Joe Grimm's News Jobs Café: Ask the recruiter

Take the $70,000 Job?

Q: I'm in a complicated situation, so I'll try to be as clear as possible!

Currently, I am working as a reporter for a small daily in California. It is my first job out of college and I've been here for just over a year. As you can assume, I don't make a lot of money, about $28,000 a year. In California, that's nothing. My husband is a full-time college student and part-time worker, so making ends meet is very hard. Often times, we have to borrow money from my parents, which kills me every time.

A relative just offered me an opportunity to work as an assistant at her organization for $70,000 a year. The position is more administrative, and pretty much the complete opposite of what I'm doing now. I want to take this position to balance our financial situation for a couple years, then when my husband graduates, go back into journalism.

I'm afraid that taking this position will taint my resume (which is full of nothing but journalism experience), and that getting back into journalism will be incredibly hard.

Am I being naïve? I just want to be able to support my family.

Thank you for your help!

Cristina

A: I sympathize.

You are not being naïve at all. You are in a very real predicament and the rescue that your relative is offering will provide huge relief but it may, indeed, take you out of journalism permanently. That salary is a great one!

Three years down the road, if you try to return to journalism, you likely would face a pay cut that you could not afford. If we suppose your husband's income would make up for the drop, you'll be interviewing with editors who will wonder why you left in the first place and who may doubt that you would be happy working at half your former wage.

There is the possibility, too, that during the intervening years, you will advance at this new company into a job that you like even more and that pays you even better. That might not be so bad.

I cannot advise you on your personal circumstances or your finances. I can only tell you that a return to journalism could be quite difficult. It sounds as though you really love your work. If that is so, I'd look for something in between, such as another form of journalism that will give you a good raise, but that will neither take you out or price you out.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" has moved to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Could a Credit Check Derail Me?

Q: I've sent out resumes and clips recently, and though it's still too soon for any callbacks, I'm wondering if the sad and sorry state of my personal finances is going to derail my entire career.

A recent post on your blog referenced a candidate filling out background-check paperwork, and I wanted to ask you if credit checks are commonplace at newspapers. I've been through the mill in the past four years with an employer who has failed to generate payroll checks on time, and a layoff.

These things caused defaults of all sorts, and has resulted in a game of catch-up for about two years. I'm making headway, but I really feel that the practice of looking at personal finances would cast me in a negative light despite my abilities, which is not fair.

My current employer certainly didn't let me peruse the books before I agreed to accept their job, and I've showed loyalty to them despite their financial condition. I'd like to see a prospective employer do the same for me.

If I were asked to explain my finances, I would feel uncomfortable mentioning the financial difficulties at my current company because a recruiter may frown on those comments. Still, I would feel the need to defend myself because I have been on several occasions placed in difficult financial situations due to payless paydays.

My questions for you are: Do major newspapers require background checks (credit and criminal -- though I have no criminal record) or just reference checks with past employers? And, if they do, how much weight is put on those findings versus good employer references and well-written clips?

Emily

A: Relax. This is unlikely to come up.

Newsrooms are most likely to check your academic credentials, your criminal record, your Social Security number and to ask for a drug test.

A credit check is not likely.

Each of these steps costs companies money, so they try to do only those that are most relevant to the job. Lying would be bad, of course, and a bad driving record could be alarming if you're going to be driving in the course of doing your work.

But as journalists rarely are asked to handle money, a credit check is not a standard part of most screenings.

If they go further than that, they might check your arrest record. A credit check would be the last thing they might do.

Note: "Ask the Recruiter" is moving to Poynter's new Career Center. The new home is here. Don't forget to change your bookmark.

Moving Expenses?

Q:   I've heard you talk on campus a couple of times, and I was hoping you could help me out with a job situation I'm in. I was offered a job at a smaller newspaper, but they offered me less than was discussed in my interview. I was wondering if it would be OK to ask for more or to ask for compensation for relocation (I would be moving five hours away). I wasn't sure if this is common or not. I really like the location and the newsroom, and I don't want to mess things up by asking for too much money or anything like that. Please let me know what the proper etiquette is in this situation.

Thank you,

Meagan

A: You can hardly mess things up by asking for more money at this stage, unless you issue an ultimatum.

I would first express some confusion as to why you are being offered less than was mentined at the interview. Once you settle on a salary -- and before you accept -- ask about moving expenses.

 

Writing for no pay or low pay?

