To ask about the salary?

[DuzzyFuck]

I'm currently job-hunting, looking to move from my beloved industry (very badly affected by COVID) to something completely new. Currently exploring roles as varied finance and construction, amongst others.

Given that these industries are totally new to me I have absolutely no idea of salary ranges and where I live (not UK, small jurisdiction) it's hard to find averages online.

Today I've been sent a job description in response to an application. I'm interested in the role but have a minimum salary requirement. Would I be unreasonable to reply to say that I'm very interested but mindful of respecting their time with many applicants to consider and are they able to advise the approximate salary range?

I don't really want to arrange and attend an interview (involving trying to swing time off my current job) only to find the salary is well below requirements. WWYD?

(For reference I've been in my role nearly 15 years and was offered it without interview back then, so the job hunting and interview process is all very rusty for me).

OP, there are various levels of jobs within these industries. Not possible to say without more information. What is job title and company you are interested in? What is the location of the role. And what is your salary expectation.

Of course you should ask. Perfectly reasonable.

Thanks for the reply, but I'm not looking for advice on what the salary might be here, I'm just asking if it's unreasonable to ask the employer about salary at this pre-interview stage and avoid potentially wasting everyone's time by interviewing for a role that doesn't meet my minimum requirement.

Thanks @Merryoldgoat

Absolutely you should ask.

Don't be drawn into telling them your current salary (thats an outdated practice which discriminates against groups typically paid less eg women and ethnic minorities).

Yep, ask, I just moved jobs due to redundancy, same industry, 20 years experience, took a lesser role, was management in my last job, now they have me using my 20 Yr experience but paying me an admin wage, I'm furiously looking for a new job, get the nitty gritty sorted out, money and job description, don't be like me

Absolutely ask! It's not an unreasonable question at all. Have you been in Glassdoor? It's pretty good for salary information in different industries.

Always ask no point going through the interview process to find out the wage isn’t enough
Really annoys me when companies don’t put the salary on an adverg

Thank you, and yes @ForTheLoveOfCatFood it enrages me too!

My current employer is so shady about salaries I doubt they'd tell anyone until such a time they were ready to offer them a job. I'm fairly certain they also consider 'telling someone how much you get paid' about the same misconduct level as 'snorting coke off your desk'

Tbh, you sound completely out of practice when it comes to interviews so I’d go along to it anyway for a bit of practice. You can ask the salary then.

Also, it is realistic to expect the same level of pay given zero experience in the new sector vs a lot of experience in the job you’re leaving?

I never apply for roles where the salary or salary range isn't disclosed on the job ad. From experience, these roles are usually low paid or they want to "negotiate" you into a low salary somehow

If you are really keen just call them and ask, as you say, no point in wasting your time. Good luck with your job search!

Yes absolutely ask them - if they won't tell you just ask for the range.

I recently swapped industries and was told "they won't say until after they've met you", so I did go through with 2 interviews on this basis, but they both then made an offer and one was acceptable and one not. It's a bit frustrating but any interview is good practice and it's mostly their time they are wasting.

@JoJoSM2 I'm not expecting the same salary at all, but there is a minimum amount I require to pay the bills. My required is about £6-7k less than I was on pre-covid. Not a huge difference in some jobs but significant at the level I'm at.

I absolutely am out of practice and have attended every interview I've been invited to so far, but it is getting difficult to fit them around my current job so I'd rather avoid any that are a complete waste of time.

It's a difficult one, I have a job interview tomorrow and have no idea of the likely salary, it's not the kind of job that would have a standard salary and it might not be enough but I'm taking the view that interview practice is never wasted and if I was offered it and the pay is too low I've only spent a small amount of time on it. I don't have to leave my current job so slightly different circumstances I know.

Definitely ask. It annoys me when recruiters don't put a salary band. I don't want to work for entitled time-wasters.

Definitely ask and agree with po who said not to receal current salary.

When i joined my current employer there was no info on salary and I asked up front and they had a salary scales for the role which was £10k difference between top and bottom. At the bottom end i wouldnt have taken it but at least i knew it was worth applying.

Anyway i made the mistake of telling them my current salary which was lower than their minimum but this was due to many reasons in that it wasnt a field i specialised in and it was a stop gap. It was clear in the interview they wanted me for the role but when it came to salary kept trying to offer me the lowest on offer to which i politely declined as this is what anyone woth no experience would go in at. They kept referring to my current salary and so i told them i would politely decline as I felt i was worth more than that and was sorry they didnt feel the same and how my current salary was totally irrelevant. I left frustrated but fortunately the following day got a call offering me the salary I had said I would consider for the role.

I ask about salaries immediately.
It's just as important as the job description for obvious reasons and I've never gotten a negative response.
You're working primarily for money. The 2 most important things to know are whether you can do the job and whether it pays you enough.
Of course it's not unreasonable to ask.

Thanks all. To update I did ask and they've responded with the range which well matches my requirements so fingers crossed they'll come back to me for an interview.