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Resume Q&A: A Lower Salary for a Dream Job–Is it Worth It?

Q. I was offered a dream job, but the salary is lower than I am making now. Is salary always important? If this is such a good fit for me and I love it, should I take it anyway? I know I will prove myself there and get raises—I have always received raises wherever I work. Do you think I should take the job or keep looking?

A. Is a lower salary important when it gets you a dream job? No one but you can really tell you if you should take a job when the salary is lower, but it could be the right move.

If you are out of work, need a better work-life balance, gain other compensation in the form of benefits or a less costly commute, have reached the highest level available at your current company, are burned out at your current job, are transitioning to a new career, or are eager for the challenges and experiences of your dream job, then accepting a lower salary may make sense.

You do not mention your gender, but women often feel that income is less important to a career choice or job search than other considerations, according to BestColleges. In fact, 34 percent of men consider the income potential of a job compared to 20 percent of women. Do a search for comparable salaries to make sure you are not underselling yourself.

You might also want to consider whether:

  • You are able to meet your needs on a lower salary. If you have not yet considered the impact on your budget, savings, or live style, now is the time to perform those calculations.
  • Your next raise will bring you to the salary you should have. If it will take years to make up the difference, you are sacrificing thousands of dollars of income and savings over the long term and never catch up to where you should be.
  • The company cares about its employees in other ways. Does the lower salary mean that the company is also stingy about training and development, benefits, work-life balance, time off—and pay raises?
  • The company expected you to negotiate a higher salary or other compensation and you simply took their first low-ball offer. Have you explained why you deserve a higher salary? If the company is offering below the common market salary for that position or for your experience, you have a good argument for higher pay.
  • Your next employer will recognize your true value. Will your lower salary make future employers feel that you paid less because you are worth less or because you value yourself less? Will they lower their offer as a result?

Should you decide to keep turn down this offer and keep looking, you should review your resume and LinkedIn profile to determine if they are consistent with and support the salary you want. Contact Robin’s Resumes® for professional advice on a resume and profile that will help point you toward your dream job at the salary you deserve.

Resume Lies That Never Work—and Why

A survey of hiring managers, HR professionals, and recruiters revealed the ease in which they detect lies on a resume. In fact, a CareerBuilder study found that 75% of human resource executives have found lies on resumes. So the chief reason why resume lies never work is that recruiters and hiring managers are on the alert.

The Most Common Lies That Never Work

The three most frequent resume lies that never work are 1) a false reason for leaving a job, 2) a change in title, and 3) a change in degree, including the college or university where the applicant received the degree.

Another very common lie is to adjust dates of employment—smoothing over a few months of unemployment or pretending that a larger gap never existed. Small gaps are expected; very few people these days go their entire career without some period of unemployment. For larger gaps, applicants should offer a reason; a professional resume writer can help you explain the gap if you moved, needed to take care of an older relative or a child, or even if you decided to explore the world for a while.

How Resume Lies Are Exposed

Recruiters and hiring managers have several ways of catching lies. They check with institutions as to whether you attended, what major you chose, and whether you graduated. They check with former employers to verify your dates of employment.

Note that there is no actual local, state, or federal law prohibiting employers from saying anything they like about you. There may be a company policy to only deliver the facts (dates of employment, for example), but that is not the same as a law prohibiting a favorable or unfavorable comment.

Recruiters and hiring managers will also check your social media and other appearances online to see if they jive with what you claim in your resume. Under some circumstances, they may conduct a background check, covering your identity, criminal history, education, and employment.

Recruiters and hiring managers will, at some point, ask your references about you and—unless they are superior liars—your own lies will be exposed. They will ask you yourself during the interview about your skills, experiences, and education; your answers must demonstrate confidence in the knowledge and background you claim to have.

Recruiters and hiring managers are also on the alert for lies in certain groups (first-time job seekers) and industries (oddly enough, financial services heads that list).

What Your Resume Should Do Instead

Lying is a losing proposition. If you are not exposed during the hiring process, you will be exposed when you are on the job and find yourself floundering or even many years down the line when you are up for a promotion, and someone decides to check your credentials. You will be fired. The likelihood of being exposed at a later date is high and another reason why resume lies never work.

To make sure you are never in that position, do not lie on your resume and do not give the appearance of lying. Make sure that your resume and cover letter are both professional and that your resume and social media presence line up. Alert your references that they will be called and let them have a copy of your resume to refer to. Practice your interview techniques and review your resume before the interview so that you answer questions with confidence. In every one of those steps, Robin’s Resumes® can help.