Q: I've been working at a small town newspaper daily for four months now. I work in circulation, but one month after I was hired, I asked and began writing articles for our weekly entertainment magazine.  In the beginning, my articles were short and I was not getting paid.  But now, 15 articles later, I get paid a very small amount for each contribution (which I had to ask the editor for.)

Though I'm new, I've been the strongest contributer to the entertainment magazine (ie. I have the most articles published in each edition.)  Quality-wise, I'm doing well and improving will each story. I graduated from a great writing program at a state university.

The problem is this:  there is a position opening up for a feature writer of the entertainment magazine, and due to a budget shortage, I'm worried they may just move one of the reporters into that spot and not hire anyone new.  Right now, that's what they've done.  They pushed off interviewing for the position until the fall, but another reporter (Ms. X) has already taken it over and assumed all the responsibilities.

I enjoy writing for the paper.  My writing technique has improved, and length-wise, I'm finishing with upwards of 1,000 words.  I just can't help but feel I'm getting taking advantage of in a way.  I write 2-3 articles a week, the same amount that someone else (Ms. X) is getting paid full time with benefits to do.  My pay is so low, it doesn't even put a quarter tank of gas in my car.  What should I do?

Jeremy

A: This is a good Labor Day question.

Ultimately, you can withhold your services if you are not being adequately paid. You can go write for someone else who will pay you. But it seems you really want to do this work and that, althugh money is important, it is not your only consideration. That's what keeps you writing for cheap.

You'll have to go to the editors and try to negotiate a fair rate of pay. Ask whether you can pick up the job Ms. X would be vacating.

We need experience like this to get the jobs we want, but indefinitely working for free isn't right.

Newspaper pay scales?

Q: Thank you for your excellent advice of several weeks ago.

     (I'm the writer/teacher who has been teaching college part-time for some time but has many clips from phase one of my career.) I am now a finalist at a weekly.

     Are there online resources I can consult if an offer and salary negotiations approach? I do not know the market range in this area. It is a non-union paper in northeast Ohio.

     Thank you for all your help.

Hoping

A: There is not a lot of public data to answer your question. I looked at the posting by the Ohio Newspapers Association and found that no one posts salaries in their ads.

The best I could do was to go to hotjobs.com, put in the name of  a non-union Ohio daily, specify "reporter 1" and it came back with something in the very low $30's. A weekly could be quite a bit less.

When you negotiate, know what you make now, what you can live with and where you'd like to be.

When money comes up, ask the editors about the range for people in the position you've applied for. Be sure to press for consideration for the experience you already have, even though it is not in journalism, because it is worth something.

As you bargain, keep in mind your needs for benefits, time off and training.

Good luck!

Talking salary

Andrea Kay, "The Country's Leading Career Expert," replies to people challenging her advice that new workers not bring up salary and benefits too early in the interview process.

She stands by her advice, though, and says that the smart candidates lead -- and stick for quite a while -- with information about what they can add rather than what they can get.

That is sound advice. But the questioner was giving voice to the widespread feeling that employers, in many cases, seem to hold all the cards when they are interviewing. That has almost always been the case for first jobs

What about salary ranges?

Q: When applying for a job that asks you to mention your salary requirements, how do you calculate an appropriate range? What do you keep in mind when doing this? Your level of experience? The job description? The cost of living in the city the company is in? I don't want to list a range that's way out of my league, but I also don't want to sell myself short.

Sara

A: I would ignore the initial request.

I would prefer to start talking about the job and my qualifications to throwing numbers on the table before anyone knows very much about the other party.

This is the classic problem we all have when we negotiate our salaries.

If you aim too high, you may overprice yourself right out of a job; if you lowball yourself you don't get all that you can.

A range is a good thing to keep in mind. But you might want to keep it there -- in your mind -- and not put it on the table.

Factors for both parties to consider are present wages, experience, special qualifications, cost of living, the wages paid to others doing the same work, chance for pay growth.

As a job-seeker, I would prefer to get the employer to go first with the range they are presently paying in. Then, I would go for the top of that. I would have to have remarkable qualifications to come in above the range being paid to existing employees and I would not like to be the lowest paid person in the group.

Employers have the upper hand in these negotiations because they know the salary situation internally the hold the purse strings and they are the ones who can make the offer. But applicants are not powerless, especially not the best applicants.

Be reluctant to talk money until the application process has gone through several steps and try not to be the first one to put a number on the table.

If they force you: "How much are you making now?" get them to put their number on the table, too. Not a hypothetical number, but the amount they actually pay people to do that job.

