Got a job offer in your hand but not happy with the salary they're wanting to give you? It can be intimidating to begin the process of salary negotiation, but if you've done your research, have the right information and approach the negotiation process with the right attitude, normally you should be able to strike a deal that both you and your new employer are happy with.

One thing to keep in mind: at this point, the employer is still forming an impression of you, so you've got to play nicely. I know a few people who have tried to give prospective employers ultimatums. Others, having received several job offers at the same time, have attempted to pit those employers against each other in a "bidding war," or have otherwise come across as rude during the negotiation process – and their situations have turned sour in the end.

There is definitely a good way and a bad way to approach salary negotiation. Check out my tips on how to negotiate salaries for tech jobs, to learn more about how you can ensure the salary negotiation process for your new job turns out to be a positive experience for everyone.

Deloitte Consulting LLP recently published an interview with Jeff Schwartz, one of its principals, where Schwartz talks about what the hiring and retention landscape is going to look like for employers in 2010.

While Schwartz mostly focused on the issues employers are going to have to deal with – things like productivity and turnover – one unique phrase he used in the interview got me thinking about the implications of economic recovery for employees. That phrase was "resume tsunami."

Back in August 2009, Deloitte published a report titled Heading off a Resume Tsunami, which talked about how "voluntary turnover is a clear and present danger" as the economy starts to pick up, and that employers are likely to get inundated with resumes from employees who have survived job cuts and low morale, are unhappy with their current job situation and ready to move on to something better once the economy improves.

Which brings me to the conclusion: if you're a tech worker who's ready to make a job switch, you're definitely not the only one, so you're going to want to make sure your resume stands out from the crowd. Check out the Your Job Search section of this site for lots of resume-writing tips, as well as advice on how not to write a resume and instructions on how to follow up after submitting your resume. It pays to be prepared!

A recent CareerBuilder survey revealed that about 32 percent of IT employers plan to hire more full-time, permanent tech workers this year.

Question is, where are they going to be advertising these positions? The poll found that those employers will spend more money on the following recruitment tools:

• Online recruitment sites, like Monster.com, DICE.com and ComputerJobs.com - 27 percent.
• Career fairs - 18 percent
• Social and professional networking sites, like LinkedIn - 14 percent
• Staffing firms and recruiters, such as Robert Half Technology - 9 percent.
• Newspaper classified ads - 8 percent

Check out our Job Openings section for information on more job sites you can use to find your next IT gig.

I had a friend ask me last week about non-compete agreements. She told me there have been rumors flying around her office about how her employer is going to try to make current employees sign an agreement stating that if they leave the company, they will not go to work for a competitor for a certain number of years or months.

It's not uncommon for employers to ask tech workers to sign these types of agreements – naturally, the employer doesn't want any information about proprietary work disclosed, and IT pros are often privy to that kind of information.

So what are your options, if presented with such a document?

In a nutshell, it depends. In the U.S., at least, whether such an agreement is enforceable depends on which state you live in.

But in most cases, you can determine whether a non-compete agreement is legal and binding by its context: whether it sets reasonable limits for the employee, and whether those limits are necessary in order to ensure that the company's interests are protected.

How do you determine which agreements are "enforceable," and what types of restrictions are "reasonable" and "necessary"? Simple answer: talk to your lawyer...and don't sign anything until you do. The lawyer will also be able to help you out if you're wondering whether you can break your non-compete agreement.