A colleague of mine in the staffing field shared this excerpt from the cover letter sent in by a prospective job candidate:
My salary requirements are based on what's required to provide shelter and feed my family and will require some added perspective about what it is you require.
Good of him/her to add the afterthought signaling some willingness to consider factors beyond living costs, I guess.
Unfortunately, communicating your salary expectations in this manner can prove to be a complete non-starter. As my colleague noted:
...since the law prohibits asking about someone’s family size, composition or economic status during an interview, this line in the cover letter means that the candidate can receive no further consideration.
P.S. If this cover letter came from you or if you suspect it came from someone you know, please (please) see my post on Cost of Labor versus Cost of Living.
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