily basis. This doesn’t mean you have to run out and buy an expensive suit, but it does mean that you should wear something that reflects who you are without making a fashion statement!

Preparing to make the most of a job fair

Dear Sam: After 13 years with my last employer, I was recently laid off and am beginning a job search. This entire process is new to me, I’ve never really had to look for a job, and when I did look back in the 80’s, it was a very different environment than it is today. I noticed the Dispatch is hosting a job fair on February 15th, so I thought that would be a good kick-off to my search. What should or can I do to prepare myself for the event? Any advice would be appreciated. – Jack in Lewis Center

Dear Jack: I’m sorry to hear about your recent job loss, and think the job fair will be a great way to embark upon the newest phase of your career. Job fairs can be overwhelming so preparing for it is a great way to make the most of the opportunities that will be there. At the very least, getting out for the day, dressing as if you are going to work, and being prepared to sell yourself, will do wonders to your psyche and your self-confidence. As an additional bonus, you will get a head start on sharpening your interviewing and networking skills.

Here are some tips to make sure you get the most out of the experience:

Review the list of exhibitors. You will need to do this for several reasons. First, when you walk up to a booth it will be impressive if you know something about the exhibitor. The worst question to ask a prospective employer is, "What do you do?" Do some research on the Internet to learn about the company, taking the time to review recent press articles so you are aware of the direction the company is taking. You can also peruse the career section of their site to get an idea of what positions they may be seeking to fill. This will be important when you are telling the employer what you can do for them.

Customize your cover letter. While you are researching the exhibiting companies, gather their contact information and even a human resource manager’s name if at all possible. Use this information to customize your cover letter to each company, doing so will immediately tell the recruiters that you have gone the extra mile and are very interested in working for them.
Prepare your sales pitch. Develop a two-minute answer to the question, “Tell me about yourself.” By doing so you will maximize your time with the hiring manager versus stumbling and taking five minutes to say the same thing. Tailor this statement to suit the needs of the employer; in other words, don’t spend your time telling them what you want to do or your life history. Focus this statement on the value you can offer the employer, highlighting your core competencies, and providing concrete examples reinforcing your claims.

Map out your strategy. When you get to the job fair, find out where each company of interest is exhibiting and map out a strategy to visit each booth. Don’t be discouraged if you see long lines, if you need to, return at a more convenient time, keeping keep a list of the exhibitors you have visited so you don’t leave the fair forgetting to speak to one of your prospects.
Ask for business cards. Upon closing your discussion with each hiring manager, politely ask for his or her business card so you can follow-up on the opportunity with a second copy of your resume and even a personal phone call.

Dress for the job you want! Despite a job fair often seeming less formal than an individual interview, you should still take the time to dress for the job you want. Take this opportunity to put your best foot forward, both on paper and in person.

Take advantage of available seminars. There are a number of free seminars offered at the job fair covering such areas as resume writing, interviewing, financial management, and job search strategies for the mature worker. These are not only great ways to expand your knowledge, but also to meet others in similar situations, share best practices, and enhance your network.

By preparing yourself for the job fair, you will make the most of this opportunity, engage yourself in a professional environment, and better equip yourself for future interviews. See you there!

Whether to include experienced gained outside of the professional arena

Dear Sam: I have over 10 years experience working in IT as a programmer, and also recently graduated from college. My career goal is to obtain an IS Management position and was wondering how I could, or if I should, put my experience as Trustee Chairman at my local church on my resume to highlight experience with budgeting and management? If so where on the resume? – Anonymous in Columbus

Dear Anonymous: Great question. There is often confusion over whether engagements more on a personal level should be included on a resume. The rule I use to evaluate whether these types of positions make it on a resume is to review whether they add “value” to your candidacy. For example, if you are a sales person and have extensive involvement in your local community, the same community to which you will be selling, then your personal engagements will reinforce your likeliness to succeed based on your extensive network. In your situation, as you are trying to break into management, then yes, this position will likely add validity to your general and financial management capabilities. To incorporate this into your resume I would be sure to make a note of the skills you possess due to this engagement within the qualifications summary on page one. Then, add a section at the end of your resume titled, “Professional Involvement” or something similar, and detail this position as you have those appearing within the professional experience section. Remember that if you give this section some weight, then the hiring manager is also more likely to do so; hence it is key that you showcase the value of this opportunity and the skills if has allowed you to develop. All the best!

