Bargain your way to a bigger pay package
Do you know how much you are worth in the job market or how much another company would be willing to pay for your services? Do you feel your salary adequately reflects your contribution to the organization? Most people are underpaid and that is because they do not bargain or project themselves when it comes to fixing salaries.
The first way to protect yourself from being underpaid is to determine how much you’re worth. Before entering into any discussion about your salary know your worth. For this you will have to do some research before you find out how much money your work commands.
Your objective over here should be to determine how much someone from your background with similar educational qualifications and experience is getting.
You can use the internet where there are many web sites which offer details on salaries. There are also sites which offer statistics about the current compensation.
There are books available which list salaries according to your occupation, what type of employer you work under and your geographic region. One such book which could provide such information is the Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the federal government.
You could also find out directly from employment recruiters on the net or over the phone how much they pay to recruit a person who is in the same position as you are. Also contact other people working in the same field and ask for their opinions regarding the salary for a person with your credentials.
Try asking your previous employer if you are on good terms with him and maybe he will be willing to share this information with you. This will give you a good idea. State employment services may also have some information on salaries.
Do all this, find out your worth in the market and demand a salary.