Re: Re[2]: Questions re: previous salary

["Wittel, Teresa" <Twittel -at- NCSLINK -dot- COM>]

Melissa,

I'm assuming you have something to hide about your previous salary or
you wouldn't be making such a point about it.  Yes, by all means, if you
got screwed last time, there's no need to TELL anyone about it.  And
certainly you would want to avoid making rock-hard statements about your
lowest acceptable wage.  Wiggle about and evade direct questions.
Several good suggestions were offered.  Tell THEM what you want for the
job and say that you are negotiable based on "desirability" factors.
Keep yourself in market range (a writer with two years experience
doesn't usually command $50/hr w/o some great personal advantage, e.g.,
an expert status on the product).  I think you probably have gotten good
advice today.  Be fair to yourself and work with reputable agencies.


Teresa Wittel
NCS Sr. Information Developer
Mailto: WITTTE -at- ncslink -dot- com

> ----------
> From:         Melissa Hunter-Kilmer[SMTP:mhunterk -at- BNA -dot- COM]
> Sent:         Friday, November 21, 1997 1:57 PM
> To:   TECHWR-L -at- LISTSERV -dot- OKSTATE -dot- EDU
> Subject:      Re[2]: Questions re: previous salary
>
> Melissa Hunter-Kilmer wrote:
> >
> > Drat it.  I didn't put in a subject line on my first message.  I
> know
> > some of you pitch messages with no subject, and I really do want all
> > interested parties to read this, so I'm reposting with a subject
> line.
>
> John Posada <posada -at- faxsav -dot- com> wrote:
> > Well...if it's THAT important, I'll take some time and contribute to
> it
> (grin)
>
> Good!  I was hoping you would!
>
> > Maybe I've developed a thick skin, but unless agency "A"
> specifically
> goes out of their way to screw ME, I take very little personal.
>
> > I understand and don't have a pronblem with an agency trying to keep
> as
> much of the pie as they can and they don't have a problem with me
> trying
> to keep it for myself by asking for decent rates.
>
> <snip>
>
> I can see how this would work well for you.  There is a lot to be said
> for letting an agency do all that non-writing work, and it seems fair
> to me for them to take a nice cut out of one's pay.  You can still get
> a great wage that way.
>
> But when the agency binds the mouths of the threshing oxen -- that is,
> takes an inordinately large percentage of a writer's wage -- I do have
> a problem with it.  Seems to me that one way to avoid this is by
> avoiding the agency's questions about previous salary.
>
> Anybody else have other ideas on how to do this?
>
> Melissa Hunter-Kilmer
> mhunterk -at- bna -dot- com
> (standard disclaimer)
>
> ~~
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