Skill: Oracle (United States)

I work hard and I always finish before everybody else so I offer my help to others but I make sure my manager is in front to hear it. Be careful because it can make you not very popular with the other co-workers that are lazy but in the eyes of your manager you will be the star.

I find the process of salary negotiation painful, but it helps if I've made a clear plan before going in.

Know what amount you won't accept considering all additional costs (benefits, commute, etc).

Put the name-your-price ball back in their court. They don't need to know what your making now.

Your salary should be based on the value you can bring and that they see can be provided. Get them to tell what that price would be and then give you number higher from there

If prior military do no allow a defense contractor to calculate your retirement pay into their negotiation for your pay. Also, do your research on pay - do not allow the Texas WorkForce Center to tell you the salary for your local area.

Coming out of college, I accepted the 2nd offer I received and stopped interviewing. Now I have no idea what I could have gotten.

If you believe you are not paid a fair wage and you have spent considerable time in the industry and possess knowledge of the industry your products target then try starting your own business.

The best benefit of being a govt. contractor and DBA is the fact that the work hours are generally relaxed, and for the most part, deadlines aren't too critical. The Govt. doesn't like to pay for more than 40 hours of work in a week, so most often that is what you work. If you do go over, you get paid for it.

Don't be afraid to ask. Just have ammo to back it up. The best ammo is day to day performance that leads to benefits your working group and company.

I had a good relationship with the CEO of my last job, and I was still in college at the time. So after I was done with school, I asked for a raise and made a pretty decent argument for it, and I got it!

Sometimes you may find yourself working in an environment where your co-workers are only interested in their careers and refuse to work as a true team. Some of these types of co-workers may even go so far as to try and make you look bad. My advice, ask the manager to clearly define the scope of your job and focus on it not on these types of people. Also, maintain a positive attitude at all times. Finally, you control your career. Don't let someone try to control your career.

I don't think i'm paid fairly. I see others getting a higher pay than me when we do the exact same kind of work. I think i deserve a good raise.