Q: I currently work for a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co. I’ll soon be losing my job after 20-plus years in finance and customer service. I have started going on some interviews, but prospective employers see that I have worked for Ford Motor Co. and say, “We cannot pay you as much.” I almost feel penalized for admitting that I worked for a large company. Any suggestions? – Kate

Dale: Keep in mind that the first task of a hiring manager is to avoid a “bad hire” – that means avoiding the hiring of someone who has to be replaced in a few months. Interviewing any job candidate from a dissimilar type of organization sets off such worries. Think how nervous the folks at Ford would be about hiring those who’d been self-employed, wondering “Can they handle our structure and systems?” Likewise, the folks at smaller companies are apprehensive about someone from a giant bureaucracy – “Can they adjust?” and “Will they be spoiled?”

J.T.: The big question for you, Kate, is, “Are you expecting the same pay as when you were at Ford?” If so, then I’m sure you know that your search will take longer. However, if you believe you’ve been receiving premium pay and that you will be “starting over” at a new firm, then there’s an easy answer: Simply tell interviewers: “I’m aware that I was paid well for my years of service. But I also understand that I’ll be starting in a new place and will need to build my credibility with that firm to increase my pay. Right now, the most important thing to me is to find a company where I can leverage my skills and provide an exceptional level of work. In short, I’m looking for the ideal opportunity, not the ideal salary.”

Dale: That’s good. However, because Kate has been getting interviews, but not callbacks, I’d like her to address more than just salary. There’s the corporate mind-set to consider. I met a man who’d been an executive with a big company, then left to join a little startup operation. On his first day, he asked an administrative assistant where he could get a wastebasket for his office. Instead of being handed a requisition form or sent to the supply department, he was told with a shrug, “Well, they have them at Office Max, I guess.” He was able to laugh at his own expectations, but there are those who think such tasks are beneath them. So, Kate, be prepared to tell interviewers how eager you are to join a smaller, less bureaucratic workplace.