Employment Scams and How to Avoid Them

Being out of work—or in a job that is stressful and unfulfilling—can lead you to grab the first opportunity that comes along. Some of those opportunities are scams, intended to catch people exactly like you who are buckling under the weight of an unsuccessful job search.

Some signs of employment scams are universal: you are asked to pay money for services or give up private information (such as your credit card or social security number). Employment scams that are longer in duration are sometimes harder to catch: you are told you are in the running, the offer is imminent, and the money they ask for will be refunded as soon as you start work.

Legitimate Job Search and Placement Companies

Legitimate job search and placement companies:

  • Never ask for money in advance.
  • Never pressure you to sign a contract.
  • Never give confusing answers over who will pay them for their services.
  • Are clear about whether you are getting general counseling, information that is available for free elsewhere (for example, that company ABC has jobs listed on their website), or a genuine interview with a genuine company.

You should always check out a company before you work with them to make sure that they—and the online reviews about them—are not a scam. You can check with your state consumer protection agency, Attorney General’s office, or other people who have used their services.

Legitimate Resume Writers

Legitimate resume writers will:

  • Have certifications from professional organizations—you can check with the certifying organization to make sure that the certification claim is legitimate.
  • Tell you their prices and services up front—professional resumes cost money, but 66% of recruiters indicated they would offer a higher salary after reading a professionally written resume.
  • Take the time to interview you, so they know the challenges, accomplishments, and successes of your past career as well as exactly what you are looking for in the future.
  • Know the job market, share advice, and pick the format and content that will work best with the types of hiring managers and recruiters you want to attract.

Resume mills will review your resume and then merely send it through a grammar and spell check that you can use yourself. They never take the time to interview you, but merely move around whatever rough version of your resume you give them to make it “look” professional. They will charge you less than legitimate resume writers, but the results will make no difference to your job hunt.

Are you looking for a legitimate and successful coaching and resume writing service with decades of experience helping job seekers achieve their dreams? Look no further: reach out to Robin’s Resumes® today.

Posting Announcement

Due to scheduling issues, for the first time in over 10 years, we will not have a new article on Sunday, May 1st. Instead, for the month of May, we will be recycling some of our older posts for your reading pleasure and information.

Worst Case Career Paths

Sometimes, when faced with a situation where the next step is unclear or seems too risky, it pays to step back and ask yourself, “What is the worst that can happen?” Otherwise, you may find yourself on one of these worst case career paths:

You are in a job that you hate and you are stressed every day. What is the worst that can happen? You make a mistake that gets you fired or you become too stressed and sick to work at all.

Compared to that, hunting for a new job while you are still employed is a much better alternative. When you are stressed, spending hours on a job search seems impossible. So hire a resume writer to take on the burden of writing a resume, cover letters, and LinkedIn profile. Then spend just 10 minutes every day researching job openings; even 10 minutes a day will start speeding you on your new path.

You love your job but your career has stalled. Other people receive promotions and you do not. What is the worst that can happen? You become bored and restless and may even quit a good job to take a chance on a new company—where once again your career stalls.

Compared to that, investing in a career coach makes sense. A career coach will help you discover how to fix the problem where you are now; perhaps by letting your boss know you want to advance or by earning credentials you need to move on or by making sure you get credit for your contributions. Alternatively, the coach may help you realize that what you want is not going to happen in the company or industry you are in—it is time for a career transition.

You are about to lose your job and you do not have a plan. When  you know that the end of a company is near, your impulse is to jump ship fast. What is the worst that can happen? You end up in a job that you hate, and take a full step backward in your career.

Compared to that, taking your time to think through your next steps makes sense. Review your resume to highlight your most recent achievements. Talk to trusted bosses or peers about giving you recommendations. Research companies before you apply to make sure they have a good culture and a strong financial backbone. Now is the time to make thoughtful transitions.

You are about to retire, and you are dreading it. You love working and you fear that without work your brain will atrophy and you will lose respect for yourself. What is the worst that can happen? All those predictions come true.

Compared to that, striking out into a new career is far less risky. You may be able to become a consultant; start a business of your own; contribute to a nonprofit or for-profit board; or even take a role in local government. A professional resume writer can help you describe those transferable hard and soft skills that you honed over a long career and show how they will benefit businesses, customers, or organizations in your next phase of life.

When you find yourself on a worst case career path, please remember Robin’s Resumes®. We offer resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn writing and job and career transition coaching to help guide your career from the worst outcome to the best.