Negotiating salary?

Q: My question is about how to figure out a reasonable salary expectation when moving to a new area.

I recently interviewed for a job in a city in which the cost of living is significantly higher than where I now live. The housing costs, from what I'm told, are about double what they are in my town. It's an area that is rapidly growing, and housing costs started exploding within the past few years.

Since the paper is about twice the size of my current paper, it's likely that they pay more, too. But then there's the cost of living to factor in, and I'm wondering how to evaluate a job offer if one is made to me.

Is it too much to expect an overall raise in addition to the extra money I'd need just to maintain my current standard of living in a more expensive town? Or should I expect a salary offer that might put me right about where I am now when cost of living is factored in? I don't want to make a decision only about money, since it does seem like a good job, but I also don't want to sell myself short.

Wondering

A: Let's turn this around. Rather than trying to guess what the newspaper might pay -- which may be very tough to learn as an outsider -- let's concern ourselves wit how much you need to make.

As much as you like the sounds of this job, let's hope you can stay whole AND get a raise if you make the move. Ask accordingly when you get to the negotiating stage.

To work up your salary need, take your current compensation and then factor in differences in the cost of living. Be prepared to ask for money to cover your transitional costs. And do ask for a raise. Your best opportunities for raises occur when you move from one company to another or when you move from one job to another. Don't pass up the opportunity, but be flexible so that you don't toss away the job you really want for what turns out to be a minor consideration.

As you negotiate, be sure you compare the costs and benefits of insurance, savings plans such as a 401(K), stock purchase plans and pensions.

Rate for book editing?

Q: I was asked to help a professor edit his upcoming book. He asked me to figure out how much I need to get paid.

I do not have much experience in this type of work so I really have no idea what the hourly rate should be. Also, he said that I would not be included as an author and he seemed concerned with legal matters. I would like to get recognition for my contribution so I can use it as part of my résumé but I do understand that there are considerations he has to take when hiring freelancers to help out.

What do I need to let him know before I sign up for this?

LA Freelancer

A: You have two issues: Money and credit.

I have seen freelance editors charge up to $75 an hour. As you have not done much of this, that is too high. A beginning newspaper copy editor at a large newspaper might start at roughly $15 an hour, but they also get benefits boosting total compensation to about $20 an hour. I think you should charge near the low end of that range. Part of your calculation should be how deep or intense this editing will be. Is he expecting major restructuring, or is he a good writer with a clean framework for the book? Charging an hourly rate will protect you in case you get into an edit that is a lot more extensive than you anticipate.

As for credit, you can claim work you do on your résumé, whether you get a credit in the book or not.

It is not unusual for book editors to toil in anonymity, just as newspaper copy editors do.

I would not be reluctant to claim the work on your résumé, even though you might not have a credit in the book. To cement things, you might ask the prof for a written assessment of how you do. And be sure to do an excellent job!

How long does a hiring freeze last?

Q: My question is about the term "hiring freeze." Is there a time limit on these freezes? Are they normally temporary/short/long? I am familiar with a "hiring freeze" at the Dept. of Education, but the one I'm thinking of lasted close to a year. At this newspaper, there is at least one opening, but they can't hire anyone.

S.M.

A: A hiring freeze is a cost-cutting tactic. In a hiring freeze, people who leave are not replaced.

These are tough on job-seekers, but they are easier on the employees than two other cost-cutting tactics: layoffs and buyouts.

Freezes can be of varying lengths and even degrees.

A "hard freeze" means that no hiring is done, period. If someone leaves a critical position that must be filled, people inside the company are moved around to fill the gap.

A "soft freeze" may allow for hiring to fill critical positions, but not others.

There is no way to predict how long a hiring freeze will last. Typically, they are imposed to help the newspaper reach a target in its expenses. If departures are rapid, the newspaper will get there faster and the freeze can end sooner. A slow rate of departures can mean a longer freeze.

And, there is always the possibility that the revenue side of the picture may change during the freeze, allowing it to end sooner or stretching it out.

An additional word on hiring freezes. These are hard to deal with whether you're trying to get hired or are one of the people on the inside, working with a reduced staff. But people on the inside may find that a hiring freeze is a time of opportunity, as outside people are prevented from coming in to get desirable jobs. Smart employees may find that a freeze can lead to opportunities.

Job application credit check?

