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Bayside Solutions

The Bayside Blog

Taking a Pay Cut After a Long-Term Job Search

Posted October 3rd, 2011

You have been laid off from your job and are looking for another one. The employment picture is a rather bleak one, as you have no doubt found out. You had a very good salary at your old job, and you are willing to take a pay cut to find something else, which you tell employers.

But that doesn’t seem to help much. The conventional wisdom among some employers is that if you were making more in your previous position than they are willing to offer for this one, you won’t be around that long because you will be looking for greener pastures. They will assume that you are overqualified for the job.

How do you handle a situation like this?

One way to blunt the problem is by focusing on your skills and experience and how much they can help the company. If you can provide the expertise they need, if you can help them solve the problems they have, the company might not be so focused on salary.

Another way around this problem is to work through a staffing agency, taking a position as a contingent or contract worker. This will help you on several levels. First, you will be employed by the staffing agency, not by the company where you will be working. All salary and benefits issues are with the agency, which will not be so concerned with past salary history. Second, you will get a foot in the door at a company, and if you perform well, you may get a job offer that way.

You also can try avoiding talk of past salary altogether. It may be tough to do, but it’s always worth a try. What you could do is research what the salary range is for the job you are applying for, and focus on that if you get the chance to interview. Be sure to focus on a salary range, rather than pinning yourself down to a specific figure.

Finally, if company officials are still convinced that a previous high salary is a disqualification because it means a worker will soon move on, you should let hiring managers know your circumstances have changed and that you understand you may not be able to command the type of salary With the high unemployment rate, and many workers underemployed, people are just glad to have jobs, and are much more likely to hang on to them.

Produce positive results in your career by bringing your résumé to a Bayside Solutions recruiter. We can help you contact some of the mover and shakers at some of the Bay Area’s finest employers. Give us a call today!

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