1. How sexy is the industry perceived to be by outsiders? Just like anything else in life, the opinion of the masses is a force that can tilt the number attached to any job offer.

This usually is a factor with younger job seekers, mostly who are coming right out of college or from a job (maybe two years or less of employment) that they did not like and, thus they gravitate towards an industry simply because it is "the thing to do."

Because of this, the effect on the compensation packages of those actually offered positions within these industries is quite heavy as you have students coming out of college who don’t know much, but know that it is "cool" to work in that industry, thus increasing demand to work at these companies and, simultaneously decreasing your demand as an individual.

Another factor that plays into this scenario is that the offered job seeker has to contend with the fact that if they negotiate their salary too hard that employer would not have to walk through the desert barefoot to find your replacement.

Ironically, there is an inverse relationship between what younger job seekers think is sexy and the subsequent pay from that industry. A good example of this would be public relations and advertising. Although, many want to get into the field, not many truly know what is involved, but still end up diluting the amount that job seekers are offered by these employers.

2. How long has the company had this particular job requisite open? Staffing is a very tiresome project especially for the small business owner. The reason why this is is that not only is it a lot of work, it is a pride swallowing thing for CEO to have to go back to his days as a salesperson and pitch people that, in his or her opinion should be interviewing them.

How much can this variable swing a number on that job offer?

I have seen a fluctuation of up to $25,000 in a base salary due to, nothing more than good qualifications and what one can refer to as employer recruiting fatigue. Occasionally, this rule could go against the job seeker because every now and then you get the employer or prospective employer who is too skittish to pull the trigger on a hire and, thus they end up interviewing till the end of time leaving the decision to their grandchildren in their will.

3. Your qualifications and perceived employment stability. If the employer feels that, due to your past you may not be with the organization in a year or two, salary wise you become somewhat dispensable, or risky if that adjective sits better. As a job seeker the only way to really make up for this is to have great accomplishments within your career (nobody could tell you what those are, but yourself) and an ability to connect with the employer on a personal level, thus gaining trust.

To prevent the loss of compensation due to job hopping, before you leave your current job, think of the ramifications this could have on your next compensation plan. Try to stay in average of 2.5 years for each job that you take. If you find yourself in unbearable situations, it may be time to leave your job and take the compensation decrease, but at the same time be very careful with the next position that you accept. As an executive recruiter, I know that no two situations are the same and could only give staffing advice on an ad hoc.

Of course, there are a lot more variables than the above regarding compensation. Some of these you would laugh at, some you wouldn’t believe and, for better or for worse I have seen most of them.