Historically, a job change was an opportunity to earn more money, and certainly big jumps can be had by leaving your current company and moving on. But there are different scenarios that involve salary and before you announce a figure to your interviewer, think about what’s motivating the change. I see three options:  you're looking for a big raise, money isn't the motivator for a move, and you're out of work or wildly unhappy and would eagerly take less.  Lots of information follows -- too much for one post.  To start...

You Feel Underpaid And You’re Looking For A Significant Raise

Be honest. Name your current salary. If this is a money move, tell your interviewer one of your reasons for changing jobs is to reach a better alignment with your skills/abilities/market value. Let them know what you’re looking for in a calm, unequivocal, non-apologetic manner.  I know this is hard -- people tend to stammer over the money question and explain why they want or need that salary.  I've heard "I'm the sole support of the family and my kids need braces," or "I have to pay off college loans," or "my friends tell me I'm underpaid."  All great reasons but way too personal and totally irrelevant to the position at hand.  All your interviewer wants to know is are you and the job worth the salary you're asking?  Your personal reasons for needing money aren't part of that equation, so please, keep them to yourself.

But if you name a figure way outside of the norm for the job, you’ll immediately lose credibility and that opportunity will be over. Keep in mind that the company will be interviewing you with that figure in mind --  if you don’t measure up in the interviews, you won’t get hired. And one of the worst situations you can find yourself in is being overpaid for your work. A high salary brings high expectations for achievement. Candidates often forget they'll need to perform at that level or lose the job at the first speed bump.

Overshooting 

This was the scenario with one of my candidates. “Chelsea” had been working for several years at a company known for its sweatshop hours and poor pay, and it was time to make a move. When I met with her, she let me know one of her primary motivators was financial. She could put up with the long hours if she felt she was moving forward financially. How much more do you need to earn, I asked? An additional $20M, was the answer. The new salary would put her in the low $60M range, and as a newly minted MBA with eight years of experience behind her, it wasn’t a horribly unreasonable goal.

After a few months of searching, Chelsea landed at a smaller company doing work that was a bit of a stretch for her with a salary that met her new goal. But the economy hit a bump, the company had to cut back, and Chelsea became a casualty. When we spoke after she was laid off, she ruefully acknowledged that maybe she had overshot – her skills and her salary didn’t match up, so she was the first to go. Had she asked for a more reasonable salary, say a 15% increase instead of a 50% increase, she would likely still be employed. Next time, she said, she’ll keep her salary needs in perspective (Status update: 8 months later, Chelsea is still out of work)

Tuesday's post will tell you more ... stay tuned!