write to us with your "salary expectations"

[heyyo]

Hi guys,
I am sending a few cvs and covering letters off to some companies, however some companies are asking my salary expectations on the advert. How can i best address this issue on my covering letter...

so far I have come up with....

"My salary expectations are £13,000 which I hope will increase as I progress in your company"

I am not sure if this sounds right....can anyone help (what you would write?)

Thank u in advance

[MetaWraith]

Generally it's best not to mention salary expectations, let prospective employers broach that subject first. Hopefully it will mean they ARE interested in you, and if you've done your research correctly you'll know the going rate for similar positions.

[heyyo]

Hi, the advert is asking for my 'salary expectations'. are you suggesting I ignore it?

I would not write salary expectations if they did not ask for it in the advert, but in this case they are.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by heyyo

"My salary expectations are £13,000 which I hope will increase as I progress in your company"

I wouldn't use the word 'hope' - that to me sounds too defeatist. Perhaps something like

"..which I trust will increase as I progress within your company, reflecting the skills and abilities I will bring to this position"

...would sound better?

If they've specifically asked for your expectations then that gives you the perogative to go ahead and discuss it. After all, you're answering something they've put to you. In your interview you'd never dream of not giving an answer to something they'd ask you, would you?

Remember you're selling yourself here (in the non-rentboy sense of course - unless you're applying to be a rentboy) and you need to let your prospective boss know that his company simply cannot afford to not employ you.

[Maggy J]

Originally Posted by heyyo

Hi, the advert is asking for my 'salary expectations'. are you suggesting I ignore it?

I would not write salary expectations if they did not ask for it in the advert, but in this case they are.

Well that's one way to weed out applications.

[heyyo]

Great thanks for all your help guys...especially Russ D

[greencreeper]

It's not just the role - it's also the area. I can ask for around £12,000 around here - any higher and I've no chance.

I wouldn't sound inflexible - come across as willing to negotiate. This is especially important if you set a figure too high. You need to be clear about how much you need to cover bills, travel, clothing... - this is the minimum you should ask for. Anything above that figure is a reflection of how much you're worth.

[greencreeper]

Originally Posted by Russ D

Remember you're selling yourself here (in the non-rentboy sense of course - unless of course you're applying to be a rentboy) and you need to let your prospective boss know that his company simply cannot afford to not employ you.

It's fine line you tread though - between selling yourself effectively, and coming across as arrogant and conceited.

I don't write covering letters - I hate them with a passion. I really cannot see what use they are. The standard cheesy lines about how brilliant you are, the company would be foolish not to employ you, and you really want to work for that particular company because <insert lies here>.

[Russ]

Originally Posted by greencreeper

It's fine line you tread though - between selling yourself effectively, and coming across as arrogant and conceited.

Good point, it's easy to come across as the latter.

[MetaWraith]

A well drafted, and hand written covering letter could show application, and dedication to the task at hand, as well as accuracy.

Originally Posted by greencreeper

I don't write covering letters - I hate them with a passion. I really cannot see what use they are. The standard cheesy lines about how brilliant you are, the company would be foolish not to employ you, and you really want to work for that particular company because <insert lies here>.

- so you want to stay unemployed on a point of principle

sorry to quote a cliché, but 'get with the game' - you don't have to swallow, to sell yourself, but you do have to make an effort

- sorry if that sounds harsh, but if I were an employer & specified a covering letter, I would reject all applications which didn't include one....

[greencreeper]

Originally Posted by homealone

- so you want to stay unemployed on a point of principle

No - I still fill in application forms (lots of them) both online and paper, and send my CV places. I just avoid the covering letter ones - I can't believe anyone reads them and takes them seriously

Originally Posted by homealone

you don't have to swallow, to sell yourself, but you do have to make an effort

You're not referring to Russ' post, are you? I doubt I'd get much - far too fussy for a start

[Flubflow]

Originally Posted by heyyo

Hi guys,
I am sending a few cvs and covering letters off to some companies, however some companies are asking my salary expectations on the advert. How can i best address this issue on my covering letter...

so far I have come up with....

"My salary expectations are £13,000 which I hope will increase as I progress in your company"

I am not sure if this sounds right....can anyone help (what you would write?)

Thank u in advance

I don't know what the job is but you could perhaps put, "my salary expectations are average for the industry and are negotiable".

Originally Posted by greencreeper

No - I still fill in application forms (lots of them) both online and paper, and send my CV places. I just avoid the covering letter ones - I can't believe anyone reads them and takes them seriously

yes they do - hand written, legible & well spelt - it's a competition ffs

Originally Posted by greencreeper

You're not referring to Russ' post, are you? I doubt I'd get much - far too fussy for a start

no

[danielf]

Originally Posted by homealone

yes they do - hand written, legible & well spelt - it's a competition ffs

In my case hand written and legible are mutually exclusive, so I print mine

Cover letters don't have to be about glorifying yourself. A well-written letter that shows you have given some serious thought about what they might be after can make a huge difference. But then again, this probably also depends on the type of job you're applying for.

Back on-topic: rather then mentioning a salary expectation, another option would be to mention current salary (if applicable). That way you sort of leave it up to the employer to guess what the expectations are.