Working World

Asking your parents' friends what they think you should be making for the job you’re interviewing for may give you a big head. After all, who loves you more than your mom and dad? But chances are they might be just as apt to give you a figure that is undervaluing your true market worth. Unless they are currently working in your field in today’s job market, they probably have less of an idea of what your salary should be than you do.

It’s especially important to know what you can get for your particular skills, education and experience if the company is offering a wide range of salary, depending on the candidate they choose. If you’re using a headhunter, they should be counseling you and advocating for your best interests. If you’re following up job leads on your own, you need to consult your peers and also do a little research.

These two websites, www.salary.com and www.salaryexpert.com, come in quite handy in giving you a starter ballpark figure to work with. Utilize both of them because they use different sources for their data and sometimes their salary estimates can vary significantly.

www.Salary.com: This site has features for both the individual looking to value himself and the employer who needs to know how much to value her potential employees. A free report from their Salary Wizard lets you plug in the title of the position you’re looking for with your ZIP code. It then gives you a variety of data to choose from to narrow your search, ultimately supplying you with a pay range in your city.

www.SalaryExpert.com: Here, you’ll find a Salary Calculator, but be sure to notice the “click here for North America” link because they’ve separated the U.S. and Canada from the rest of the nations in their drop-down menu. Detailed and customized reports geared toward your particular job, the size of the employer and your experience can be purchased for around $29 at either site. Do your salary research homework so that you don’t sell yourself short!