Hi,

thinking of applying for ajob closer to home, as the 65 hour weeks and a newborn are taking there toll on me and my wife.

However, they always ask for current salery, if I fibbed and exagerated my current salery (I am on a relitivly low wage as I had little experience when I started, so they paid me accordingly but won't now give me a rise) can they find out from my current employer at reference time?

I would have thought that sort of info is confidential, so they can't disclose it to the new company, but worth checking before I shoot myself in the foot!

Also I dont want my employer to know I am looking elsewhere, so if I said they can't get references prior to appontment then I'll be ok right?

I know there are a few HR types on here, so your advise is apprieciated!

quote:

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Originally posted by Dangle_kt
Hi,

thinking of applying for ajob closer to home, as the 65 hour weeks and a newborn are taking there toll on me and my wife.

However, they always ask for current salery, if I fibbed and exagerated my current salery (I am on a relitivly low wage as I had little experience when I started, so they paid me accordingly but won't now give me a rise) can they find out from my current employer at reference time?

I would have thought that sort of info is confidential, so they can't disclose it to the new company, but worth checking before I shoot myself in the foot!

Also I dont want my employer to know I am looking elsewhere, so if I said they can't get references prior to appontment then I'll be ok right?

I know there are a few HR types on here, so your advise is apprieciated!

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i think it will be on your p45 when they recieve it

A reference can only be good, they can't divulge personal info,including salary due to Data Protection laws.

Only thing i would recommend is don't go too high and price yourself out of the job

Oh and let them suggest a salary first...they may surprise you

Your current salary will only be relavent if you are applying to do exactly the same job as you do currently. If you are changing jobs, then it has little relavance. On the application for our company, we have a 'current salary' box as well as a 'salary expectation' box. If you are asking for more, then as long as you can justify it then don't worry.

As for the reference bit, I think most companys would only apply for a reference as a final check before they offer you the job - you certainly don't supply it just for an interview.

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Originally posted by onzarob
A reference can only be good, they can't divulge personal info,including salary due to Data Protection laws.

Only thing i would recommend is don't go too high and price yourself out of the job

Oh and let them suggest a salary first...they may surprise you

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quote:

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Originally posted by nitram38

quote:

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Originally posted by Dangle_kt
Hi,

thinking of applying for ajob closer to home, as the 65 hour weeks and a newborn are taking there toll on me and my wife.

However, they always ask for current salery, if I fibbed and exagerated my current salery (I am on a relitivly low wage as I had little experience when I started, so they paid me accordingly but won't now give me a rise) can they find out from my current employer at reference time?

I would have thought that sort of info is confidential, so they can't disclose it to the new company, but worth checking before I shoot myself in the foot!

Also I dont want my employer to know I am looking elsewhere, so if I said they can't get references prior to appontment then I'll be ok right?

I know there are a few HR types on here, so your advise is apprieciated!

---

Only a 65 hour week?
I'd love to go back to that!!!!!!!!!!!
I do an 84 hour week as I have two teenagers who cost a fortune, plus a very expensive hobby!

Sorry not much help with the application but at least you know that there are other people worse off than you !

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quote:

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Originally posted by grub
i think it will be on your p45 when they recieve it

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hi,
i do recruitment for my company, we dont check references unless we are offering the person a job, you should look on recruitment sites/agencies and see what the average salary is for your profession is and say thats what you are on at your interview, dont over price yourself as we alway ask what salary your on and what is your expected salary would be if we offered you the job, my company never check what salary your on, good luck

Plan B is to be honest about your current salary, then say that you took that job as you'd rather work than be on the dole...

It will be on your P60 that the new employer will get a some point, so don't go too mad and make it obvious

I didn't take being lied to, too well

Regards

Rich

Honesty is always the best policy

When I changed jobs in 1987, I inflated my then salary of £4,750, to £5,750 to get the job at £6,750.

Nothing was said, but this was 20 years ago and at the end of the day, you mostly work for the money, not because you want to (though I do now). I'm sure most employers with half a brain realise that people changing jobs are probably trying to better themselves financially.

Would I (theoretically) do it now? Probably not. I'd think I'd be honest, but if there is quite a jump, you can hopefully explain it at the interview, if you get that far.

Re the references, yes it's fine to ask them not to approach existing employer until they've offered you the job - by which imo I mean you have read, signed (assuming you agree with it) and returned the contract of employment.

ATB

Simon

I think you will find that the P45 only shows how much you have been paid up to the current point of the year, it does not show the salary pa. so if you are paid overtime for any of the hours you do then they would be included along with bonuses etc.
If at a later date they wanted to get rid of you for some reason like impending redundancies they might look and find you had lied about your salary and could use that as an excuse to get rid of you at no cost.

My penny's worth - I've employed allot of people and changed job 5 or 6 times.

Unless you are applying to work at a very small company then the person hiring you is unlikely to ever know what you really earned previously. As Schrodinger points out the figures on your P45 will only show earnings to date and with your 65 hour week your basic will be difficult to work out exactly. If you tell them that you are on the average then they will assume you are average. And who here is that? So personally I have always pitched over the average.

Unless you are applying for a zero skill, zero responsibility McJob then your salary request will not be the biggest reason that you are offer a job. I was always looking for someone who can be relied on to the do the job (experience, quals & appears switched on at interview) and who will fit into the team and ideally raise the game. Some demanding roles need the ambitions type, others need a methodical completer finisher. In my experience it is pretty hard to find someone who fits the bill exactly, but when you do then I'd want to pay them enough such that they felt valued. So if it were you I'd offer the average for your role in my team, if you were earning more than that already I'd try and match it. Of course I know that you want work closer to home, so I'd take that into account too, you shouldn't have told me that - better if I thought you were looking for an opportunity that your old company couldn't give. Plus you have a new born - so you may need the odd day of work, and you could be a bit bleary eyed in the mornings but on the other hand once settled you won't want to be changing jobs again in the immediate future.

Of course once you have landed that job on over average pay - show the boss that you were worth it.

Last bit of advice - get your self at least 3 job interviews so that you are not pinning your hopes on one job. The chances are that you'll not be completely happy with the first interview that you do - so do it for a job that you don't mind not getting.

Ok so that was more than a penny's worth!

Puk

As above it will be on your P45. HOWEVER, you do not have to give this to your new employer. Can't remember the form of the top of my head, but there is a very easy way round it. and most HR will have the relevant form.