Q: What is the best way to answer an ad that asks you to fax your salary requirement?
K. E.
A: Don’t do it. You’ll either lowball yourself, or be way too high. My guess is that the company that asked you to do this also said very little about itself. Your salary requirements are negotiable. They depend on the type of work, area of the country, opportunities for advancement, bonus and benefit packages and lots of other details.
Personally, I don’t like to talk about money with candidates until I’m first comfortable that they’re qualified to work at my newspaper. You should feel the same way about employers. Salary requirement is not a qualification.
I’d ignore the question. If they can’t deal with that, look elsewhere.
Imagine how they would feel if your first question was: "So, how much do you pay?”
If you decide you want to tell them your requirements, I’d offer a range with your minimum at the bottom. Offering a single figure makes it a ceiling, rather than a floor.
For more advice on negotiating, go here.