How far should a job hunter go?

Q: Shouldn't a job hunter do whatever is necessary to win an offer? In an earlier column, you advised against divulging past salary in an interview because it might prejudice an employer's offer. I disagree with you. After going on more than 25 fruitless interviews (most were second- or third-round) in the past nine months, I suspect most people would gladly reveal their salary history, if required, as a sign of cooperation and so as not to be disqualified. What do you say to this?

A: I would suggest that you've had 25 unsuccessful interviews because you're too concerned about appeasing an interviewer. Instead, try to focus on projecting a clear impression of what's important to you and what you're worth. That's the message behind my advice to withhold your salary history. It forces a candidate and an employer to negotiate based on the candidate's future value. Why get stuck defending what your last employer paid you? (I'm sure you'd like to earn more in your next job than in the last, so don't start with a disadvantage.)

This salary issue is more than a question of being cooperative. It's about making sound judgments. In my opinion, an intelligent disagreement and discussion about salary reveals integrity, and it stimulates an important dialogue. Employers who rely on salary history to judge you are trusting another company's evaluation. Think about that. It's almost insane. What really matters is what you can do for this company now and in the future. Is the company able to make that judgment? Why does it need your last employer's judgment about your salary?

Declining to divulge salary history is not about being uncooperative. It's about shifting the interview to a higher plane. Don't worry so much about getting disqualified. Any candidate can be obliging, but few can demonstrate their value and get paid what they're really worth. Your value lies in what you can do next, not in what somebody paid you to do last year. If you learn to hold your ground properly, you will earn a manager's respect, and maybe the offer you deserve.

The headhunter tip:

There is no sure thing.

A person gets a job offer -- and promptly tells other companies she's no longer available. She terminates discussions with "B-list" employers.

Many people I've known have started a new job, only to resume job hunting again very shortly. They realized the new job -- or the company -- wasn't what they expected.

In the meantime, they closed the door to other options.

• Never sever your connections to other job opportunities, even if you've accepted an offer.
• Keep talking to other employers for at least two weeks after you've started a new job.
• Continue to actively pursue new contacts and sources of other jobs -- all the time. Never turn off your efforts to cultivate relationships that may lead to jobs.

You work hard to develop good career options. Don't get smug. Don't toss options aside for a "sure thing." There is no sure thing.

Copyright 2008. Distributed by Universal Press Syndicate

Nick Corcodilos is author of "Ask The Headhunter: Reinventing the Interview to Win the Job" and the host of www.asktheheadhunter.com. He can be reached by e-mail at seattle@asktheheadhunter.com or at North Bridge Group, P.O. Box 600, Lebanon, NJ 08833. Sorry, no personal replies.