Strategies to minimize the impact of not having the required college degree

Dear Sam: I read your column often and have never seen anyone’s question on this topic. I am 49 years of age and for the past 7 years I was a senior plant manager of a small food processing plant in the area. Recently, I was replaced. My focus now is to find a new job and I haven’t had any success to this point. I think there are 2 major issues confronting my quest: I am nearing 50 and I feel the biggest drawback is that I don’t possess a degree. I am in no way criticizing those that do have degrees, but it frustrates me that so many employers require it with positions I know I may qualify for. For example: I did all of the hiring for inside operations at our plant. I hired several employees with Associates, a few with Bachelors, and even one with a Masters degree. Just because one might have a degree doesn’t always mean they are the best ones for the job. Certain positions many times call for specific types of personalities or talents or attitudes, which a degree will not supply.

When I read the qualifications in a particular ad thinking to myself that I have the experience and I could qualify for this position, then I read the requirements for the job and the dreaded "degree" word takes the wind out of my sails. Am I wasting my time sending a résumé anyway? I loved my job. I want to believe that there is someone out there who is in dire need of my unique background and personality. I think surely that there is a need for a strong leader with hands-on talents, many years of experience, and I do have approx. 60 credit hours of college work completed. Any advice? - Jim in Baltimore

Dear Jim: Absolutely, there are a number of strategies you can employ to minimize the impact of not having a degree when one is required for a particular opportunity. Let’s touch on a few:

Never mention that you don’t hold a degree: The worst thing you can do is to explain on your resume or cover letter that you do not hold a degree. There is a possibility that if you present a strong enough image of your past, a hiring manager could qualify you for an interview before even noticing you don’t hold a degree. I always tell my clients not to mention disqualifying factors, particularly in their cover letter, unless of course by not doing so you don’t stand a chance of being brought in for an interview. Only then is highlighting a disqualifying factor worth the risk.

Define unique skills/strengths gained through hands-on experience: You possess a unique background and skill set, and your challenge is to sell that to the hiring manager. Review your background and identify what makes you different from candidates that hold a degree but may have less experience. Use your qualifications summary to promote your value to the hiring manager, never mentioning that you don’t hold a degree. This is really of key importance, as if you are brought in for an interview and are competing against those that have degrees, you will have to sell yourself by articulating how you are more qualified for the job.

Highlight professional development and training: When you don’t have a degree it is imperative that you highlight all of your related training and education. Whether these are classes that you were sent to by your employer, training programs that you pursued personally, or even more informal seminars you attended, highlighting these showcases your continued development in the field, and goes a long way to minimizing the impact of not having a degree.

Highlight the college education you do have: When a degree is required I tell my clients that it is best to highlight the college education they do have versus omitting the education section entirely. The latter strategy is often best when a degree is not required or simply preferred, as by placing an education section on your resume in this situation, and the incomplete degree, you only highlight the fact that you do not possess that qualification. In your case however, and in most cases where degrees are required, it is advantageous to communicate that you completed some college. Simply present this as such:

Columbus University, Columbus, Ohio
Completed 60 Hours Towards a Bachelor of Science Degree, 1985-1987

If you completed your college further back than the amount of years of experience you are including on your resume, then consider omitting the dates to avoid unnecessarily aging your candidacy.

Enroll in a degree program: I’m not sure if it is a possibility or not, but if not having a degree is a barrier to entry back into the jobs you want, then enrolling in a degree program might be a good option. As soon as you are enrolled you can place the college name and anticipated degree and graduation date on your resume. This would appear as such:

Columbus University, Columbus, Ohio
Bachelor of Science, anticipated 2007

You may be lucky enough to get in the door to a company that offers tuition reimbursement, and is willing to fund the remainder of the degree.

Lastly, in response to your question of whether to apply for these positions when you lack the degree required, I’d answer yes every time! Most of the time you will be able to apply via email which costs just a few minutes of your time. While I always recommend sending a hard copy of your resume too, if you want to save the price of a stamp then at least you have applied and have the prospect of an interview. It is always better to have more possibilities rather than less, so I’d take any opportunity to apply for a role you feel qualified for, regardless of not having the required degree. After all, you’ll likely also be competing with candidates who lack other qualifications, so the playing field may be more even than your think. I hope these strategies help get your resume and your job search on the right path. All the best!

