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Original poster

would you inflate your salary on job application?

16 replies

mollythetortoise · 21/02/2008 20:59

am applying for new job which has starting salary £7k more than I earn now. IMO this job's salary is much higher than it should be. In my current organisation it would be one grade above mine and so about £3-£4k more than my current salary. Should I inflate my salary so it will look less of a big jump? incase they think the job is beyond me? or do they check this sort of thing?

OP posts:
flowerybeanbag · 21/02/2008 21:00

They might ask in a reference request to your previous company.

Tortington · 21/02/2008 21:01

they will check your last job

if you are going to do this make sure that it is a couple of jobs ago - make it look like you have had the responsability and the pay only it was 5 years ago and sice then you had a child ( or whatever) and took decrease but you are now ready for the responsability again.

SueW · 21/02/2008 21:32

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

No1ErmaBombeckfan · 21/02/2008 21:34

Little lies - if they find out you r fibbing it will colour everything else you have on your CV... is there any chance that you could put in a range rather than the exact amount??

LadyMuck · 21/02/2008 21:36

Are you being asked explicitly for your salary? Could you say £Xk plus bens to give wriggle room.

Don't lie - it could cost you the job. They'll find out your income from your P45, and they could still sack you even after you had started.

Millarkie · 21/02/2008 21:40

Don't do it - I know someone who was sacked on the first day of starting a new job because he had 'rounded up' his salary on the job application and the new firm found out!

micegg · 21/02/2008 22:35

Dont do this. A friend of mine had a job offer withdrawn for doing this and had already handed her notice in at her job.

flowerybeanbag · 22/02/2008 09:34

Also they will be far more interested in your experience and the skills you are offering than your salary, they'll look at that and your performance at interview to decide whether you can do the job, and shouldn't decide that on the basis of what your current salary is. If you think the salary for the new job is too high, they may well think people doing your job where you are are sadly underpaid!

morningpaper · 22/02/2008 09:35

lol no - they will need your P45 when you start work!!!

flowerybeanbag · 22/02/2008 09:38

I think you can ask for your P45 to be produced without the bit that can give away your salary, at least on the copy that goes to the new employer. I think I read that somewhere but for the life of me couldn't tell you where.

Still don't do it though!

UnquietDad · 22/02/2008 10:10

I don't know why they ask for salary anyway. It seems irrelevant to matching the person spec to the application.

quickdrawmcgraw · 22/02/2008 10:16

i don't think i would either.
Once I was going from one job to another and the interviewer asked me how much I was getting in previous job. I told him and it was so pityingly low he nearly phsl. He was laughing for a good 5 minutes. He then told me what I would be getting which was more than double.
If they believe you can do the job they'll pay what they are going to pay unless you try and push them for more.

marina · 22/02/2008 10:19

They will check and it might be pretty easy for them to do that if you are on some sort of national pay and grading scheme
Be honest and focus instead on your skills and experience that make you a good candidate for the role
I'd hazard a guess that if the organisation is paying over the odds in the sector they know it and adjust their expectations accordingly

WideWebWitch · 22/02/2008 10:27

A better way would be to say, when you're asked what salary you want, £x, this being the £7k more than you're on now. You can say "I'm looking for x" that's perfectly reasonable ime.

flowerybeanbag · 22/02/2008 11:21

If they're advertising the job at £x, that's because they think £x is the right salary to pay someone with the skills and experience they have put on their person spec or in the ad. If you meet those criteria, there is no reason for you to be paid less than that, your previous salary is irrelevant.

If you don't quite meet the criteria completely but they like you anyway, it might be reasonable for them to offer you slightly less as a starting salary, but it wouldn't be justified for them to offer you less than the job is being advertised for just because you earn less at the moment.

Chances are as marina said, if it's the same sector they'll probably know that you current company pays less for the same job so if you inflate it they'd probably know anyway.

Original poster
mollythetortoise · 22/02/2008 19:52

thanks everyone.. seems you're all in agreement not to do it!

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