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previous salary confidentiality

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  1. #21

    If the OP can share more about their role that'd be helpful. Hopefully I can offer some guidance as I've been in the recruitment industry for almost 15 years, 1st as an agency headhunter and now internal HR in industries such as finance and engineering

    There are some industries where the salary is lower than others, there can be entire threads/debates on this but it can be due to numerous factors such as specialist skills / demand / competition

    If you're in an industry where the salaries are low, I'd say Hong Kong is one of the best places to switch careers and reward those entrepreneurial types starting their own business

    Remember, it sounds obvious but if you're working for a company it's not their issue whether you're paid what you term as a good salary. They would ask themselves more the question of can they hire someone else to do your role at that level of salary


  2. #22

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    Quote Originally Posted by SonicYouth1:
    Remember, it sounds obvious but if you're working for a company it's not their issue whether you're paid what you term as a good salary. They would ask themselves more the question of can they hire someone else to do your role at that level of salary
    This is very relevant. Unfortunately, I can't speak Chinese which restricts me from getting considered for quite a few jobs. So it does feel like there are too many people applying for too few jobs.

    I work in data science and have a couple of years of experience in startups. I hope I'm not coming across as being overly entitled but this was a bit of a career change which means I feel left behind when I look at my peers from university who stuck to their original careers.

  3. #23
    Quote Originally Posted by hhku:
    This is very relevant. Unfortunately, I can't speak Chinese which restricts me from getting considered for quite a few jobs. So it does feel like there are too many people applying for too few jobs.

    I work in data science and have a couple of years of experience in startups. I hope I'm not coming across as being overly entitled but this was a bit of a career change which means I feel left behind when I look at my peers from university who stuck to their original careers.
    I can't speak Chinese and I'm sure many on this forum have the same issue without it being an issue in their careers, if you know what I mean

    I've worked for a few companies and some have stuck to the 15-17% increment but luckily some have offered 30-40%. You are the one who can make yourself known in your industry to be a target for headhunters for those 30-40% increments

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by aw451:
    But the real answer to "How do I get more money?" Is to prove that you can provide value to the company by delivering results for your current company.
    This is a dangerous way to think. There is a very high chance that your current employer could not pay you more, no matter how excellent you are, because they cannot harness your firepower.

    The real path to success is finding an employer (or making your own) who will be able to fully leverage your skillset, and pay you appropriately.

    Hint: it's probably not a 100 year old company that can do this (although I do have a buddy at Swire who managed it...)

  5. #25

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    Quote Originally Posted by hhku:
    I work in data science and have a couple of years of experience in startups. I hope I'm not coming across as being overly entitled but this was a bit of a career change which means I feel left behind when I look at my peers from university who stuck to their original careers.
    Start-ups in my view (except very well funded ones) would offer low base salaries but a lot of upside if the company does well. If you need a higher base salary just apply as data scientist at a bank or similar. If you have a few years under your belt you just say I want 500k HKD per year, I can't see that kind of salary would be any problem at all for a bank to pay. When they ask you for your salary proof, you provide it with no comments. If they ask why you asking for 500k when your current salary is 2XXk per year, you just say the start-up had a different salary structure with much better bonus potential, which unfortunately did not materialize.

    There is not really anything more to say, they will have paid other data scientist this much (and often much more).

    Good luck!
    alexdown and VillanElle like this.

  6. #26
    Quote Originally Posted by RobRoy:
    Start-ups in my view (except very well funded ones) would offer low base salaries but a lot of upside if the company does well. If you need a higher base salary just apply as data scientist at a bank or similar. If you have a few years under your belt you just say I want 500k HKD per year, I can't see that kind of salary would be any problem at all for a bank to pay. When they ask you for your salary proof, you provide it with no comments. If they ask why you asking for 500k when your current salary is 2XXk per year, you just say the start-up had a different salary structure with much better bonus potential, which unfortunately did not materialize.

