不管就是“就业”也好“择业”也好，薪水永远是一个重要的话题，因为我们首先得保障自己的生存，其次，薪水的多少也体现了你的价值。因此，找工作的第一步就是确定你的价值。

Determining your worth is an essential first step in your job search. Once you know the salary you can command, you can decide which jobs fall into your desired range and could be right for you.

Your salary research can also come in handy during the interview process, should the subject of salary come up. And it'll definitely be helpful if you get a job offer and want to negotiate salary.

Use this advice to figure out what your skills and experience are worth to a potential employer. 试试下面的建议，这能帮你计算出你的技能和经验对于潜在雇主来说有多大价值。

Information at Your Fingertips 唾手可得的信息

Your salary expectations should be realistic. 对薪水的期望应该是现实的。

Every position has a general salary range, based on what professionals in that job are currently earning. Research the range for your position before you start your job search.

Look online for the most accessible and up-to-date salary information. Salary Wizard lets you research salary by industry and location. You can find the average U.S. salary for a position, or get more detailed¹ information that takes your experience and employer into account. You should also review the U.S. Department of Labor²'s "Occupational Outlook Handbook." It is revised every two years and includes salary data on hundreds of jobs.在中国，很多论坛也有人帖工资的，不防搜索一下。

Go to the Source 追根溯源

Once you've researched the average salary for the job you're seeking, it's then time to go deeper.

You need to consider the job market in your industry as well as the value of unique knowledge and skills you may have.

Talk to people who work in the industry you're targeting. It's not always appropriate to discuss salary -- especially with people you don't know well -- so choose your contacts carefully. If you're working with a recruiter, he should be willing to share salary information. You can also ask advice of a mentor³ or close friend in the industry.

Finally, online communities and message boards are a useful and anonymous⁴ way to research salary. To discuss salary, you can visit one of Yahoo! HotJobs' career communities. 在中国，请多去各大论坛的工作板块寻找此类信息。

Worth Is Subjective⁵ 价值是主观的

What you're worth to a potential employer can vary. You may be more valuable to an employer if there's a shortage of people with your skills. You'll also likely be worth more in a market with a labor shortage or in a location with a small number of qualified⁶ job seekers.

Because a company will consider candidates with a range of skills and experience, they probably won't decide upon a specific salary for a position. Instead, they'll come up with a range that they're willing to pay.

You should think in terms of a salary range too. Determine the low and high salary that you're most comfortable with. And then assume that you'll probably end up somewhere in the middle.

More Than Simply Salary薪水只是一部分

So you've calculated your worth as an employee in the current market. And you've come up with a salary range that you're comfortable with. But there's one more thing to consider: Benefits (福利).

Understand that your worth to a company is reflected in more than simply your salary. When a company decides what to pay an employee, it counts benefits as part of that compensation.

Companies include health insurance, 401(k) accounts and stock options in employee compensation. They also count perks⁷ like car allowances, vacation time and flexible schedules in a prospective⁸ employee's compensation package. 在中国，就要注意这家公司有否提供社会保险和住房公积金。

So when you're considering a job, think about the whole compensation and benefits package. And then decide if a company is truly giving you what you're worth.