Well I have been hammering away over the pc ....applying for this and that ( jobs). Maybe i have been out of the searching for a job market but does anyone else from the UK notice that it seems to be more internet application driven than that at home in the UK? ( just wondered - i was employed by the same company for 10 years and would still be there now if i hadnt got married )

I know they always ask what your expectations are in regard to pay - i find this part difficult - on several fronts, what i use to get paid plays no part in what i would get here...anyone got any experiences or advice?

I have also applied to Charter Communications, and Wells Fargo along with others...as these are major businesses - anyone got any advice and experience?

Try not to say what you are expecting up front or early in the interview process. Otherwise it may limit your ability to negotiate or it may get your filtered out before you have a chance to show who you are.

This is good advice. However, as many employers are switching to the internet for pre-screening, I am wondering what a person is supposed to do with electronic applications that require you to state a minimum starting wage? It is impossible to leave the field blank or write "Negotiable".

I always recommend the word "Discuss" to be filled in in any written communique for a job, whether it be via the internet or paper based application. Discuss is perfectly legitimate and appropriate. How could you give them an number before YOU have interviewed THEM to understand the company, position, responsibilities, etc. DISCUSS is the appropriate answer while YOU and THEY are getting to know each other to see if there is a possible match on both sides.

When I was interviewing for my present employer they asked on the application of my expected yearly salary. I left it blank and during the interview I told them that since I was from Canada I didn't know what the "going" rate for this area was. I did tell them what I was making in Canada and they matched that and added another 7% a year.

This made my wife and myself very happy. I wasn't sure if was going to get the same or less so we were estactic that I was getting more. What was even better was 6 months later we had the company wide reviews and they ended up increasing my salary an additional 18%.

During the review meeting I told them that I felt that I should be making what the other "top" guys were making and they assured me that I was right up there with them now with this increase. I think they low balled me when I first started as they didn't know what they were getting until I had a chance to shine.

It definately is a hard question to add. As you can see from my experience they ended up offering a lower salary which I jumped at because it was more than I was making in Canada. Just be careful and try to do some research for the job and area you are looking for.

I'm not sure if you'd find it helpful but it was for me, when I negotiated my pay rate. It's a website called salary.com among others. You type in the job title and is assessed based on your area/location, years of experience, and basic duties. There was a website resource that I found (but I didn't save the link) that offers reviews of salaries of companies by the current employees or those who left. But you have to register for that website. You may search them.That is how I got my current job, my first job too: by applying online. As soon as 3 days when they responded to my online resume, I called the HR manager to ask if the company's annual report is accessible to the public. Somehow, looking at the allocation of the budget and profit you would see if their people are compensated well enough. I'm not sure if this will help you but that's just my experience and it did give me the chance to negotiate the right pay. I actually asked a rate that is median for my years of experience and the company's location/zip code, and at the end of the interview process, they offered me a higher rate. The HR remarked that the initial rate I asked fell "within our range".

Good luck!

I grew up being told to just put "starting rate". I don't know. It can be confusing.

I am sick and tired of all the internet applications though. Whatever happened to handing in a resume or filling out an application in the store? And with the internet applications you tend to get those ridiculous "personality surveys", etc. What a load of crap.

Personality surveys - yea, those suck big time!! Due to my husband's limited English, I have filled out tens of job applications in the last month. I hope we're done now forever!!
I've completed so many that yesterday at work when I needed to fill out something for myself I wrote my HUSBAND'S name.

The problem is you can't always. Some online applications require a number. They will not allow it to be bypassed or a text entry made. I don't like this. I feel money matters should not be spoken about until interview time. But employers are using it as a way to shop for the cheapest!

Yeah, nothing worse than an overly agressive web site! On those that require a number or dont allow text, put either all "0" or all "9" ('0000000' or '9999999'). Those companies should be careful what they wish for...they will get it!

If thats the case, it may be a place you really don't want to work for.

Good point, Dan.

Or the opposite! I have two companies that I really would like to work for lately and both demanded online applications that required numbers. It pisses me off, I can't write, "negotiable".

,