    There is not really anything more to say, they will have paid other data scientist this much (and often much more).

    Good luck!
    OP, can you share more in a vague sense thus is it a couple of years in 2-3 firms. Ie. 7 months in each firm as opposed to couple of years in EACH firm. As that may go a long way to explain why your current/expected salary doesn't match

    2 years total relevant experience doesn't equate to 500k salary and the implied salary 2x,xxx seems more than fair if that's the case

  7. #27

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    Quote Originally Posted by aw451:
    But the real answer to "How do I get more money?" Is to prove that you can provide value to the company by delivering results for your current company. The alternative is to get promoted and therefore have a higher status title. Additionally try to improve your interview skills. As a hiring manager, almost everyone I have encountered is shit at interviewing. Anyone who is even "alright" tends to stand out.
    Fully agree with this, in this city everyone's CV looks like they are masters of the world. Come interview its a totally different story, half of the bunch gets so nervous to have the interview in English that they perform extremely poorly. The other half has very low social skills after spending their whole youth with their nose in either a school book or their mobile. By just not being poor you are already qualifying for round 2 of interviews. If you at an interview can prove that you can add serious value and have good social skills, heck we should hire you at the bank I work in. With that I don't mean to PM me, I'm not in a role to hire data scientist. I just mean, those qualities would qualify you for a job at any bank, at a good salary

  8. #28

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    Quote Originally Posted by RobRoy:
    Fully agree with this, in this city everyone's CV looks like they are masters of the world. Come interview its a totally different story, half of the bunch gets so nervous to have the interview in English that they perform extremely poorly. The other half has very low social skills after spending their whole youth with their nose in either a school book or their mobile. By just not being poor you are already qualifying for round 2 of interviews. If you at an interview can prove that you can add serious value and have good social skills, heck we should hire you at the bank I work in. With that I don't mean to PM me, I'm not in a role to hire data scientist. I just mean, those qualities would qualify you for a job at any bank, at a good salary
    This seems like the move to make. I feel like I'm getting envious of finance industry salaries without being in finance. I know banks are hiring data professionals so I guess I need to change industry.

    I don't have any glaring weaknesses but there's always room for improvement. Obviously finance industry orgs pay at a different level than other industries. Do you think recruiters in finance would be more open to entertaining bigger percentage jumps for non-finance people moving in since, as you said, they're coming from a different salary structure?

    I messed up negotiation very badly in a role a few years ago and I've been a bit scared of being overly demanding since then.

  9. #29

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    Quote Originally Posted by SonicYouth1:
    If the OP can share more about their role that'd be helpful. Hopefully I can offer some guidance as I've been in the recruitment industry for almost 15 years, 1st as an agency headhunter and now internal HR in industries such as finance and engineering

    There are some industries where the salary is lower than others, there can be entire threads/debates on this but it can be due to numerous factors such as specialist skills / demand / competition

    If you're in an industry where the salaries are low, I'd say Hong Kong is one of the best places to switch careers and reward those entrepreneurial types starting their own business

    Remember, it sounds obvious but if you're working for a company it's not their issue whether you're paid what you term as a good salary. They would ask themselves more the question of can they hire someone else to do your role at that level of salary
    Can you let me know if it's strictly illegal to ask salary info from past employers? or is it just generally avoided but not illegal

  10. #30
    Quote Originally Posted by hhku:
    Can you let me know if it's strictly illegal to ask salary info from past employers? or is it just generally avoided but not illegal
    I don't think you'll make it far in any career. You clearly aren't very bright. You got all the relevant information with regard to evidence on current salary. And still you are asking such a weird question, as if you weren't incapable to process any of the information.

    Ironically you consider yourself a data scientist, where you can't deal with simple, useful data presented to you on a silver platter. Don't think you are worth more money than you're making.

    I know I will get a lot of beating, but that's ok. Somebody has to be honest. Everybody here being way too kind.