Translation: I don’t kiss on the first date. Court me first and let’s see how we get along.

As far as salary history, how ridiculous. I have been working contract around the country, all different ranges, bla, bla, bla (you know the story). I will have NO problem giving my salary history, if pressed, because I will lie! Oh yes I will! Painted in a corner and look what comes out!

An answer I have given in the past when someone asks me for a salary range is: market value. That works sometimes…

He also asked me for my references, again another thing that comes later in the interview process (in my experience). I do not want to give out contact information for my references, which I consider a precious relationship, unless there is a. an actual job description that I can send to them so they can be prepared to talk about my skills and how it relates to the position b. give them a heads up of when they will be called (these are busy people) c. know who will be calling them, is it the headhunter that will be calling them? the employer? certainly not both, I would expect.

This person kept putting me on hold for periods of time talking with his manager. Hmmm, I guess he did not know how to handle my answers.

Bet they’d tell you that info is confidential. What’s good for the goose…

I used to live in a large metro area where the going rate for a position like I would be looking for is much greater than the smaller town I now live in. I was making the going rate in the larger metro area, now I’m faced with smaller salaries for a smaller, less expensive area. Basically, I’m forced to take a major pay-cut (by “major” I mean more than $10K) for a job very similar to what I was doing previously.

So my big worry is what will happen if I accept a position with a lower salary because of the region I live in, eventually move to a larger metro area, and look for a job there? What kind of leverage does that give me if I divulge my salary history? What does that tell a headhunter in terms of my skillset and where I would “fit”?

The truth is, we are in an economy where employers are paying less, and candidates are accepting less just so they can have a job and pay their bills. We’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. What do we, as jobseekers, do to make sure we’re paid fairly and not based on a last salary, without getting dumped by the headhunter or filed away by the hiring manager in the process for being “difficult”?

#1 Brand new MBA

#2 Stay at home parent re-entering the workplace after 18 years with like MBA

#3 Military veteran (0-5, Lt Colonel),retiring with 23 years of service and like MBA

What salary history are you requiring in order to do your work?

- I believed stuff like that when I was younger, but the times when I did give my salary, why were all offers through those agents for exactly that amount?

- You asked what incentive can you have for someone to be lower paid, when you are operating on commission — if you don’t make the sale, you don’t get any commission.

I don’t remember where, but I read a good article on this scenario, about real estate agents. While they will makee the same claim that the higher the price, the higher the commission, the reality is that the marginal difference isn’t that big a deal compared to making the sale or making it sooner.