If you’ve ever wondered what those “bozos down the hall” are making or how much you could earn at another firm, check out Glassdoor.com, said Joe Light in Money. “It shows you self-reported salaries, bonuses, and company reviews submitted by employees—on the condition that you share yours.” The site allows users to post anonymously, but does require them to reveal their title and employer—so if your company is small, “it won’t be hard to figure out who you are.” This isn’t the only site that answers the “age-old question” of how much the next guy is making. But others, such as Vault.com, charge up to $15 a month, while Glassdoor.com is free.
If you interview for a job that pays more than you make now, don’t fib about your current salary, said Toddi Gutner in The Wall Street Journal. “Potential employers can always find out what you earn” and lying won’t reflect well on your character. You can, however, avoid answering the question outright. Simply provide a salary range for positions you’re considering or reframe the question in terms of total compensation, including benefits and bonuses. If you end up spilling the beans, don’t sweat it. Hiring managers usually ask so that they know where you stand. They usually aren’t trying “to figure out how little they can pay you.”
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