Repeat after me

"I'd be glad to share not only my current earnings, but my whole salary history. But  think it's a bit too early to get into salary discussions.   I don't believe salary will be an issue if the fit is right. There are several factors  consider when evaluating the "fit" of a position: the challenge, the company culture, location, travel, career path, long-term compensation and immediate salary and bonuses. So, if the fit is right, I'm confident salary won't be a problem. "   (pieced together from an article by Marc Cenedella on The Ladders)

Everyone asks you for your salary and guess what - you will not get the answer correct, so you might as well work on trying to keep it private during the initial screenings.  Hey, I haven't gotten there 100%, but I try.  I honestly have.  Not so much with recruiters when I've got an hourly I want to make.  But the other jobs, the ones which aren't based upon an hourly contract amount - those I work on trying to find out if it would be a good fit first, if I even get called in, called back, or called forward.  

You read the articles and they're pretty clear :  You set yourself too low, you're a schmuck.  They drop you.  You set yourself too high.  You're a schmuck.  They drop you.  You do the industry search, you put in what you earn.  You've missed their target, or their budgeted amount is different.  You got it, you schmuck.  There is no right freakin' answer.

I've had only one HR consultant recommend filling in the blanks for screening purposes.  I'm opting for privacy because, what the heck, I do want flexibility in the salary. There are items I would trade dollars for.  But yes, I have broke down at times and put in $2 or my actual pay.

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Today's quickie interview summary:  I have all the right qualities, but I don't have clinical experience.  Yup.  And tormenting my lab partners, Tony and Mike and Nayerreh just doesn't count.  LOL