salary level on return to work

[foreverastudent]

If you've been out of the workforce for 2/3 years how much of a salary drop would you expect to have to take?

I'm assuming I wont get back at the level I was on (whether counting influation increases or not ).

But how much of a salary drop is 'normal' and what would be 'exploititative'?

I've seen 2 jobs advertised, one on 3k less than I was earning and one on 5k less. I feel like I'd be overqualified for these posts but it's the recession so I'm trying to be flexible.

We could survive without the money, it's more the self-esteem issue which worries me.

might depend on what you do. I've been out for 3 years and was prepared for a salary drop but was ok. I just applied for everything I knew I could do, sometimes the salary range was quite a lot anyway. Don't sell yourself short, unless your area has moved on considerably with tech etc, and if you feel confident you could still do what you used to do, why should you take a drop in salary? Just be flexible maybe. First interview i had they told me I was too overqualified! I just wanted a job!
The interviews were all experience.

I fell that I am perfectly cabable of going back in at the level I left, one step higher, even. It's just that I've applied for lots of jobs at that level and not got them.

a lot of recruitment consultants thought it would be a problem, but honestly not one person I actually spoke to(ie interview) ever even brought it up.
And in the role that I was successful, I didn't do anything different than the other 20 or so interviews, it was just exactly the right job.
It did take me the best part of 6 months though

I've been applying on and off for 2 years to no avail.

what did you do? was it specialised?
could you change, or retrain slightly?

not particularly specialised, i'd only been working for 5 years.

I have been retraining but i'd rather work p/t or f/t and be a p/t student than keep on with being a f/t student.

I'll do some voluntary work, but it will be low-level so really only good for getting up to date references.

Salary levels in real terms have dropped in the last 3 years because there are less jobs available and more people hunting for them, hence market forces drives the price down.

Take a job which fits your skills and lifestyle, don't let ego get in the way.

It's more that I dont want to be bored.

Northerngirl is correct - it is not unusual for people to have taken a 10 or 15% pay cut over the last 3 years. The salaries that you are looking at are more a reflection of the job market than you being less employable, iyswim. Good luck with your job hunting.

I was at home for 5 years, working freelance for the last 2 of those, and went back to work for a different company 6 months ago for 15% less than I earned 5 years ago. I don't have any team management responsibilities though, and I'm working 31 hours a week rather than full time.