How to present an almost completed degree

Dear Sam: I have almost completed my college degree, but the last 5-week class I need is not offered until June. I want to put on my resume that graduation will be June 2006 (pending completion of the class I still need to take). Is this acceptable? Is there anything else I can put that basically says I am not in classes now, but can't take the last class until June? Thanks for any assistance you can give me. - Tracy in Columbus

Dear Tracy: Good question! I would include your education section as such:

College Name, City, State
Bachelor of Arts, anticipated June 2006
~ Enrolled in last 5-week class for June 2006

You may also want to put a very brief explanation in your cover letter to make sure the hiring manager understands your situation. This could read, “While I have completed the majority of my degree program, the last class in the [major/minor] sequence is not offered until June, therefore I will receive my undergraduate degree this summer.” I hope that helps!

Minimizing the impact of being seen as a job-hopper

Dear Sam: I graduated from college in 2001 and have been working in the IT realm since (prior if you include internships). However, I have not been with the same organization for more than two years and have had four total positions. I switch jobs because external companies tend to offer me much more money and better opportunities than internal positions have offered. I realize this job-hopping will look bad on my résumé and know that I should stop. What's the best way to display jobs on my résumé if I hop again though? One thing I should mention, is that regardless of the organization, I have always performed above-and-beyond the expectations of my management. Thanks - "Job Hopper" in Columbus

Dear Job-Hopper: Actually, two years with each employer is not that bad in today’s job market. You sort of answered your own question by noting that you have performed well in each of your engagements. A key strategy in minimizing the impact of having changed jobs frequently is to demonstrate your value to the prospective employer. Do so by pulling out your accomplishments and placing them in their own section by employer. By doing this you not only showcase where you have gone above-and-beyond, but also downplay focus on your dates of employment, which should only appear in the professional experience section. Also, you should only include years of employment and not months and years, another way to minimize the appearance of having moved around. Lastly, be sure you have a strong qualifications summary communicating your value based on your past successes. By employing these strategies you will really diminish the impact of being seen as a job-hopper and be on the way to résumé success! Best of luck.

Positioning a résumé for a career change

Dear Sam: I have been in IT sales for over nine years and I am really tired of it. The market has changed and I work for a small company that is just barely holding on. I would like to make a career change but most employers only see the sales that I have done and nothing else. How do you tailor your résumé so that employers will look at you differently? Best regards. – Vanessa in Columbus

Dear Vanessa: When you are embarking upon a career change, there are two major steps you have to take. First, you’ll need to identify what you want to do at this juncture in your career. It is imperative that you define your purpose and the audience that will be reviewing your résumé. Once you have completed step one, you will be able to identify your transferable skills. To define what these may be, review the job postings for the positions that capture your attention, and highlight keywords or phrases that appear repeatedly. Next, consider your own experiences and how they align with the skills required in your desired profession. For example, if you want to go into customer service, your background in sales will align in such areas as relationship management, problem resolution, needs analysis, and more. Armed then with a list of your transferable skills, you will weave these competencies into your qualifications summary, and use them as a guide to deciding what information to include on your résumé.

A word of caution however, a hiring manager does not have time to pull out what experiences in your background lend themselves to their opportunity, so it is very important that you do this for them. I often have clients’ state that they can do anything and everything, and they hope this markets them for a position during a career change. Unfortunately, when you are competing against candidates who have tailored their résumé towards a specific field or position, your résumé, if kept broad and unspecific, won’t stand a chance. I only mention this to reinforce the importance of defining your purpose and identifying your transferable skills – steps essential in facilitating a successful career change. Best of luck!

Tips for responding to the salary requirement question

Dear Sam: I'm returning to Columbus after living in a small Southern town for several years, so I'm gearing up my résumé and cover letters. A couple of questions I'd like to know how to deal with:

1) When replying to a blind newspaper ad that doesn't list a contact name or even a title, what's the best way to word the salutation in the cover letter? Once upon a time, it was “Dear Sir or Madam” but that may be terribly out of date these days. Should I just say “Hello” or “Good Morning” or the terribly generic “To Whom It May Concern?” Or should I just omit that line altogether and jump right into the first paragraph?

