hmmm, NO. The initial number defines your trajectory. Then everything else is a fight for the "qualitative" process of yearly increases based on "qualitative"

hmmm, NO. The initial number defines your trajectory. Then everything else is a fight for the "qualitative" process of yearly increases based on "qualitative" (read: arbitrary) opinions of performance. Unless you are in Sales (in which the amount of revenue you have been able to bring speaks for itself), everything is arbitrary and it's up to you to identify the potential biases in the process. Also, people think this is a women thing. It is not. I will venture to say that ordinary (i.e. NOT STEVE BALLMER) short guys or bald guys make less money, or "ugly" guys (i.e. not "attractive tall and handsome"). People, you need to fight for yourselves because it's only you in that room. Also, as somebody else said, KNOW YOUR WORTH and DONT DISCOUNT YOURSELF (i.e. immigrants, women, "stereotypical" gays, short folks, people with no degree but tons of experience, blacks, people with bad teeth, extra weight around the waist, etc. etc.). Fact is, it's a discriminating world. Sorry, it's what it is.