Q & A

Q & A relating to your career, job search, pay, salary, resume, interviewing for 2024

Q & A relating to your salary, pay, career, job search, resume and interviewing for 2024.

Check out my salary negotiation tips for women and men.

On this page, you can either:

  • Browse the frequently asked questions and answers.
  • Ask a career or job search related question.
  • Comment on or ask a question related to posted answers.
  • By proceeding, you agree to our terms, conditions and disclaimer.

Q & A – Desired Salary

Question: I am applying for jobs online that ask for desired salary. Is it a good idea to indicate my desired salary?

Answer: It is best to indicate that your desired salary is negotiable. Try to delay discussing your desired salary until the company offers you the job, if possible. This will enable to negotiate a higher salary after the company offers you the job,

Q & A – Interview travel expenses

Question: I have been asked to attend a job interview in a different city. So I will need an airline ticket, hotel room for one night and a rental car. Should I ask them if they expect me to pay for these interview travel expenses or will they pay? Currently I am only working part time.

Answer: It depends on the company. Some companies book the flights, hotel, rental car and pay for everything themselves. Some will ask you to pay, then to submit an expense report. Then they will reimburse you. Some may ask you to pay for the expenses.

You can simply ask if they will reimburse these interview travel expenses or if you have to pay. If you have to pay, you can decide right away if you want to be working for them or not.

Q & A – Ask my boss for a pay rise review

Question: Every time I ask my boss for a pay rise, she only brings up my minor mistakes. And she ignores my major achievements. Any suggestions?

Answer: This is common and it occurs at salary or pay rise reviews. Ask your boss to list what will qualify you for a pay rise next time. Also, what you need to work on and what the time frame is. If she lists these minor mistakes, it means that they are important to her. And you need to work on them. If she doesn’t list these minor mistakes, you can inquire why she hasn’t. Next time the pay raise comes up, bring up the list in the meeting. This would make it harder for the boss to refuse the pay rise, if you qualify based on the list.

Q & A – Offer from another company

Question: After receiving an offer from another company, my current employer offered me 5% more than the offer I got from the other company. I don’t know what to do. Do I negotiate with the other company or do I accept my current employer’s higher offer?

Answer:

First you should evaluate and compare other factors such as career paths, the actual jobs, the companies, job security, locations, which job you would enjoy more … etc.

Questions that come to mind: If you are worth that much more, why didn’t your employer increase your pay before you received the other offer? How will they treat you after this and in the future?

You can tell the other company that you have a higher offer from your company. But it could backfire, as they may think, if they give you more, you may go back to your current employer and ask for more … etc. So be very careful if you decide to negotiate further with the other company.

Probably the safest option would be to tell the other company that you decided to accept their offer (assuming you want to do this). But see if they can improve the offer as your current company has offered you more. And make it clear that you have no intention of staying with your current employer (again assuming you don’t intend to stay with your current employer). And make it clear that you won’t go back and forth between the two companies.

Let me work with you so you can negotiate the best salary. Call me or mail me for an obligation free discussion.

Q & A – Relocation to a small town

Question: I have been asked to relocate to a small town as part of a restructure within the company I work at. The company will pay for all the relocation expenses to the small town and I am happy at this company. But I don’t like the small-town life, as I am a city person. My immediate boss knows I don’t really want to relocate to a small town, but it’s not up to him. So can I simply refuse to move or do I tell them either I don’t move or I will resign?

Answer: I would evaluate this based on my personal circumstances such as the position, finances, age and what risk I can take or would be willing to take. Also, how easy would it be to get another similar job in the city.

As for if you can simply refuse to move or to simply resign if they insist that you relocate, it depends on the laws of the state or country you live in and on the company policies. But if the company needs you to move to the small town and if it is easy for them to replace you, then it is probably best to tell them your preference, without refusing to relocate. And if they insist, then maybe you can relocate while starting to look for another job elsewhere. Again, it depends on your personal circumstances.

To follow are some areas that some clients ask for assistance with:

  • Should I include salary requirements in my cover letter, application or resume?
  • How to ask for a pay raise as a woman.
  • When asked about my salary expectations at the first job interview, I asked for $120,000. They just offered me exactly $120,000. Can you help me negotiate a higher salary, even though the company offered me exactly what I asked for?
  • Can resumes that are prepared with the assistance of AI software and ChatGPT be detected by employers?
  • One month after accepting an offer of $95,000 base salary, I found out that my colleague was offered $115,000 base salary the same week, even though he has the same qualifications and the same number of years of experience as myself. He is also at the same level and has the same title. Could this be because I am a female? How can I successfully discuss this issue with my manager? And can I ask him to match my salary with my colleague’s?
  • I have just been offered a job offer and they want an answer by today. However, I am expecting another offer from another company next week. How do I handle this situation to earn the highest salary?

More questions with answers

How can I write a reference page for a resume?

Answer: Use a separate paper and title it “references”. Then list the name of your first reference. Below that list his/ her title, then list the company they work at. Then list their contact phone numbers. Repeat this for the next reference…. etc. List three references, if possible.

What is a CV?

Answer: CV is short for ‘Curriculum Vitae’. A CV is a marketing tool that contains information about you, education, skills and employment details. Your CV must show the strengths and achievements relevant to the position you are applying for. See our CV writing tips, CV action verbs and cover letter sample format.

Are the resume tips on your site applicable when applying for a teaching job overseas?

Answer: The resume writing tips, cover letter tips and sample resume format on our site are general. So use them with some modifications to match the job requirements you are applying for. Tailor each cover letter for the position you are applying to. Regardless of the position or location you are applying to.

Other questions, with answers within the website

  • Should I provide a salary range at the first interview or phone screening?
  • How can I stand out from so many other job applicants?
  • I have attended many interviews, but I haven’t received any job offers yet.
  • How do I ask for a pay raise as a woman?
  • Should I write a counteroffer letter?
  • What are the highest paying jobs?
  • How do I answer the greatest weakness question?

This Q & A article was updated on 27 December 2023.

Twitter