Asking about salary before applying for job?

[fionas]

I find that most jobs I'm interested in advertise a range. It's usually lower paid jobs that don't. I once worked for someone who didn't put in the range and refused to let me tell people what it might be when they phoned. Waste of everyone's time.

These days if it's not advertised, I think they've got something to hide.

[nothing2lose]

I think that's a good point Fionas.

[anney]

Yes, I think you are probably correct Fionas. My current workplace and the one I was looking (both semi-government) would work strictly within an award structure that determines salary. That makes it difficult for them to attact great employees as in private enterprise they often pay more. So while they are not being deliberately dishonest, they rely on getting people to interview and hoping they can find someone who will take the job at a lower pay rate. But I know they do waste alot of time by interviewing people who say no, because of pay or who get a better offer around the same time they get our offer.

[Marley&Me]

It's always the dodgey ones that don't state the pay rate.

I would definitely ask, your whole life budget is planned around what you earn so it's perfectly acceptable to ask