Guess what. The results are out they are ugly. Pretty people do get paid more money.

It pays to be tall, dark and handsome... literally. A report by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis suggests that good-looking people tend to earn higher salaries and get promoted more often than those with average looks.

When compared to the average looking people:

Attractive people earned 5 percent more
Overweight women earned 17 percent less
Taller people earned 2.6 percent more
Less attractive people earned 9 percent less.

But don't despair; there are many other ways to improve your odds for a higher salary even if you weren't born with stellar looks. Its a matter of managing your visibility within the organization. Its about creating a persona that outshines your counterparts.

A career is more that just a job and it needs care and nurturing.

You should have a personal plan for managing it just like you do your money (I hope).

Start with a list of questions about your job.

1) Do you like your job? We are going to operate on the premise that you do, but you would like to get paid what you are worth or more.

2) Do you know what others in your job category are getting paid? That's a good place to start. Find out how your pay scale ranks with others. Don't go out and start asking all your associates what they make. That's a no, no. Do some research on the Internet. There are dozens of sites where you can get this information.

3) Are you planning to stay with your company for a while?

4) Do you feel like your job might be in jeopardy?

5) Do you think your pay scale is fair?

Once you find out where you fit by answering the above questions, you need to set a plan in motion. Here is a short laundry list of easy things that you should do to build your internal persona.

Give a speech.
Attend a conference.
Write an article.
Host a meeting.
Join an association.
Volunteer to help in a company sponsored function.

The opportunities for increasing your visibility are endless. The most important thing is to do something every week or at a minimum every other week to increase your exposure. Set aside an hour each week solely for self promotion. I know you can squeeze it in. Keep a notebook to jot down ideas and thoughts about ways to campaign for yourself. You never know when inspiration might occur. The important thing is to seize the moment and do something about it.

JoAnn Hines

JoAnn Hines is a packaging diva. She has nearly 30 years of experience in the industry including her work as the packaging expert to the U.S. Small Business Administration and traveling to China to lead a packaging delegation. Recognizing her expertise NBC TV featured her on their consumer segment, Can you open it? Her advice and articles appear in virtually every US packaging industry publication, numerous business and international publications, and website portals including "PackExpo.com", "PackagingUniversity", "Packaging Business", "Packaging Network", "Packaging Horizons Magazine," "Packaging World," "Packaging Digest," "Shipping and Distribution Magazine," "Warehouse Management," "Traffic World". As a featured keynote speaker at trade shows and conferences, she educates thousands of people around the world about intricacies of packaging.

Joining the packaging industry in 1976, Hines worked in sales for several years and began consulting during the 1980s. She is an accomplished author, speaker, publisher, marketer, and e-commerce expert. She has won numerous leadership awards and among other honors was named "One of the 50 most influential packaging leaders in the 20th century." She is the founder of Women in Packaging, Packaging Horizons Magazine, Packaging Career Hotline, Packaging Coach and Packaging University.