[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

salary range on Internet postings



As to the statement -- "It seems to me that many of the job listings are
posted for places
     that don't actually have anyone on this list so they aren't going to
     see the gripes.  So how about the next time someone asks you to post
a
     job ad on this listserv you politely mention that the people on the
     list respond much better to at least an estimate or salary range."

Actually, more ads are posted to listserves -- and most of all the ads
available, more than three-quarters, come through the Internet now.

Also, in some places salaries are confidential -- such as at my own
institution -- so requiring a salary figure isn't going to help
there.  Having salary information might seem so easy to include at the
outset, but there are actually many good reasons why there is not such
information provided.  Besides, picking up the telephone, calling,
introducing yourself and your interest, are all not bad things to do
anyway.

Besides, salaries are generally fairly predictable -- lower for
traditional historical societies, average or better for academic
positions, higher for government, much higher for corporate; higher in the
Northeast and Midwest, average in upper south, lower in Southeast and
perhaps Southwest -- all affected by costs of living, etc.

People do make respctable salaries in this profession, but they are often
good negotiators or entrepreunerial about their careers and other options.

So, working as a profession to get institutions to post salaries might not
be the best thing to do.  Working to develop stronger standards to support
better salaries -- through educational qualifications, etc. -- might have
the greatest impact over time.  In the meantime, each professional working
in their own best interest -- considering their own career goals, salary
needs, geographical preference, and so forth -- might be the most
effective way to work.

Incidentally, and for all those interested in the knowledge of their
field, doing research about such matters as salaries, etc., is certainly
warranted.  For my own contribution to this, an exploration of entry-level
archives positions, see "Employing Records Professionals in the
Information Age," INFORMATION MANAGEMENT JOURNAL 34 (Janaury 2000): 18-33.


Richard J. Cox
Professor
Department of Library and Information Sciences
School of Information Sciences
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
Voice:  412-624-3245
FAX:    412-648-7001
e-mail: rcox@mail.sis.pitt.edu
homepage: http://www.lis.pitt.edu/~rjc

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>