With 19 years of service I'm approaching the main decision point of stay in or retire. Having no real knowledge of civilian compensation, what resources are available to identify what is fair compensation for the job that is being advertised?
Answers
When interviewing I don't answer this question directly right away. When asked what salary are you looking for, My response: My salary requirements are hard to pin down until I fully understand the full package of benefits (Dental, Optical, Medical, Insurance etc) bonus structure and stock programs. Once they explain that they usually fill you in on the ball park figure they have in their mind.
I had used the Career Builder website for salary info ranges per geographical areas.
When they do not list the salary I never list mine unless pressed to do so. When pressed I give my best guess.
They do this to weed people out & it works.
salary.com has provided me a very solid baseline in the past. Furthermore, it provides the curve (bottom 25%, middle 50%, top 25%). Many organizations have a pre-defined range for a given position ($50-$70k) and WON'T pay a new-hire in the top 10% of the range because there's no head-room. So, if you DO see the range posted, expect the offer to be somewhere near the middle and if you plan to counter-offer, provide a rock-solid argument and don't be surprised if the answer is no.
Salary ranges can be found on internet using google. For instance, type in accounting salaries and you get numerous sources such as salaries.com that give you a range depending on geography and skill level.
However, I suggest you first start with peter's suggestion on finding out your competency for a certain skill, whether it be supply chain, accounting, engineering, computer etc. If you know someone who is already in that field, ask them for what your skill level would be.
When you get into the job seeking and interview process, you will get a stark and candid review of what your skills are and the market will decide what your salary will be. The first job will be the most difficult and I suggest do not shoot too high. Get into the process and you will quickly establish and learn what your worth is. Final suggestions for getting interviews. Find out all you can about the company using the internet, then target a name to send your one page resume to with a cover letter that is very specific about why you want to work for this compamy and what you can do to help them. You must be difffernet than the hundreds of email or internet applications. Best of luck
I second Stu's recommendation about using LinkedIn. LinkedIn has been a valuable resource for me. It is a great tool to search for potential employers and find inside connections within the organizations you want to pursue. And, like Peter recommended, you can also use LinkedIn to research the critical skills of the individuals already holding positions you are interested in applying for. LinkedIn even has Job Seeker subscription plans that range from $19.95/mo to $49.95/mo. The main difference between the plans is the amount of InMail and Introductions allowed but all plans provide detailed salary information for jobs.
Scott - I believe there is a feature in LinkedIn Premium that will show salary ranges for certain jobs posted on LI - may be helpful.
www.onetonline.org is a very good site to go into and start your search CDR. Good Luck--
I'd recommend taking a good accounting of your skills and skill levels (i.e., competency level with each: scale from 1 to 5; 5 being mastery). Once you've taken a honest assessment of your skills portfolio and level of competency in each, then I think you'll be able to better compare your skill value to different sources like the one cited by Thomas and any job postings that may include the salary range.
The self assessment also serves to boost your confidence when interviewing because you will have already thought through the full weight of your skills offerings.
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