Business

<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   Related Stories • Lessons learned from years of professional resume writing 6/24/09 • Don't let reorganization stress you out at work 6/17/09 • How to recover from painful job-search mistakes 6/10/09   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Wednesday, May 6, 2009 You must prove you deserve a good salary By Eve Nicholas, Herald Columnist If you are like most job seekers, you have dollar signs at the forefront of your mind. Every time you read a job posting or contact an employer, you guess the potential salary, make assumptions about benefits, and calculate your possible expenses (such as commuting to the new facility). You understand the challenges of the current economy, but you are a hard worker. Reliable. You want to be paid well. You deserve it. Depending on your field and position, you might desire a high hourly wage, a comprehensive health plan or special perks such as paid vacations or partial ownership in the company. But here is something that job hunters tend to forget: Money is on everyone's mind, not just yours. Employers constantly review their budgets. They determine how much they can spend and pinpoint tactics to reduce costs. One simple way to cut labor expenses is by identifying superior candidates (people who immediately drive up profits) and offering to pay the lowest possible compensation to get them on board. Don't get me wrong. Plenty of job hunters meet up with generous employers, even in our shaky economy. I am merely pointing out that money sways employers' opinions long before the subject comes up in your interviews. It starts with your first impression. Hiring managers browse through your resume and decide whether or not to consider you for the job. This takes about 10 to 15 seconds. If the reaction is good, they take a closer look at your credentials and begin evaluating your financial value right away. They scrutinize your employers and position titles. Examine your accomplishments to see how you might increase revenue or trim costs. Based on the information you provide, they place you in a financial category and keep you there. Until you prove them otherwise. If you want to land a job with an excellent compensation package (or hourly wage), stop pretending that salary is a nonissue. Use your first impression -- and every subsequent interaction with the employer ­-- to position yourself as an indispensable candidate. Check out these tips: Make no mistake about it: Sloppy, hard-to-read documents will reduce your salary. Develop a strong, persuasive cover letter. Design an easy-to-read resume that captures attention with its clear formatting and flawless writing. In your resume, highlight noteworthy facts about your experience and conceal less impressive details. For example, if you worked at a top-ranking corporation but held an unexceptional position, use strategic formatting choices so that the company name leaps off the page in 10 to 15 seconds. Write your job title in plain text. Enhance your reference sheet by listing the contact information of your resources, but only inserting additional details that boost your financial worth. For instance, if your references worked at the senior management level, include their position titles. Remove titles of colleagues, assistants or clerks. Add quantifiable information -- dollar signs and percentages -- to your resume and cover letter. Use bullets or showcase profit-generating data in bold or underlined text. While money may not be the first topic of conversation in job interviews and e-mail correspondence, it weighs on everybody's mind. Use this to your advantage. Present yourself as a worthy candidate from square one, and employers will respond. They'll make room in their budgets, or negotiate an above-average deal. Good luck. Send your job search questions to Eve.GetAJob@gmail.com. READER COMMENTS Be the first to comment. You must be a registered user and verify your e-mail address to post comments to blogs or articles on HeraldNet. To register, click here. To read other terms and conditions, click here. Log out

1. Teen dies after Granite Falls crash 2. Bikini coffee stands to be regulated as adult entertainment 3. Sultan brothers plead guilty in death of rival gang member 4. Body found after house catches fire north of Bothell 5. Gregoire unveils budget with deep cuts, will press for tax hikes 6. Grief and gratitude expressed for four slain officers 7. Two teenagers hurt in crash near Granite Falls 8. Friends and family honor Clearview couple who loved always 9. Roe appointed interim county prosecutor 10. Arlington's budget is ‘bare bones' 2 - Top 10 Stories Most Talked about 3 - Top 10 Stories Most Emailed

• Zambian woman thanks students for their help • Food banks see rise in use • ‘Making Spirits Bright’ in Edmonds • Wolfpack takes aim at state • Seahawks help students smile • 95 and still volunteering • Sno-King joined by local TV king • Veterans back for Wildcats • Lynnwood seeks to plug $2 million budget gap • Boeing will build, flight test and deliver 787s in South Carolina to spe ... • Snohomish County EDC promoting job growth in key industry clusters • $4 million grant to advance brain tumor research has Everett links • Providence medical center construction tops off its 12-story steel frame ... • Tulalip affordable housing project to be financed by KeyBank, Raymond Ja ... • Arlington's Lak of Ink has a growing following for Luke Kooyman's creati ... • Bank of the Northwest formed • Cascade Bank earns $1.6 million