[byrneseyeview]

I'm a little disturbed that this is how the most talented people in my generation behave. It seems like most people her age are simply lazy, but a small minority are talented, hardworking, and desperate to undersell themselves.

If you've gone to a good school, gotten a good GPA, and been published, don't you dare compete on price! Figure out what the average entry-level college grad would make in a given position, and ask for 25% more. Tell them why it's a good deal.

If she says $12, she sounds like damaged goods. If she says "I'm a better deal at $60K than the last applicant was at $40K," she has another sentence or two to make her case--which she can do.