Career Coach: Asking for the salary before an interview

It is better to ask for the salary range and not a fixed number so you have room to negotiate. Photo / Thinkstock

Q: I am a high-level executive assistant and am thinking of looking for a new job (it's time - I've been here 10 years and have been at the top of my salary range for 3 years).

I know we aren't supposed to ask about salary until we get an offer - but things are different in the career EA world. There is such a huge range of salaries in this field and I really don't want to waste anyone's time interviewing for a position that pays a lot less than I'm making now. It's impossible to even guess - some jobs assisting a CEO pay 40K and some pay 150K.

Is there any way it would be acceptable to ask a hiring manager for the salary range before agreeing to an interview?

I went on one interview where they never asked about my current salary. They offered me the job and then almost fainted when they found out what I make - the offer was 45K less than I am paid now (yes, 45,000, not 4,500). It was such a waste of time for everyone involved - I had three interviews there before they made the offer and I found out the salary.

I could always go through a headhunter, but a lot of good employers don't use them due to the cost involved.

A: You raise some great points. It is perfectly fine for you, as an applicant, to ask them what the salary range is for the position. This is a good idea if you are worried about wasting your time and the fact that the offer may be significantly below what you would consider.

Just remember that once you open that "can of worms", they may ask your opinion about the salary range. Then, you need to either be able to say - it is workable for you or not. You can still come back later to negotiate more, but you will need reasons for why you should get more (research you have done on the market, your worth and experience, cost of living due to the area, etc).

Ask for the RANGE (and not a fixed number) since this will give you more flexibility later on.

If you do ask them, definitely ask for the RANGE (and not a fixed number) since this will give you more flexibility later on. Also, if the range is in your ballpark for what you would consider, I would try to then switch topics and get back to letting them know about all the great things you bring to the table. That way, you can get them to make an offer at the higher end of the range.

Q: Last year I was promoted into a corporate position from a client services position. With the client services position I was always busy and it was a lot of fun. The new position (not really new, I've been in it a year) is incredibly boring. Entire days and weeks will go by where I literally have no work to do. I ask, but am given minimal tasks that only take a few minutes or am told to just wait and we'll do something soon.

I offer myself up for projects, but if I do that outside of my immediate group, my boss gets angry. Short of looking for a new job (which I'm doing) what are some other things I can do during my days? I have thought of taking online classes, but am not able to secure funding for them so are there free ones?

A: Before you start taking classes, I would encourage you to talk with your boss or another senior leader at the firm. You really need an internal mentor or advocate who can provide some advice to you about how you can diplomatically handle this situation. Your boss will always get upset with you working on projects outside of his/her group unless a higher level manager lets your boss know that this is actually good for the firm.

Are there community projects or teams in your organisation that you can volunteer to work on (maybe some that might interest you)? Talking to another senior level manager about how you can better contribute to the firm is important since if you do volunteer for some cross-dept work, you need someone (high up) who can let your boss know that it is okay and a good thing to do.

Are there areas where you can train or mentor others in your dept who are struggling with their jobs? Do you have any interest in doing this?

I would be actively job hunting (while still employed) to "look better" to the outside market. You usually look better to them when you are employed than unemployed.

I can sense your frustration with your job, and it is a shame that the firm is not fully utilising your talents. Before you give up on the firm, see if there are other senior level managers you can ask for guidance. Sometimes they can really help you out.

Q: I'm currently unsuccessful in a job that I don't think CAN be a success. Until this year, I have been just successful enough but things have been bad enough recently that I am pretty certain I am on the way out. I have two questions for you - 1) is it better to resign than to be terminated? and 2) how should I deal with this unsuccessful job on my resume and in a job search?

A: Sorry to hear about your situation. I am sure you are not happy with this. I think if you feel sure you are going to be let go, it would be better for you to take things into your control as much as possible. I would be actively job hunting (while still employed) to "look better" to the outside market. You usually look better to them when you are employed than unemployed. You will then want to resign once you have another job. This is the preferable strategy, but it may or may not work out like this. You may have to resign before you get another job (or risk losing your job first).

As far as your resume and job hunting goes, you need to be prepared for how you will address this job (and your resignation) with future employers. You also need to make sure you have people (references) who can talk about your great skills (if not in the current job, then from previous jobs you have had). You will need to list the current job on your resume, otherwise, there will be a gap in your record.

You will need to determine what you will tell (and how much) future employers about your current job experience. Are there aspects of your "failure" that you can use as "teachable moments". Everyone has had setbacks - this is to be expected.

What is important is how you learn from those setbacks and what you can tell employers about how you have learned or grown from the experience. Think carefully about this.