The Career Coward's Guide to Career Advancement

Hello and welcome to Salary Talk, the official podcast of Salary.com.

We'll be bringing you interviews with renowned authors on all things related to salary, job hunting, career coaching, negotiations, resumes and more. The podcasts---which will run between 15-25 minutes in length---are available free of charge. You can listen to them while on the site or download the interviews to your mobile device and listen later.

Our inaugural interview is with Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., author of the Career Coward's book series.

She has been a career counselor in private practice in Fort Collins, Colorado for more than 15 years. She has a master's of education degree in counseling and career development and has helped thousands of individuals achieve success in the job hunt and beyond through a variety of career counseling and support tools. Katy has conducted many workshops to help job seekers overcome their job hunt fears and succeed in finding a career that is right for them. She is the author of the weekly "On the Job" career advice column in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan and has quickly become one of the most sought-after experts on the topics of job search and career change. She has been widely quoted in a variety of publications including, the New York Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, U.S. News & World Report, Essence, Forbes, and many others.

Katy explains that a "career coward" consists of talented professionals who are hesitant about taking proactive steps forward in their career due to fear. This holds them back from maximizing their potential.

She suggests these people get more data before asking for more money or a promotion, which takes away the fear of "what do I do next?" Katy also suggests practicing with mock interviews and come up with a "career action plan" before making a career move.

Some common mistakes to avoid while negotiating include "winging it," and being unprepared. This includes blindly applying to positions on job boards instead of creating a list of target organizations and then strategically connecting with them. Also, while interviewing, people tend to panic and end up telling "train wreck" stories. Katy suggests preparing a list of successes you can reference before the interview to avoid talking about negativity.

But it's not all about salary, according to Katy.

Some people take a job because they'll be earning more, but that extra money doesn't always make up for a bad work situation. That's why it's best to use Social Media tools to connect with people already at the company to which you're applying, and gather background information to see if the chemistry will fit before the interview.

To connect with Katy follow her on Twitter (@CareerSolver) and her website (www.careersolutionsgroup.net).

To buy any one of her Career Coward's books, click here.