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Career Track Live; Advice for Young Professionals

The Washington area is a magnet for smart, ambitious young workers. Post columnist Mary Ellen Slayter writes a regular column for these professionals who are establishing their careers locally, and offers advice online as well.

Mary Ellen Slayter is author of Career Track, a biweekly column in The Washington Post's Jobs section. She focuses her chat on issues affecting young workers. Her latest column, on home-based businesses , ties into our Inside Job special feature. Mary Ellen Slayter: Good afternoon! This week we're talking about small businesses. My most recent column was about how to know if a home-based business could work for you. I'd love to hear from any of you who've been successful at it. Share your story and tips!

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Baltimore, Md.: Mary Ellen: I work for a state university so salary information is public information and readily available to all on the Internet. When I was looking at this information (on my own time) I realized that a number of people in the same department as me and with the same title as mine are making significantly more than I do. Is it appropriate to use this information (along with other information about compensation at peer institutions as well as my recent accomplishments and achievements) to ask for a raise?
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Every where I look says "when asking for a raise be prepared with information about how much others in your field are making." I cannot get a much better comparison than my own office and my own institution.

Any advice will be appreciated.

Mary Ellen Slayter: That's tricky. I mean, yes, it is public information. Still, there's something about pointing specifically to your co-workers' pay that might rub HR the wrong way. But it is good that you have that information, since it gives you another data point (and a very reliable one, as you pointed out!)

How does the peer-institution information match up with your department's pay? Could you make a generic reference, such as "My research shows that typical pay for this position is XX to YY. I think my performance rates an increase to XY." If they disagree, you can then ask what you need to do to qualify you for that range. That may also tip you off to the reasons for the discrepancies even among people with the same title in your department.

Any chatters who've dealt with this?

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Washington, D.C.: Have two questions: 1. Why do some companies frown on interviewing candidates or give less than driven attitudes for applicants who have worked at staffing agencies?

2.How long does it general take for a background check and are you able to get a copy?

Mary Ellen Slayter: 1. I don't think this is true. I know at least when I was temping, the companies I worked for were always looking at me like a potential hire. Maybe not as much when it was basic admin work and I was just filling in for someone who was sick that day, but definitely when the work was a project requiring higher-level editing, database or writing skills.

2. It depends on who is doing the check and why. No, it's not my experience that you'll get a copy. Usually all they do is check your police record and credit report anyway.

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Alexandria, Va.: Four years after graduating from college, I am at the same company where I got an entry level job. Last week I was offered a position at a new company with a nice pay raise. My current company has counter offered to beat the new company's offer. I would like to stay, but I've heard that once you resign it is bad to accept a counter offer, as you get treated differently and are seen as disloyal. Is this the case at most firms?

Mary Ellen Slayter: Well, now that the money's the same, which job holds more appeal and long-term potential?

Counteroffers can be tricky. If you're sure you would prefer to stay with your current company, why not talk to your boss about your worry? His or her response could either be reassuring or tip you off to some problems down the road.

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West Orange, N.J.: My daughter wants to major in sociology/women's studies. She eschews material gain. Will the high ideals this instills be reciprocated by the job world when she graduates? Are there any meaningful statistics on the placement of BAs in sociology and psychology? Should I be ready to mortgage the house to pay for an MBA or something "practical?"

Mary Ellen Slayter: People with BAs in psych and sociology do just fine. I also know plenty of gainfully employed women's studies majors. The secret to finding a job after graduation lies more in the internships and jobs you take while in school than in the classes. What kinds of work is she interested in? If she wants to do nonprofit work, suggest that she take marketing or accounting classes on the side.

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