Many job seekers ask us how to determine what salary to ask for in a new position. This is an important question for several reasons. First, because you want to be compensated as much as possible for your hard work. Second, your desired salary range is an aspect of the "marketing package" you're using to sell yourself to prospective employers.

Just like when you go to shop for a car or a suit, the price tag is a feature just like the name brand or the store you purchase from. When it comes to cars, for example, most people first establish a price range that they want to pay for their new vehicle and then look at all the cars available within that price range. Someone looking for a luxury car might decide ahead of time that they want to spend roughly $70,000 for the car. Someone looking for a low-end car might decide they want to spend about $15,000. The same applies for recruiters looking for job candidates. They often get an idea first about what they want to pay and then look for candidates within that range.

As a job seeker, it is important to understand that when you're dealing with proactive recruiters -- i.e. recruiters who are actively seeking job candidates -- you have to be able to grab their attention quickly and establish that you are relevant to them. The top job sites like Monster and HotJobs receive thousands of resumes per day. Most of the resumes posted on the job sites are for positions where there is a lot of competition -- jobs that a lot of people are competent at. If you are one of just a handful of people who's good at what you do -- like an electrical engineer or an attorney specializing in Hart-Scott-Rodino matters -- then you already stand out and how you market yourself is not critical. But if you're like most people, you do need to differentiate yourself.

When recruiters search the top job sites, they often get back hundreds of resumes in their search results, just like you see hundreds of job ads when you search for jobs on the job sites. Because there are so many to choose from, when they scan the page they will look first at the resumes that have a salary mentioned. Resumes with no salary range mentioned often get skipped and not viewed at all.

Even if you're happy making what you're making currently, it is still important to get an idea of what companies are paying for your position now. If you are earning substantially less than the market rate for your job and you advertise yourself with that salary, a recruiter may not consider you because they could think your low salary reflects a lack of skills or experience.

One way to determine what the right salary range is would be to look at jobs advertised in your area. Search the job boards for jobs requiring your skillset and experience. It is also important to look at the industry the job is in. Some industries pay more than others because they are more stressful and require more work hours (financial services, for example). If you're open to jobs in several different industries, consider developing salary ranges for yourself for each industry.

Another option to consider for finding out appropriate salary ranges for yourself is the Personal Salary Report web site. This company will research their databases for you and deliver to you a custom salary report for your position and geographical location. To find out more about that service, visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/salary.htm

Once you have developed your salary range, you can go ahead and post your resume on the job sites. If you post your resume with an appropriate salary range, you will have a clear advantage over other job seekers you're competing with. To get your resume posted on over 90 job sites at once, including sites like Monster, HotJobs, CareerBuilder, etc., visit this web address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/rd.htm

Another option for reaching proactive recruiters is to send your resume directly to them with a resume distribution service. We recommend ResumeArrow.com. They will e-mail your resume instantly to thousands of recruiters in your industry and geographic location. Visit their site at this address:
http://www.jobsearchinfo.com/dist.htm


This article was provided by JobSearchInfo.com.  For additional career resources, please visit http://www.jobsearchinfo.com.