There are about 6000 software engineer jobs advertised in bay area. Nearly 2000 of these jobs need Java skills. About 2800 jobs ask for C/C++ skills. Some other lesser in demand skills are PHP (500), LAMP (125), AJAX (470) & Ruby on Rails (150).

From the above stats it appears that the most in demand skills are still the traditional languages Java & C/C++. However, it is true that most software engineer jobs do need a combination of various skills.

Medical

Make sure you fully understand how much of your health care you will be required to pay for out of pocket. Many companies are moving away from traditional HMO/PPO coverage toward consumer driven health plans (CDHPs). These programs tend to shift costs from employers to employees but also offer more autonomy in making medical decisions. Health Reimbursement Arrangements (HRAs) and Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) are common features of CDHPs.

Time Off

The number of paid vacation days, holidays, and sick days varies from one company to the next. Employers who have switched to Paid Time Off (PTO) tend to offer fewer total days but these can be used at your discretion. This can be a good deal if you rarely get sick.

Retirement

Pension plans are becoming a thing of the past, so you will probably have to settle for a 401(k). Find out what employers pay in matching funds and if a company also offers profit sharing or stock options. Also determine what percentage of your salary you will be allowed to divert into your 401(k).

Tax Breaks

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) provide a way to pay for a wide variety of medical, dental, and vision expenses with pre-tax dollars. Some FSAs can also be used for child and elder care. HRAs and HSAs also offer tax breaks and are frequently used in conjunction with high deductible health insurance plans.

Wellness

Health and wellness programs may include perks such as access to an onsite gym, free yearly physicals, smoking cessation programs, and stress relief workshops. An employee assistance program (EAP) is another valuable benefit that falls into this category. The confidential services provided by an EAP can help you deal with personal issues at no charge.

Additional Insurance

All large companies provide FMLA and Workers’ Compensation as required by law. You may also be able to access low-cost Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability and Life Insurance through payroll deductions. Long Term Care and Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage may be available as well. These benefits usually cost just a few dollars a month and provide a financial buffer against catastrophic events.

Special Perks

Top paying companies sometimes offer fringe benefits. These might include a company car, childcare subsidies, free dry cleaning, a personal trainer, educational reimbursement, or generous parental leave. Such perks don’t have value to every employee. However, knowing about these options will allow you to avoid leaving cash on the table in your salary negotiation.

Ask Detailed Questions about the Position

This is a subtle way to demonstrate that you have an intimate understanding of a job’s requirements. For example, you might be applying for a managerial position. During the interview, ask the recruiter to name the top 3 department heads you would need to build strong bonds with in order to get things done on an interdepartmental level.

The question highlights your willingness to cooperate and not let your ego get in the way of teamwork. You are also showing that you know management is about more than just overseeing the people in your own department.

This type of surprise question encourages the recruiter to let his/her guard down and indulge in a little bonding with you over office gossip. You will stand out as the applicant who really “gets” how corporate culture operates.

Don’t Oversell Yourself

Keep your bragging practical, factual, and minimal. Maintain a focus on your accomplishments rather than your personality (unless you are applying for a sales job). Be amiable but don’t try too hard to be funny or super-likeable; this makes you look nervous and desperate. Treat the interview like a business transaction between equals.

Don’t promise anything you can’t deliver. Also, don’t pretend to be an expert on every topic. Instead, give a specific example from your work history that demonstrates your ability to learn new things quickly. This type of flexibility is highly valued in today’s constantly evolving workplace. People who are fast learners are more likely to find high paying jobs than those who are limited to one or two areas of expertise.

Be Assertive about your Expectations

After you have described everything you are willing to do for an employer, don’t forget to mention one or two things that are deal breakers for you. This shows that you know how to set boundaries.

For example, you can state that you expect your average travel schedule to include no more than 2 overnight trips per month. This leaves room for more frequent travel in emergencies but makes it less likely that a potential employer will think it is OK to take advantage of you.

Don’t be afraid to ask for as much compensation information as you can get during an interview. If the recruiter isn’t able to give you a realistic idea of what the company is offering, you won’t be able to negotiate a fair salary.

A severance package can provide a much needed cushion after a layoff, but it is hardly a “golden parachute” if your salary was in the $40-200K range. Unemployment benefits don’t last forever either. If you are like most Americans, you probably don’t have 3-6 months of living expenses saved up in cash reserves to live on.

Once you have cut back to the basics, you may still find yourself struggling financially. A comprehensive job search can take months – especially if you are in a competitive field. In the meantime, you need to figure out how to keep a roof over your head.

