Q. I was hired four years ago as a desktop technician for a Fortune 500 company. Since then I have skyrocketed up in the company, and I have been getting spot bonuses (of $1,200) and salary increases of about 9 percent a year.However, since I was hired as a desktop tech and was given a competitive salary for that field, I've since become a major software/Web developer for the company. For the past two years I have been doing client/server development, but for the salary of a highly paid desktop tech, which is much lower.My manager just walked into my office and told me I was now classified as ... view article details

Q. What is the best way to respond, if a prospective employer asks for your salary history and salary expectations in your cover letter? My current salary is in a different industry from the one I am hoping to enter. In addition, I have recently completed graduate school and believe my salary should reflect this achievement. A. I can appreciate why you would be reluctant to state your salary expectations to a potential employer before the job offer. Before you disclose any information, here are three steps you may want to take. First, ask the recruiter for a job description of the position so ... view article details

When Timothy Cook was named CEO of Apple in August 2011, he got more than just a promotion: He was awarded 1 million shares of Apple stock, valued at $376 million. And a few months later, the company decided to raise his base pay from $900,000 to $1.4 million. All told, Cook’s 2011 compensation package was valued at $378 million, according to documents filed with the Securities Exchange Commission last week.Commentators were quick to draw a contrast between Cook’s pay package and that of his predecessor, the late Steve Jobs, who famously received compensation of just $1 per year. But executive... view article details

If you're looking for the perfect job offer, you might as well stop right now; there's no such thing. But armed with the right information, you can get a good deal in a good place. Negotiating the job you want begins after you’ve learned how to be your own agent - after you’ve answered the tough personal questions and researched the company thoroughly.Listen and Answer First. Ask Questions LaterLike the salary negotiation that follows it, the interview is a two-way process. The interviewer is gathering as much information about you as you are about the company. And a good interviewer will allo... view article details

'There is nothing more important for a person or an organization than full engagement.'That quote from Rudy Karsan, CEO and Chairman of Kenexa (Salary.com's parent company), is the basis for his book We: How to Increase Performance and Profits Through Full Engagement. Full engagement differs from happiness in that it means employers have motivated fully engaged employees to want to go the extra mile to achieve goals. But how often does your company really give serious consideration to how engaged you are?In this podcast, Karsan talks to Aaron and Wendy about the significant implications engage... view article details

Q: What is the percentage range for raises in public accounting? Is the average really 4 to 5 percent? If I expect 10 percent, am I kidding myself? A: Companies determine their merit budgets for the coming year typically by late summer of the previous year. Merit increases are based on the employer's ability to pay. Given the current economic situation, some companies have opted not to give merit increases this year because they can't afford to. Over the past four years, the average merit increase has hovered around 4 to 5 percent, so I think it's unrealistic to expect a 10 percent raise. A ... view article details

Q. I am being seriously considered for a position with a large Washington, DC-area IT consulting company. They have told me I will get the job, but are waiting to open a location closer to my home. We briefly discussed salary and I was told they would only be able to offer me 10 percent over my current salary. I confirmed that this was not due to their budget, but to their contracts with the U.S. government. The recruiter told me the government limited them to offering no more than 10 percent over someone's existing salary regardless of their previous salary. I have never heard of this and hav... view article details

Before negotiating an executive salary with a current or new employer, take some time to reflect on where your pay falls given the market data, the opportunities you face, and your current compensation.How little is too little?If you are making too little, assess yourself and your performance as honestly as possible. If you discover that your data is accurate, but you're underpaid - and that there are good reasons why you are underpaid - determine how to remedy it and create a plan with your current employer, or figure out what to do differently in your next post.Perhaps it's that someone else... view article details

Anthony Hankinson is not only reaching for the stars, he’s making sure you’re safe when you’re flying among them.Hankinson, a 31-year-old husband and father, is a manufacturing engineering planner at The Boeing Company in North Charleston, S.C. As a member of the Electrical Corrective Actions team, Hankinson takes care of electrical issues that might arise in Boeing’s popular 787 Dreamliner airplane. But even though Hankinson now works at the world’s largest aerospace company and leading manufacturer of commercial jetliners with 170,000 employees in 70 countries, it took some old-fashioned elb... view article details

Q: Should there be a difference in wages between a part-time employee and a full-time employee doing the same job?A: In general, there should be little to no difference in pay between part-time and full-time employees, particularly when the employees are performing the same job with the same skill sets.It is possible for a full-time employee to make more money if the person has more experience than a part-time employee. And often, employers expect more from full-time employees than they expect from employees who work less than 40 hours a week. Even if a full-time employee is paid more money, i... view article details