The Hidden Step
www.necouncil.org/the
hidden
step
Why is identifying your true salary
requirements so important?
The reason this is important to identify is that today employers use
your true minimum as one of the qualifers. And some applicants lose the
opportunity to advance to the next step with an employer because they have
not clearly defned their true minimums. Additionally, when we search for em-
ployment, the search is based on your true minimum. If you list your true mini-
mum higher than it actually should be, then you will exclude employers who
may initially start you at less but may have the potential to move you to
your ideal minimum later.
research
your strengths to
identify
their
r e l e v a n c e
in your locality
STEP TWO
Identify Your Career Path
What are your true minimum salary requirements?
There is a difference between your minimum salary requirements and your true
minimum salary requirements. Suppose you identify your minimum salary require-
ments as $45,000 per year. This may not be your true minimum. Suppose you
interviewed with an employer who was willing to start you at only $35,500 per
year, and you knew that this position could lead to earning $45,000 after about
six months. Would you start at $35,500? If the answer is yes, then your minimum
is really $35,500. Maybe $35,500 is not the true minimum either. Maybe if you
learned that the company provides you with a car allowance, you would be will-
ing to start as low as 30K or even lower. “How low am I willing to go for the
right company?” Ultimately you keep asking this question until you determine, “I
would rather remain unemployed than go any lower.”
This determination is im-
portant as it identifes the type of employers we are going to pursue.
Identifying a
minimum salary requirements that is too high will keep out employers we would
otherwise consider
.
By now you should have your list and you are
probably very excited about achieving a degree of
clarity.
Let’s take the fnal step.
Schedule an appointment
If you have not yet achieved
clarity by now, please connect
your employment coach. This
program is accompanied by two
complimentary sessions.