This editorial was originally published on July 22, 2011. It is being re-published as Steve is out of town.

I've been involved in quite a few debates about job hunting and job interviews recently with a number of people that are considering looking for other work. I've also seen some intense debates on the subject of how to look for a job, market yourself, present yourself in an interview and more. It's on area that seems to always strike a chord with many people out there.

This Friday I wanted to step back, and do a little market research of my own. Perhaps also helping some of you at the same time that might be considering changing jobs, or maybe even preparing for an annual review later this year.

Having information is important to not only making a good decision, but also a good negotiation in this area. With that in mind, I wanted to ask this question:

Do you know the market price for your skills?

You can disclose your location and market price if you want, but I'm really wondering if you have a good idea of what your job should pay, and how you know that. Have you looked at other jobs or talked to colleagues doing the same work? Is a salary survey available for your area and industry? The market price for our skills may or may not be the same as our salary. Ideally it would be, but we might make more or less for various reasons.

If you have any information to share, I'm sure others would be interested, especially if there are links or data you can share.