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And if they press and absolutely make you tell them your previous salary then ok, tell them. But again, let them know you are realistic and understand that the $ range of the position you are talking about is $xx - $xxx and that you were making the previous amount because the org considered you an asset that was worth that salary (be prepared to justify why in a very concrete way).
That will show them you know your stuff about the mkt expectations of the position and that someone thought you were awesome enough to pay you a lot more in order to keep you, so you are a great value. I’d hire you.
Spin it. You were making $100k but the hours and stress weren't worth it. You are looking for a better work life balance, and you understand the lower salary levels that come with it.
Make sure that whatever hours you were working are more than the new employer will expect. Something like 6 twelve hour days, email in the evenings, and working a short 6 hour day on Sunday aren't worth $100k. A reasonable 45 hour week is well worth $60, and of course I would stay longer for projects that require it.
I tried that but they said I sounded lazy and wondered if I would work more than 8 hours a day in that role. (Employers generally want someone who is on their way up, not going down.)
I tried that but they said I sounded lazy and wondered if I would work more than 8 hours a day in that role. (Employers generally want someone who is on their way up, not going down.)
If this is true and you are on the level, I would walk away from this company fast. No point starting a job with people that are insulting from the very beginning. You got a lot of good advice here. Use it at a different place.
If this is true and you are on the level, I would walk away from this company fast. No point starting a job with people that are insulting from the very beginning. You got a lot of good advice here. Use it at a different place.
+1. They actually said you sounded lazy? Or are you reading into things and making whopping assumptions?
I'm not sure of the authenticity of this whole thing. Smells bad.
They don't find out I was making close to $100K until later in the process when it gets to the second interview and then when they are getting serious about me they ask about my previous salary and needs.
Wait... you say that they like you enough to call you to a second interview, but then instantly reject you when you tell them you were making a little under 100k?
First off, it probably isn't a good idea to tell them that your not worth what you were paid. If they feel that way, let them be the first to mention it.
Then, if / when they do tell you that they don't pay that much for the position, you could always tell them that you understand, but that you are so excited about the prospect of working for them that you would be happy to accept a reduction in pay. Of course, it helps if you have some background knowledge of the company, and what they do, in order to sound believable.
+1. They actually said you sounded lazy? Or are you reading into things and making whopping assumptions?
I'm not sure of the authenticity of this whole thing. Smells bad.
Here is what they said to my best memory: "You seem like a strong candidate but the hiring committee is concerned about selecting a candidate who is going to take a huge pay cut so they can move into a job with less stress. Any professional job is stressful and can have long hours. We need hard workers here."
Technically you won't be taking a cut, you will be taking a job that pays less than you were making the last time you were employed. I don't know your specifics but I think a better strategy to take (with a different potential employee) is to stress you know you were paid well before because you had a unique set of skills that were very valuable to you previous employer but were very industry specific. You need to sell them on your broad based business skills that do transfer along with creating the impression that you want to work hard and, if possible, get back towards the salary you used to have once you develop new industry skills.
Laid Off, I do wish you well and hope you will update us on your adventure. I clicked into this thread because it resonated with me. I expect to leave a well paying job in about a month. I was going to retire but think I am just burned out where I am now. I plan to take a year off and then try again and will surely have to return at a much reduced salary so I am very interested to hear how others do. Good luck!
Here is what they said to my best memory: "You seem like a strong candidate but the hiring committee is concerned about selecting a candidate who is going to take a huge pay cut so they can move into a job with less stress. Any professional job is stressful and can have long hours. We need hard workers here."
OK, well in general you definitely don’t want to say things like you want less stress. Or anything that sounds that way. If people ask why you’re moving on or looking for something else, don’t say things like “My boss and I don’t see eye to eye” or “the work environment isn’t for me, it’s too xxx”.
Never say anything that gives someone any inclination to think that you may be trouble.
What can I say...lesson learned right? So now it’s time to keep on keepin’ on and move forward.
I don't know your industry, so don't know what "overpaid" means other than the literal translation of the phrase. Something Socialist wackos in places like Seattle (city-of) seem to have a hard time with is basic economics, whereby "fair wage" in a truly free (undistorted) market is whatever someone will pay for it. Technological disruptors, free trade agreements, tariffs, labor surplus or shortage, skills (ditto), demographics, attrition rate, and various other factors determine a true market fair wage. Distortions in one end of the market, e.g. the current $15 minimum wage mandate, will definitely manifest in other parts of the market a bit later (fewer overall businesses, fewer headcount, more). Distortions have that effect not just some of the time, "all" of the time given sufficient economic runway to play out.
So, you're indicating that the market was distorted, you were in a Union or other imbalanced (vs. natural market forces) situation at the last job? Or the industry has contracted greatly, or labor surplus increased dramatically since last, or other disruptive event? Just want to be clear you're selling yourself appropriately based on your true market value.
In my line of work, certain disciplines are being increasingly outsourced, and/or are lower skill bar. Those are ripe to be removed (absolute number of jobs declines over time) and those that remain pay lower, in adjusted dollars, to when I started in IT end of the 1990s. Those jobs paid median of about $85K (adjusted dollars) then, maybe $45-55K in 2015 dollars. That is economics at-work: some lose, others win.
All the above aside:
"Fair" needs to be determined objectively. You have objective data indicating appropriate pay, right, that you've either gotten free or paid-for from somebody like RHI, right? "Fair" wages are critical in the negotiation process, so neither party is taken advantage of.
Let's assume then that $60K is objectively fair money for the current role-type that you're seeking. Let's further assume you accept this pay cut as agreeable to your current career plans (I wouldn't, but everyone's situation is different based on numerous variables). I'd thus de-emphasize the previous salary so it does NOT become a talking point. Previous salary: list an hourly rate or similar, suggesting (but not necessarily explicitly stating) that you may not have been full time, received OT, or similar such that this new prospect appears to be a lateral move vs. a deep cut from previous.
Deep salary cuts make employers nervous, yes, for obvious reasons (= higher attrition, lower employee sat.). I once interviewed a young-ish guy from my alma mater who I deduced was trying to sell me a bill of goods with an ulterior motive. He wanted to use my role as a stepping-stone to something else with one of our tech major clients. I puzzled this out within an hour or so and let him move on, since I smelled a rat (as they say). Employers should be a bit suspicious about such situations; therefore, don't give them reason to question your narrative to begin with.
Hope that helps.
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