Q: How much of a role do consumer reports play in the job application process? I have been invited to interview and along with the formal application I received a form to sign and return, allowing them to search my consumer reports (banks, credit cards etc.). The form said the reports provide insight into character. I am concerned because I have considerate debt from credit cards. I pay my bills on time so I am in good standing. Can the debt disqualify me or it is one of many "background" items an employer obtains about candidates? How much of a role do you think it plays? Should I expect this to come up in interviews?

Leigh

A: Credit reports can play a role in your application, but most newspapers do too little checking rather than too much. (Could it be you are applying somewhere other than a newspaper and just fell into “Ask the Recruiter?”)

At this stage, though, you’re stuck. Refusal to sign the release form will not exactly be an encouraging sign to an employer that does background checks. If you don’t sign the form, your application will go into the circular file.

If you do sign the form, one of three things will happen:

• They will never check your credit rating anyway, and simply ask all applicants this as a matter of course.
• They will check your credit rating and find it is acceptable.
• They will check and drop you.

I’d take my chances with signing the form. The company is not going to do background checks on everyone who applies, anyway, but only those who make the first or second cut.

So, I’d sign the form and cross my fingers, but I’d uncross them long enough to keep paying my bills on time.

How much of a raise in a new job?

Q: I am hoping for a new job that will take me from the middle of the country to southern California. Someone told me that you should aim to make 15% more at your next job. Someone else said $5,000 more. I figure cost-of-living is a factor so I should look at one of those calculators. Still ... how does that work?

Middle of the country

A: Money is only one thing to take into consideration - though it is a very important one. Typically raised for people who stay in place range from 0% to 5% per year, so job changes are the time when we can see larger increases in our income. A new job with no appreciable raise is not likely to be followed by a big raise from the new employer.

Moving from the interior of the country to southern California implies big rises in the cost of things like housing and gasoline - and these apply to all people, whether they are in houses or apartments. I would use an on-line CPI (Consumer Price Index) calculator on-line to see how prices in your present area compare with process where you plan to go. If you're going to go someplace where you will have less spending power than you do now, you want to know about it.

When will economy recover?

Q: I keep asking myself when the jobs picture is going to improve. It seems like no is hiring these days. Any thoughts about when the market will pick up?

Dean

A: As for newspapers in general, they first need to see an increase in retail advertising.

This will not come back as soon or as strong at all newspapers, so we are looking at a region-by-region or case-by-case recovery. One discouraging recent note has been Tribune Co.'s announcement of staff reductions in Baltimore and Los Angeles. Clearly, that is a move in the wrong direction. One might surmise that if things are still weak for Tribune Co., they are weak for other major chains.

It's unlikely we'll have advance notice of a comeback and the best we can do it stay on top of on-line postings for activity.

Hang in there.

Newspaper salaries too low?

Q: I am in a tough spot. Currently I am finishing my last semester of college while working as the sports editor at a six-day daily. I have several interviews set up with papers that are offering a sports position with nearly 10 times the circulation.

However, I am worried that in my first year out the money will not be enough to make me leave small-town
Texas, where I make a fair sum and my living expenses are dirt cheap. I want to make the big papers and I feel that going through a medium-large publication is the only way to get there. Is it reasonable to expect more financially or should I look at the long haul and where I want to end up?

Jason

A: Your hunch about what it takes to get to the big time is correct.

You're right to worry about the money starting out, but I don't know that this problem will lessen as you get older and have bills for more and more stuff. These are your Ramen noodle years. Use them to position yourself for a comfortable spot later. Don't forego a little comfort now for comfort -- and the shot you want -- in the future.

By all means, though, interview and negotiate for the best starting-out wage you can.

How to get a living wage?

Q: My career feels somewhat static right now, and I'd appreciate whatever advice or suggestions you can offer. I'm giving you the long-winded version of this story, because honestly, I just don't know what I'm doing wrong.

I graduated in May from a liberal arts college in Ohio. My school didn't have a journalism program, and rarely even offers a journalism course, but I know I have a pretty solid grasp of journalism principals and basics despite a lack of formal academic training.

My extracurricular background has always been in journalism. In high school, even, I won awards for my work as part of a local newspaper’s student journalism program (the very same newspaper I’m working at now). In college I started out doing pretty much everything that was needed of me at the school's weekly newspaper, finally becoming editor-in-chief during my senior year. I was responsible for every aspect of the newspaper’s publication, circulation, advertising, finance, editorial and design. That paper is entirely student-run. We have no faculty adviser, the school rarely offers a journalism course, and students involved with the paper receive no payment or academic credit for their work. Despite the thankless work, though, the paper usually has a staff of around 20, all of whom reported to me.

