A prospective employer asking for salary history prior to an interview is about as welcome as someone on a first date asking you questions about your sexual history over a dinner. The difference between them is that you desperately want that second date – the interview. However, giving your salary history to a prospective employer opens the door to a world of assumptions over which you have no control.

Employers don’t want to waste time on an interview just to have their salary offer turned down, so they screen out resumes with high salary histories. On the other end of the scale, they might assume that a low salary history goes hand-in-hand with limited experience, so they screen those out as well—or worse, offer you a salary lower than they would offer someone with a high salary history. If asked for your salary history, acknowledge the question but tactfully avoid answering it. For example, if salary history is requested on a written application, simply write, ‘Will discuss at time of interview”.

But what do you say when asked over the phone or in person? A short, “I’m not comfortable discussing that,” will sound pretty dodgy, as if you have something to hide. Instead, try, “There’s so much more to job compensation than a dollar amount. I’d prefer that you get a full picture of what I can bring to the table as an employee before discussing salary. What I’ve received in the past doesn’t typically affect my negotiations with a new employer one way or another.” Put this in your own words so you sound natural saying it, and practice in front of a mirror or with a friend.

You can also write it in a cover letter if necessary. Never feel awkward about withholding salary history. Withholding will hurt your application far less than providing a misleading salary history out of context. If your resume and cover letter are appealing, withholding your salary history will rarely inhibit a prospective employer from offering you an interview. And once you’ve got a successful interview under your belt, salary negotiations are sure to go smoothly.