Summary
Topics such as compensation and legal matters tend to be somewhat taboo but they should not be. It is important that you truly understand all the details behind not just your current compensation but also what the current market rate is at any given time. Things will change in the course of your career and understanding what you are worth is rather important!
Of course, I also want to encourage you to put compensation into perspective with regard to your broader life as well. It is not the only factor when making career decisions and I would like to caution you against this as you look to craft your own SE career path. Never get tunnel-visioned, choosing the organization with the highest salary regardless of other factors. I have seen good people end up looking for new employment just six months later and regretting their decision.
In the next chapter, we will wrap things up by looking at the opportunity of stepping into an SE management role to include thoughts on both...