Today, I am working as a copy editor at a newspaper and as an editorial assistant at a regional lifestyle magazine, both of which are really great jobs.

But I'm 23 years old, and I'm still living at home with my parents. The magazine job started out as an unpaid internship six months ago at about 15 hours a week. My title has just recently been changed to "editorial assistant," but it's still basically the same position.

Last summer, I applied for an entry-level copy editing position at the local paper, when they had spots open on the news and sports desks. Five candidates were called in, and after about two weeks the copy chief called me and explained that budget cuts had forced them to hire for just one position, and they were going with someone who had a few more years' experience. About a month after that, he called me up again and asked if I was free to work on the copy desk part-time for about 24 hours a week.

"Hell, yes," I said (in much more appropriate language, of course). I was hired at $8 an hour with no benefits and a vague promise that if and when a position at the desk ever opened up again, I'd certainly have his recommendation for it. I started in October, and by November I was up to 30 hours a week, and by the time Christmas rolled around, I worked two straight weeks without a day off. Now that the holidays have passed, I'm back down to my "regular" 24 hours a week, which I usually serve in four six-hour shifts.

I have no idea where this leaves me on the grand scale of experience. I think I do a good job, and my editor at the magazine and my boss at the newspaper have both backed me up on this, coming out on their own to say they'd be willing to write recommendation letters for me. But I have no idea what jobs I should be applying for, and I'm sure I'm doing something wrong because no matter how many copy editing/pagination jobs I apply for, I'm getting very few callbacks.

I have ambitions, and I want to move away from home and accomplish great things. I want make more than $200 a week, and I want to have health insurance.

I'm aware of this hierarchy of newspapers in the country, and I have no idea where I fit in.

Erin

A: I admire your patience. You could be a poster child for lowly paid journalists. Your editors, whether they are trying to or not, are forcing you to make the changes that can get you on your feet and out of your parents' home.

You need to move out of these jobs and into one job that has a much higher pay rate and health insurance. That job will be as a copy editor, I'd wager.

It sounds as though the magazine job is still unpaid. Quit that. You've learned 90 percent of what you can learn there and you can use the free time in your job hunt.

Take the experience you've had as an $8-an-hour, part-time copy editor and use it to land a full-time job. Full-time status is the secret to getting benefits. If you can look everywhere -- truly everywhere, you may be able to find that full-time job at a small daily.

I would look into joining the American Copy Editors Society and getting on their list for job postings. I expect you'll start seeing some openings you could apply for. But also do your own searching.

Who pays for the move?

Q: I want to apply for journalism jobs out of state, but many companies don't seem to want to pay relocation costs. Should I put in my cover letter that I am willing to relocate myself or does my résumé just go right in the trash as soon as they see I'm from out of state?

L.V. from Cleveland

A: Puh-lease!

Any newspaper that throws out the applications from people who live out of state is not to be worked at.

Apply on the basis of your interests and merits, and worry about the moving costs later. Ideally, the newspaper will pay. This is a standard practice at many newspapers, but the larger the paper, the more standard the practice. Even with the small ones, it may be that if they can't pay the whole thing, they can work with you.

This is just guesswork, but you could be at an awkward stage in your career where your experience doesn't yet interest the larger papers that would pay to move you, and the smaller ones that might be interested won't pay. Then, what we're dealing with is a lack of budget on their end and a lack of experience on yours. The solution is to reach out for jobs that are closer to Cleveland.

Ohio, btw, has an incredible number of dailies -- more than any other state except California. It could be that a job in Ohio can get you started on a path that takes you all over the country -- with someone else paying the moving bills.

Why is pay so low?

Q: Where can I find a current newspaper copy editor salary survey? Has a recent survey been done of mid-size circulation newspapers? The base salary at my newspaper is lagging behind the base for entry level school teachers. Recruitment ads for copy editors are secretive about salary. And yet, the American Copy Editors Society asserts that copy editors are in short supply.

My entire desk could become schoolteachers overnight and get at least a $2,000 annual raise, better working hours and vacation time. What's the matter with the newspaper industry?

No name

Speaking of secretive, who are you and where are you writing from?

I don't think secrecy is any more prevalent with copy editors than it is with any other part of journalism -- and most other jobs, either.

