Salary Talk

How many times have you gone for a job interview only to find out dozens---and sometimes hundreds---of other people with similar backgrounds and experience have applied for the same position? You know you need to stand out to be noticed, but you don't know how to make it happen. The answer, according to William Arruda, is personal branding. Arruda, author of "Career Distinction: Stand Out by Building Your Brand" and a leading authority on using branding to advance your career, says the trick to setting yourself apart from the field is to figure out where your strengths are and accentuate the heck out of them. His tips on everything from maintaining a positive online presence to harnessing your passions to get ahead will not only help your career, but also your confidence in general. If you want free tips on getting ahead, getting the job and feeling better about yourself, this podcast is must-listen material!

What do employees REALLY want most? It's a question Dr. Jack Wiley, executive director of the Kenexa High Performance Institute, has spent more than 25 years researching. And on today's episode of Salary Talk, Aaron and Wendy talk to Jack about his new book "RESPECT: Delivering Results By Giving Employees What They Really Want," which will be released this month. Jack has spent more than two decades studying employee engagement surveys from more than 200,000 workers, with input from companies in more than two dozen countries. Satisfied employees are productive employees, so find out why it pays to know what workers want and give it to them.

If you're a fast-tracker striving for career advancement like a heat-seeking missile then this is a podcast you can't afford to miss. On this week's episode of Salary Talk, Aaron flies solo in this interview with Donald Asher, author of "Who Gets Promoted, Who Doesn't and Why" and "Cracking the Hidden Job Market," who deals exclusively with career professionals who aren't happy unless they're earning a promotion every 12-18 months. You'll find out why raises aren't about past performance, being indispensable isn't a good thing and discover why talent is a distant second to timing. Asher's insight into the corporate culture of raises and promotions could have you earning more in no time.

Are you on the verge of negotiating the terms of a new job? Or maybe you're trying to get a raise, but have no idea how to go about it? On this week's episode of Salary Talk, Aaron and Wendy chat with Jack Chapman, a nationally renowned career advisor, who has written a book that will hold your hand as you go step-by-step through the negotiation process. Negotiating Your Salary: How to Make $1000 a Minute gives you five hard and fast rules for negotiating an offer or promotion, and Jack shares invaluable tips on how to get what you want at every stage of the negotiation process.

On this week's episode of Salary Talk Aaron and Wendy chat with Stuart Diamond, the Pulitzer Prize winning former journalist turned Wharton Business School professor who literally wrote the book on negotiation when he penned the New York Times bestselling book Getting More last year. Tune in to take advantage of Diamond's invaluable advice on everything from asking for a raise to getting your toddler to go to bed on time.

Our inaugural interview is with Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., author of the Career Coward's book series. She has been a career counselor in private practice in Fort Collins, Colorado for more than 15 years. She has a master's of education degree in counseling and career development and has helped thousands of individuals achieve success in the job hunt and beyond through a variety of career counseling and support tools. Katy has conducted many workshops to help job seekers overcome their job hunt fears and succeed in finding a career that is right for them. She is the author of the weekly "On the Job" career advice column in the Ft. Collins Coloradoan and has quickly become one of the most sought-after experts on the topics of job search and career change.