looking for another job...(rant)

[Mark]

well i have a job as a helpdesk guy, i consider myself highly underpaid for the amount of work i do(cant complain too much, boss took a gamble on me when i was hired since i didnt have alot of real world experiance). although it is alot of work to do, i really enjoy all the people i work with, and my co-workers are alot of fun and so are the users i deal with on a daily basis. its a company with about 400-450 users and there are 5 of us(me, 2 sys admins, senior admin, and boss). ive been working there for about 8 months and have learned a GREAT GREAT deal about IT, much more than i could have ever imagined and for that i am very grateful. i had a 1 on 1 meeting with my boss a few months ago where he was telling me his plans(make me sys admin), take me out on the road onsite at the other offices to get more involved in bigger projects that the other 3 guys do...etc...and i have yet to see any signs of this...





well the low wage is starting to come into play now and although i dont really want another helpdesk job and would prefer to stay at my current job if possible, ive been looking around and damn near EVERY helpdesk job pays more than mine. some pay up to 20k a year more which i feel i am more than qualified for. im sort of torn and confused because right now the only reason i feel im still there is because i dont want to bail out on the department since were all extremly busy right now and me leaving would be a hard loss on them...the company gives out there reviews/raises every year and although i would rather wait until my year comes up to see what happens, times are tough at this point...



anyone have any advice on what i should so?

 

[spidey07]

you should look for another job that will make you happy and have more opportunity.

pay no mind to any employer "needing you", as everybody from the top down can be replaced.

 

[BobDaMenkey]

Originally posted by: spidey07
you should look for another job that will make you happy and have more opportunity.

pay no mind to any employer "needing you", as everybody from the top down can be replaced.

QFT.

They'd make due without you, go get what you're worth if they won't pony up.

 

[JS80]

1) Get a job lined up
2) Tell boss to match
3) Profit.

 

[Shadowknight]

Dude, the priority is for you to survive in life; same thing for other people, flies, bears, any living organism upon the earth. If your wages are low enough that you're having problems making ends meet, move on. Don't worry about things becoming more difficult for them, move on.

 

[yobarman]

time to ask for a raise chump!

 

[User1001]

Originally posted by: Mark
i feel im still there is because i dont want to bail out on the department since were all extremly busy right now and me leaving would be a hard loss on them.

Dude, employee retention is the company's problem and respsonsibility. If the company is really busy, then its the company's responsibility to make sure the employees are happy, well-paid, etc. If you're trying to decide whether to switch jobs, then don't let what you think the problems your employer will face affect your decision. Remember, that the company has failed to invest more into employee retention.

Edit: Give your employer enough prior notice after you have found another job to help them deal with their staffing.

 

[DaveSimmons]

You don't have an obligation to remain underpaid $20K just because your boss took a chance on you awhile back.

If pay is the only problem you have working there, you should let your boss know that you'd like an early performance / salary review by the end of the month or by mid-March (depends on what you think is reasonable for your company).

This is less dangerous than saying things like "other companies pay more" or the bridge-burning "I have an offer for XX more from another company."

If your boss says no and you're going to have to wait many months for a raise, job-hunting is the next step. Once you've started, expect that you will have to leave. Even if your employer matches another offer it might just be to keep you long enough to find a replacement.

 

[Dr. Detroit]

You've only been on the job for 8-months, you need to wait until your 1 year mark as 8-months of resume is not a lot.

Suck it up for a few more months, and definitely interview with the other companies if things don;t change at the 1yr point. Once you recieve a job offer, use it as leverage to get more pay.

 

[jlbenedict]

I was in a sort of similiar situation like this..
Got hired on at $XXXX rate for a system operator position...
Kicked @$$ as I usually do, and continuously got praised from management and system engineers..
The other system operators were making aprox. $20k / yr more than me..
Told company this, and felt I got lowballed... let them know I wanted to be compensated appropriately, or I was signing on with another company..
Next week I got a $20k/yr raise

You have to play the same game these greedy companies and organizations play..

 

[Looney]

You've only been working there for 8 months?

Well, see if you can get any of those jobs that are paying 20k more. I'll bet you're overestimating what you're worth.

 

[gotsmack]

normally companies want to see that you worked somewhere at least 2 years.

and you should wait out 4 more months and ask for an adjustment of $20K at your 1 year review, since you proved your worth.