Misrepresentation of Expected Income
Is it permissable for an instructor to divuldge what he/she has made in their career to students enrolled in the course, or should it be handled in general terms?
Great question, Timothy. I am interested to see how others respond.
The only time an instructor should provide this type of information is if the student specifically asks them for the information. Otherwise the instructors need to refrain from offering unsolicited information about their income history.
I don’t believe an instructor should even divulge this information when specifically asked by a student. This in my opinion would be very misleading simply because of the unknown. Was this 20 years ago? Was the instructor at the top of the class? Did the instructor have a job secured prior to graduation? Was there any competition when the instructor graduated? There are too many ways of misleading this student when asked this question.
In my opinion, an instructor should not divulge unsolicited information but has the right to give guidance and share personal information about his or her past income when specifically asked by a student.
In my experience, national statistics tend to exaggerate salaries, therefore I would personally appreciate an insight to reality if I was a student. I understand salary is a touchy subject in our culture and could be misleading when given in the wrong context. However, it's good information to hear and I believe most people do know that it is NOT a representation of expected income.
It's OK to generalize but it's not appropriate to divulge too much personal information about yourself to students. It's none of their business. It's not encouraged in the workplace and in the classroom we are preparing them for the workplace.
Prospective students are shown starting salary information during the enrollment process, and it is always appropriate to refer them to that information again if questions arise after they are in the program.
Salary information for a person who has experience in a specific field is conditioned by many factors - perhaps there was a scarcity of qualified candidates in a given field when the instructor first entered the field and starting salaries reflected the competition between employers for employees. They might have had previous experience that the employer counted as "related" experience and thus allowed them to start at a higher rate. I think it is inappropriate for instructors to share their own salary information. There are many tactful ways to respond should the question be asked without setting up someone's expectations.
I agree that statistics can give inaccurate pictures - for example, the cost of living in my area is significantly less than the national average cost of living, so money goes further here. What sounds like a lower salary might actually have more buying power depending on the geographical areas of comparison. Benefits are part of income, too, but are not reflected in salary figures.
Grea answer, Martha. Whe asked this question I always refer the student to bls.gov and give a few tips for navigating the web site. I feel this government agency has much better information.
I think the instructor should speak in general terms when discussing potential salary even if a students asks them directly. There are so many variables when it comes to salary such as skill, tenure, place of employment etc. The student should do their due diligence when researching salary. One place to start is bls.gov/oes.
I think we need to not divuldge what we make or did make in the field. Most studetnts will start @ entery level, we do not want them to turn down jobs because of what someone said they made.
I would think it bloviating if not down right braggadocios.
i agree, instructors do not need to divuldge what they made to student's. they are going to start out at entry level as you stated, and different companies pay different wages. i do however belive that instructors should have a general idea of what the pay scale is for a paticular field.
I don’t think instructors should discuss salary information in the classroom; this is something that the admissions department should deal with during the enrollment process before the prospective student starts school. Even though the information given by admissions may be based of statistics and may differ at times it would ultimately give the student an idea and then it would be up to the student to research further and make their decision about whether or not they should enter such program since a lot of students these days are entering certain programs mainly for the income that they can potentially earn.
I do not think it is appropriate for an instructor to divulge their salary history to students.
It is a balance for instructors to be able to give real world experience to students and not give salary, however; the best way for an instructor to answer a student's question regarding salary and not get caught in this trap is to merely explain that income is largely based on location, average income of the clientele, and their ability to promote themselves and their services. There is no limit to what can be charged if a client finds the value in the service.
In my opinion it should be handled in general terms. Different locations have different starting salaries for those starting out in the particular field. If you tell students a specific amount you have made in the field and they don't get that amount when they go out in the field, they may come back and say we are not being truthful with our information regarding pay.
Timothy - I like your suggestion which responds to the student but still keeps things open, which is true.
An instructor should only divuldge what he/she has made in their career only if they are asked by the student. They should not provide salary information unless it is solicited from the student.
Also we can direct student to the internet at statistic numbers instead of giving personal salary information. The internet will give an estimate of Expected Income for the job the student is preparing for .
This is a great question ! I prefer speak in general terms . I also like to ask students to research and bring income possibilities to me.