Copy editors' entry pay is typically the same as or slightly more than what it is for reporters with the same amount of experience. Copy editors may get paid more at the beginning because of night-shift work. As time goes by, copy editors and reporters are typically on the same salary schedule, but I believe that because their work is unsigned, copy editors do not have as big a chance at merit raises as reporters do. Also, for whatever reason, copy editors seem to be less mobile than reporters, and that can drop them behind in average wages. (I know some copy editors who move frequently and some reporters who seldom do, so there are exceptions, of course.)

To get a handle on what papers are paying, look up contractual minimums on the Newspaper Guild's web site. Those are minimums only. Newspapers may and often do exceed those.

The Inland Press Association and some other organizations conduct salary studies, but release the results only to the people who pay for the study. Those are typically publishers.

It seems to bug you that teachers are getting paid more than copy editors in your town. You have three choices: Get a raise, get used to what you're making, move to a better-paying newspaper or take a job as a teacher and see why people get paid more to spend the day negotiating with a bunch of 12-year-olds. When you think about it, that is not so much different from a lot of newsrooms.

Make the money or make the move?

Q: I've been offered a position at a major metro for significantly less money than I was making at a group of weeklies. Part of the problem is that I am moving from an editor position to an entry-level reporter position. The opportunity is better but the pay hurts. Any advice?

F.G., Massachusetts

A: Well, I'm assuming you're not looking for financial advice ...

Here's something to ask yourself: Will this new, lower-paying opportunity result in career growth, greater opportunities and more money long-term? If not, then there is no reason to go. If it will, then you need to see what you can do to get a clear fix on how soon your wages will catch up to where they have been.

Monthly notes may force us to stay where we are, but a short-term setback for increased earning potential for the next 20 or more years can be a good move to make. You might also ask yourself whether, if you pass up this opportunity, you'll be faced with an ever higher hurdle to clear the next time you try to make a move.

Of course, the ideal solution would be to keep looking or to keep negotiating until you get to a place where you don't have to refamiliarize yourself with macaroni and cheese.

What should I be getting?

Q: I'm writing to find out what my salary level should be. I am the religion editor and business editor of a small-town daily newspaper in Northeast Tennessee. I also perform a ton of other duties. I have worked for the newspaper for more than 13 years. Currently, I make $7 per
hour.

Greg

A: Geez!

Of course you should make more!

Could be you'll have to move to get it, though. Unless you're willing to do that, you might not see the money. It likely comes down to what they can or will pay at your paper, and telling them what other papers are paying won't get you far.

When asking for a raise, remind them of all the work you are doing and your value to the company, rather than telling them what you need or what other papers are paying. Go for a raise in your base pay and ask for regular (annual) increases. A bonus is nice, but does not build the base on which future raises (which often are in percentages) will build on. If you accept a bonus, your base remains unchanged and, except for that one-time bump, you are in the same place.

If they say they can't or won't pay more, you'll have to be prepared to live with what you're getting or to look for a new job. Editors are in short supply, and you should find some jobs out there, especially if you have people skills, in addition to content and production abilities.

Do unions lock down wages?

Q: I just completed trying out on the copy desk at a union paper and I had heard from
colleagues that if they give me an offer, it will be according to a scale and there will be no room to negotiate. Is that true? I have 11 years of copyediting experience, so I suspect they would offer me a good salary, but if they do offer something, is that it? Can I not try to squeeze a little more out of them?

D.B.

A: Union pay scales generally establish minimums based on years of experience. At most newspapers, the top of the scale -- that is, the highest number of years for which they’ll establish a specific rate -- is between three and seven years. A candidate with 11 years of experience, then, should be paid at least the “top minimum,” that is, the highest minimum specified in the contract.

Employers have the right to pay people more than the minimum the contract specifies, and often do. There is your negotiating room. Otherwise, newspapers could not make counter-offers when other companies try to hire away their talent. In some cases, they would be unable to hire people from other papers who had higher wage scales than them.

Be suspicious of a newspaper that tells you the union won’t let it pay more. Most unions are interested in seeing higher wages for everyone and, though they usually must be informed about over-and-above raises, they generally don't protest them and can't stop them.

Where to put salary needs?

Q: I am interested in a position that will only respond to a resume with salary requirements listed. I don't mind listing the information, I just need to know how to list it. Do I include this in the cover letter or résumé?

T Rivers

A: I would put it in the cover letter. A résumé is an undated, more-or-less permanent document. A cover letter carries a date and represents a point in time. Your salary requirements will change in ways that resume information doesn't. Also, it is best if a résumé, which may be circulated among potential co-workers or sent to other papers, doesn't include that kind of financial information.
Good luck.