Most people apply for jobs not really knowing how much the position will pay.

If you are transferring within your department or are making a career change you don’t want to sell yourself short and accept less money than what the company is willing to pay to fill the position.

Other than breaking into the H.R. department and combing through their files how else is an applicant going to figure out how much the position will pay?

The wrong way:  If you are applying for a position internally do not ask the person that is already performing the job you want to have how much they are being paid.  Somehow word gets around when people begin discussing their salaries and the end result is never pretty.

The right way: Do your own research and do not divulge the information to your co-workers.  You will want to research whether the role you are going after offers a bonus or commission.  Most positions are paid on either a salaried (exempt level) or hourly (non-exempt level) basis.

Great web sites to check out that will reveal what salary range should be offered for your role are: www.salary.com, www.payscale.com, and www.salaryexpert.com.

Look at the job description sometimes it will tell you what the pay range is.  Also, sometimes the pay-grade will be listed on the job description.

If you are an internal candidate then you can gauge the salary range via the pay-grade.  If the pay-grade is listed at a 14 and your current pay-grade is 13, then you will know that the position will pay more than your current role.

If you receive a phone interview or introductory call from a recruiter or hiring manager it is appropriate to ask what is the pay being offered for the role; be sure to save this question for the end of the conversation.

Even if you learn that the pay is less than what you are currently earning you may want to consider other factors before you decide whether or not to move forward with the role.

Factors to consider along with the salary:

Management – Will you like your new management team?

Co-Workers – Will you like your new co-workers?  Will you fit in with the group?

Training/Education – Will training or educational courses be offered for your department?

New Challenges – Will you be learning anything new at your new job?

Career Growth – Will there be room for you to move upwards within your new department/company?

Benefits – Will your new company offer a good benefit package?

Hours – Will your new job require you to work more than 50 hours a week?

Your work-life balance is sure to suffer if you are consistently working up to/or over 50 hours a week.

Shift – Will you be working the shift that will suite your lifestyle?

Reputation – Does your new company have a good reputation?  Working for a prestigious or reputable company will enhance the way recruiters and hiring managers view your resume.

Exempt Level Status – Many people have difficulty going from non-exempt (hourly paid where you are eligible to receive overtime pay) to exempt (salaried paid position that does not offer overtime pay) status.  When employees have come to rely on their overtime pay they think that they will actually take a pay-cut if they accept a salaried position.  Initially you might receive less pay but in the long run it will be a much wiser move.

Overtime hours are not a guarantee.  When preparing your offer, the decision makers will more than likely factor in your overtime pay (this is true primarily for internal candidates).  The move from non-exempt to exempt is necessary in order to move up within your career.  If you want to move upwards you will have to make this move sometime, you might as well do it when the opportunity is presented to you.

When to walk away: If you learn that the salary is considerably lower than what you are earning and there will not be much room for advancement, or there will not be any new challenges to learn something new, then you may want to remove yourself from consideration.  If your work-life balance will be severely impacted for the negative you should reconsider the job opportunity.

So the next time you’re offered a job with a salary that reflects your skills and what the market is paying for that role you can confidently say, “I’ll take it!”

Four Recruiter Secrets

1. Although rare, a company will extend offers outside of the salary guidelines.  This is rare because the approval process can be very tedious and a potential career risk for the recruiter who must approach superiors to request the increase for the desired candidate

2. The average yearly cost to provide health care benefits to an employee is $9,312.

3. If you are faced with having to take a pay-cut in order to accept an offer with a more prestigious company you would be wise to accept the offer.

In the long run having worked for the prestigious, highly-reputable company will enhance your career.  Your background will appear more desirable to recruiters and hiring managers.  You will undoubtedly learn skills and processes that will strengthen your ability to perform in the workplace.

4. Corporations highly value the over-forty employee as they bring maturity, solid communication skills, a strong work ethic and a varied skills set.

The seasoned professional that brings the right skills to the table should have no problem obtaining the salary their skill-set demands.

Dealing with stress from job interviews, workplace politics, or a hectic home life? Try our online interactive life lesson, “Beating Stress“.