Dear Joyce: I recently started a job that is a direct result of the new e-conomy. At my company I'm called a content manager, a sort of hybrid of editorial (my background is in journalism) and technical requirements. I create basic Web sites and site maps that then get jazzed up by technical people and designers. I don't do a lot of writing, but the job requires editorial judgment and the ability to make sense of and organize the content we receive from clients. I also have a role in deciding what makes it onto the clients' Web sites and how it should be organized.

I basically like my job, but the salary is a bit less than I would like to be making. Since this is a relatively new position, I'm not sure how to go about researching what other people who do similar jobs are earning. Can you tell me how to go about this? -- A.O.

Dear A.O.: I hate to say it, but you should have discovered the market rate for your job before saying "yes." Next time out in the job market, remember that your ultimate power moment comes between the job offer and your acceptance. Unless your employer makes a counter offer should a competitor try to steal you away, you never again have such a wide-open window to increase your compensation.

But moving on, here's a process to discover market value for any occupation, using content manager as an example.