2) Companies occasionally ask for salary history and/or salary requirements. I've always found this awkward to answer. As far as salary history, I've spent the last few years self-employed, so my income has fluctuated (often dramatically). I don't quite know how to word it. And for those newspaper ads that ask for salary requirements, I'm never comfortable. In the past, I've said something about "in the range of..." but then stated that everything was negotiable. I'm afraid of pricing myself too high and thereby pushing me out of the running, or stating a figure so low that I'd have a hard time living on it. I also don't want to sound like I'm not worth it...my skills and experience have value. I'm sure you'll suggest that I research a company or industry, but that's not always possible, particularly with a blind ad or for small companies.

I always look forward to reading your column...it's wonderful to be able to access it through the Internet. Your advice has been quite useful. Thanks for your help. – Pat in South Carolina

Dear Pat: Thank you for your readership all the way from South Carolina! Now, to answer your questions. You are correct in that “Dear Sir or Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern” are outdated salutations. When replying to a job posting that is completely blind, your cover letter should be addressed to “Dear Hiring Manager.”

As for your question regarding salary history and salary requirements, having been self-employed does present a more difficult situation due to your varied income. You can certainly use the approach to simply state that your requirements are flexible, but of course you risk elimination, as you haven’t really answered the employer’s question. I’d try to avoid providing a salary history if at all possible, solely due to your self-employment and your salary fluctuations. If you have to provide a salary history you might want to present that information in your cover letter instead of the traditional technique, which is to list it on your résumé. In your case, this would allow you to provide your history while not self-employed, along with a statement explaining that your salary history while self-employed varied greatly and is not indicative of your current needs.

When asked for a salary requirement however, there are a few standard approaches, five of which I have detailed below along with their associated risks. Remember to include this information on your cover letter, usually towards the end so to minimize any negative impact it may have. Of course, never offer this information unless specifically requested. Ok, now on to how to tackle this dreaded question.

First and foremost, you need to know what you want to be paid, what you are worth, and what the trends are within the industry, employer, and geographic location to which you are applying. As you are relocating, you’ll have to do some research on whether the cost of living differs from your current location in South Carolina to Columbus. For example, according to The New York Times Cost of Living Calculator (http://salary.nytimes.com/), Columbus employers pay an average of 3.6 % more than their counterparts in Columbia, South Carolina. Do as much research as you can in order to make an informed decision as to what to place on your cover letter. There are several ways to respond (or not respond) to this question each with their own levels of risk.

Response One: Tell the hiring manager what you want to earn. If you have a base salary requirement state it as such so to tell the hiring manager that you probably expect a little more. The risk in using this approach is that you will be immediately disqualified because your amount is too low or too high.

Response Two: Give the hiring manager a wide range. Most employers have a range for each position, and the hope when using this strategy is that your ranges overlap at some point. You can either state that you want compensation in the "Mid 50's" or are seeking compensation from "$50-60K." The challenge here is not presenting a range where your lowest amount is their highest available compensation or vice versa. You could secure a job earning $50K instead of $56K, just because you put your range as $50-60K. Hence the second strategy of "Mid 50's" might work more to your favor.

Response Three: Avoid the question by stating that you are seeking competitive compensation for someone in your field, or are flexible as to your total compensation package. By doing this you avoid answering the question and disqualifying yourself because of a number, yet you answer the question to a certain degree. You also tell the hiring manager, by using the second approach, that you realize that there is more to a compensation package than just your salary. Attractive benefit programs, great working environments, flexible work arrangements, etc., also contribute to your total compensation package. The risk here is that you will be eliminated anyway because you didn't give the hiring manager a hard number.

Response Four: Communicate that you would love to discuss your salary requirement once a mutual interest has been established. This gives you the opportunity to assess the functions of the position to which you are applying, and fairly evaluate what you should be compensated for such an engagement. Again, the risk is that you will be eliminated for avoiding the question.

Response Five: Don't respond. A lot of candidates take this approach and hope their experiences, accomplishments, and skills pull them through despite avoiding the question entirely. After all, if you sing on paper shouldn't that be enough regardless of what you want to be paid? Well, sometimes not. Unfortunately, if you disregard their request, you résumé might also be disregarded.

At the end of the day, you have to make an educated decision on which strategy you want to employ, and whether the risk involved it worth taking. I hope your move is a success both professionally and personally. All the best!