Stating the Expected Salary in cover letter

In some jobs you will be required to give an expected salary scale and your current salary. Most of the times, you will find this disturbing and u might be unable to quote for the same.

Do not panic here at mykenyan-jobs.com we shall help you in writing the cover letter with expected salary for the job.

In most of the other instances where you are not expected to quote for salaries while applying for jobs, DO NOT indicate salary expectation. If you do that before the right stage and forum you might be jeopardizing your success late.

How do you go about salary expectation in cover letter?

The most important thing to know is that no job will ever give you a salary range they offer. Therefore it’s hard to know if you are on higher side, lower side or in the middle. Here is what you need to know.

1) Employers view.

The employer requires this information so that he can do initial gauging of you. Infact he evaluates you according to the quotes as I have indicated above.

a) If you quote very high salary than the employer is offering, he will not waste any further time going through your pay since they simply cannot pay you.

b) They may have an idea or two that you won’t be happy working for a lower salary.

c) If you quote lower than they provide, you might get a lower package

Therefore as you make a salary quote in your cover letter, you need to keep it open.

2) Your View.

a) When stating the salary expectation in jobs, you can state in your cover letter that your salary package is negotiable based on overall compensation offered including benefits.

b) You can offer a salary range with the lower range representing your expected salary. The salary range offers you flexibility which comes in hardy during salary negotiation stage.Remember as you make a quote of salary expectation, you need to make research on average salaries for the position you are applying.

As you do research on average salaries for a particular job, and rehearse on tow to negotiate the salary, have a look at the following factors.

a) Salary ranges within the industry.

Spend time reading through current articles of average salary ranges within a particular industry.

b) The field of operation.

Look at the field in which the company operates as the salary expectations of a hiring company depend on the industry the company operates in.

c) Location of the work station.

The location of job is important as the cost of living varies from one town to the other. Example the cost of living in Nairobi is higher and different from that of Eldoret.

d) Demand and supply.

Consider the trends in an industry. Where an industry has so many people with the same qualifications and skills sets, the employer has an upper hand, on the other hand if demand is higher than supply you stand a better chance.

e) How does compensation and benefits arise?

Some professions like sales and marketing are based on commissions. You need to find out the total compensation benefits.

f) Levels of skills and experience.

Some industries consider skills and experiences very much and this forms a basis of compensation. You need to match you skills and experiences with industry requirements.

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