In any case, I'm on day 4 of this process and came across an article talking about how employers in this market are low-balling salaries for new hires and it went on to discuss how, as a candidate, to leverage your negotiating position by utilizing Salary.com and other tools (which can be quite misleading).  It occurred to me that in the 15 years of recruiting that I've done, this year is actually one where the candidate's and companies' expectations for compensation are the most in line. Even with the uncertainty in the market, the employment numbers not being stellar and the general turmoil at home and abroad, I'm seeing our clients continue to hire selectively and respectfully - without taking the short sided "low-balling" approach mentioned. Certainly the 10-15% salary bumps for moving to a new company (as commonly practiced in the not too distant past) are fewer and further apart, but I'm not watching massive pay cuts or major discrepancies on the salary subject.  As a matter of fact, there seems to be a bit more teamwork and cooperation between employee and employer as we realize that we're all in this together and we'll need to work together to be successful in these challenging times. This may be the silver lining.

It looks to me (misery loves company?) that we're all on a diet. Tighten the belt, lean up but keep moving forward and be ready to handle what's next.  Now, back to my "delicious shake"....