Let’s face it, at the end of the day we want a win-win situation. With the employee and the employer entering into a symbiotic relation, underpaid and overpaid are relative terms that depend heavily upon your qualifications and your previous experiences. A popular advice given to freshers is to refrain from mentioning their salary expectations in their cover letter. The point here is to not get into salary negotiation if you need a job – wait for higher tides to raise your price. Always give a range of the salary that you are expecting. It gives some chance for negotiation for the hiring firm and gives an impression that you are not demanding but requesting and are not being greedy. Most of the time, employers ask for salary requirements to screen candidates based upon their salary expectations. If your salary request is higher than the company’s current budget it is only fair that your candidacy is rejected for the job position. Now that we have established the importance of quoting a salary expectation, let’s look into how to write the same in pen and paper.
Request For Salary
Be Honest!
If you are including your salary expectations based upon your previous salary history, it is only fair that you get higher than the previous remuneration or at the least the same amount. In that case, be honest about your previous payroll. In today’s day and age, everybody cross-checks and verifies details so, refrain from overstating facts.
Be Practical
Being realistic is expected of you especially since money does not grow on trees these days, or as a matter of fact, it never did! A wise thing to do would be to research your worth and get a fair knowledge about the current market rate and prices for the skills that you possess. Browse through salary surveys to determine the average salary for the position that you are looking at and determine a fair salary range to include in the cover letter. A smart way to go about the whole thing would be to place your trust in the company and including something in the lines of, ‘With regards to salary requirements, I'm confident that ABC (name of the company) offers fair salaries to all of its employees and I look forward to learning the details.’ This helps you establish your faith and confidence in the company beforehand without actually quoting the figures.
Make Room For Negotiation
Rather than providing a figure which can be subject to scrutiny of either being considered as a high end or lower end, play safe and quote a range. This gives an impression that you are flexible in your demands and open to negotiations. You could mention that the salary which you are stating is open to negotiation based upon the position and overall compensation package including benefits – this can help you stay in the race for the vacant spot. Mention your worth and justify the salary request that you are making. This gives more meaning to your statement.
Here is a sample of a cover letter with the salary request mentioned, glance through it to get a better understanding.
From:
Your Name
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Your Address
Your City, State, Zip Code
Your Phone Number
Your Email
Date:
Subject: Your Name – Position that you are applying for
To,
Name of your interviewer
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Name of your interviewer
Title
Organization
Address
City, State, Zip Code
Dear Mr. /Ms. Last Name:
My varied skills in (mention the fields where you excel in particular) and training experience, along with my extensive educational background, make me an ideal candidate for the XYZ position (mention the position) posted on the career page of your company’s website.
I am convinced that my vast experience in this industry along with the expertise and the techniques that I have picked up during these years can be applied directly and effectively to this particular job profile. (Mention exactly the skills that you have which is needed for the job profile)
My extensive educational background (mention in brief the main degrees and the trainings that you have pursued) will help me add new perspectives and ideas to your department. I know I can be a key player in your organisation and I would like the chance to prove that to you.
With regard to compensation I am seeking a salary range of XYZ- ABC (mention the salary range here). This is based upon the description and my research including benefits and supplements. My requirements are flexible and negotiable, depending on factors such as additional benefits, frequency of salary reviews and increased advancement opportunities.
I am including my resume for your kind perusal. I would appreciate an interview to discuss my skills and abilities in further detail.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Yours sincerely,
Your Signature
Your Name
Date:
Location:
Hope the above sample gave you some idea of how to go about requesting a specific salary from a prospective employer.