Here are some things to keep in mind when you are faced with tough decisions:

• Accept short term contract work in your field even if it is at a pay rate well below what you usually earn. This will look better on your resume than just taking any job you can get. Working at a fast food restaurant is nothing to be ashamed of, but it signals to top paying companies that you are really desperate.
• Selling stock is almost always better than breaking into a retirement plan. Even if you are selling shares at a lower price than you bought them, at least you won’t be paying the IRS a 10% penalty for early withdrawal. Also, any financial loss you suffer on a stock sale can be taken off your taxes.
• If you will need a sizable chunk of money to substitute for income, try to get a low interest loan from your bank (e.g. by refinancing your mortgage if possible). Rely on this loan for your emergency cash flow instead of continuing to simply pile debt onto your credit cards.
• Avoid the temptation provided by get rich quick schemes. You should never finance someone else’s startup business venture with your own money. If they can’t get a loan from a bank, their business plan probably isn’t sound.
• Spend some time on self improvement while you are between jobs. Avoid reading too many hyped up self help books. Instead, try a low cost practice such as meditating. You need to be calm and confident – not jazzed. This will keep you from burning out if it takes longer than you expect to find work.

Finally, don’t jump at the first offer you get without fully researching compensation information in your field. Once you have a good idea of how much your skills are worth, you will recognize the right job when it comes along.

The Drawbacks

If you go to a placement agency, you don’t usually gain access to an exclusive set of employers or get assigned a rep who knows how to find high paying jobs for you. Instead, you will simply fill out an application and go through a battery of aptitude and skills tests. The employment agency will use this information to decide which available job openings are right for you.

So, what is the catch? Almost all of these open positions can easily be found on an online job search engine. You are simply adding an extra step to the application process when you involve an employment agency. They can’t guarantee you an interview. Instead, they will send you over to the company that is hiring. There, you will be required to go through the entire application process and pre-employment testing again. Don’t count on getting preferential treatment just because a particular staffing agency sent you. You will probably be treated just like any other applicant who walks in the door.

If you decide to work with an agency, insist on being placed as a direct hire. Don’t accept a temp-to-hire position; you will be forfeiting valuable time if you do. This is because you won’t be considered actually “hired” by your employer until you have finished serving the term contracted with the employment agency. This will delay your eligibility for medical benefits. You also won’t accrue any vacation time or sick leave during the temp period.

The Benefits

At the upper end of the pay scale, the picture is very different. High-end employment agents (also known as headhunters) often have access to proprietary information about job openings at top paying companies. Many employers ask corporate recruitment specialists to track down qualified candidates to fill prime positions.

If you are in mid-upper management or on track to become an executive, a headhunter can assist you in your job search. The agent should get paid by the company that hires you; so don’t agree to pay a fee for this type of service. You are not obligated to stick with just one rep. Play the field and circulate your resume widely to attract the best agents. Be sure to research compensation information for management and executive level positions so you will be prepared to negotiate the best salary.

First, companies don’t want their industry competitors to know what they are paying for educated and highly skilled employees. Businesses often try to lure top talent away from one another. If competitors have access to compensation information, they can put together proposals that will tempt workers to leave their current employer.

Second, businesses want to be able to offer special incentives. That way they can hire the best applicants and keep mission-critical employees from leaving. Employers are afraid that workers who are not as well paid will resent this practice if they find out about it. They are also concerned about being sued for discrimination if there is an apparent pattern of favoritism in how much they pay certain people.

Finally, companies don’t want you to be able to find out what employers pay. That way, you will go into a job interview without knowing what you are really worth. Once you accept a position at a lower rate of pay than you deserve, it is very difficult to make up the difference later. This is because yearly pay raises are generally calculated based on the salary level you initially accepted.

How Salarydom.com Can Help

You can search jobs by salary using our simple online resource. There are several ways to use the information this site makes available. Simply enter a job title from the home page to find out what your skills are worth on the open market. Then, you can easily sort the results by company, pay range and state.

One advantage of searching for a salary by state is that you can then compare this information to the cost of living in a specific area. When you are considering relocation, you need to know if a higher pay level is really meaningful. If you decide to move to New York City, even a hefty 20% percent raise might leave you struggling to pay your rent.

If you want to know what your current employer is paying for various positions, search by company name. This might give you extra negotiating power when you ask for a raise. You can even use our site to find out how your current pay level stacks up to the competition. Simply request a customized salary ranking report free of charge.

Salarydom.com also offers an online job search engine. This means you can look for current openings based on your ideal annual pay rate and location. Just click over to the “Jobs” tab to access this function.