How to Delay Discussing Money in a Resume, Cover Letter, or Job Interview

Job offer negotiations are like any other sort of negotiation in that "He who speaks first, loses." Why? Simple. When a job candidate opens his mouth before the employer about a specific salary, he immediately cuts off the possibility of a higher salary. For instance, let's say an employer asks Joe Job Candidate, "What salary are you looking for?" and Joe snaps back, "I need $50,000 a year." Joe may think he's really pushing the limits on this one. But the employer could very well have expected all along to pay Joe $70,000 for the job.

The company rep certainly isn't going to offer Joe the $20,000 shortfall out of the kindness of his heart. In fact, that's why he asked in the first place. Joe spoke first. And he lost big.

On the other hand, let's say the hiring manager asked Joe to provide salary requirements with his resume. Joe states that he needs $85,000 a year. In that case, the company might just toss his resume right in the trash, since they've only budgeted $70,000 a year for the job. Joe would have eliminated himself before he even had a chance to consider the job.

For these reasons, effective negotiators know to delay talk of money as long as possible in the job search process. Ideally, compensation should be one of the very last things you speak of, reserved for the final negotiations. Don't make it easy for them to eliminate you before you've had a chance.

So how can you avoid the topic of compensation until the right time? Use these great techniques for avoiding inappropriately early talk of salary.

Stay Quiet
If they don't ask, don't say a word about salary or any other forms of compensation. And even if they do ask directly, consider ignoring the request. Obviously that's impossibly rude in an interview. But if an employer asks about salary in an email or want ad, you can often simply pretend the request didn't exist. Generally, it's not a deal breaker if you don't provide salary information with your resume when it's specifically requested. But if you do blow off such a request, be warned that the employer will probably ask again very soon.

Say "It's Negotiable"
A great way to be justifiably vague on salary questions is by responding with "My expected compensation is negotiable, pending discussion of the job's exact requirements and responsibilities." It's tough to fault the logic of this response. And note the second part of the answer, about discussing the job in more detail. This is key. It's not fair to ask you to name your price for a job when the company hasn't told you exactly what you'll be doing. It's as ridiculous as telling a mechanic over the phone that your car's engine is making noise and then, before he can see it, asking for a precise quote to fix it. The mechanic needs far more information. And so do you at this point. By noting that you can't discuss salary until you fully understand the job, you gently bust the person on his dirty game.

Give a Range
Just because you've presented peerless logic regarding your desire not to talk salary without specifics, that doesn't mean the human resources person won't try again ... and again. In their zeal to pinch the most money they can out of salaries, they'll try to get you to forfeit the game early by being the first to speak. If the question continues to come up, thwart that game by giving a range. And make it wide. If you know through your research that work like this typically pays between $55,000 and $65,000 a year, you can tell the hiring manager that you expect a salary somewhere between $45,000 and $75,000. Sure, they might ask you to narrow that range. But then just keep playing the game by going back through this list.