It starts early at the resume/email communications. I expect to see in communications that a candidate can present themselves in a mature, professional manner. That's something you tend to learn with experience, though it also feels like common sense.

Face to face. I'm talking about people who don't feel the need to in anyway justify why they're there. The discussion is basically a critical assessment of us combined with a mortal combat approach to salary discussions.

Let's be honest: the corporations that hire us will drop us as soon as it becomes convenient to the bottom line, and as likely as not without a severance package.

You owe it to yourself to get the best possible compensation package, because no one else will do it for you.

That happens to all workers, but because technical workers are in short supply, that's why they tend to be spoiled and overpriced. Everyone else learns humility.