I just picked out my service award gift for 10 years of being with my company. I decided on a dress watch (runners up were necklaces…there were several non-jewelry items on the list, too, but nothing I really wanted).
Still…I’m old. And I feel like only doubling my salary in ten years of work is not so great of an accomplishment. My life plan had me much farther along by now, and in all fairness, my progression has gotten screwed by 3 different things that were all out of my control (one manager leaving during a promotion cycle, the new manager being one I don’t mesh with and couldn’t get to budge, and then a re-org before I could really get going at my next job), which has left me in the same grade level for 4 years. Things as they are, though, I suppose I should be happy I haven’t managed to zero out my salary.
Monday, 09 March 2009 at 3:21 pm
As someone who is weighing a job offer that would pay $5K less than my last job (and indeed, still less than my job in a different industry 9 years ago), the lady doth protest too much, methinks.
Then again despite my financially-flat trend the past decade, I’m quite pleased with my lot and the goals we’ve met. Like they say in Citizen Kane, “It’s no trick to make a lot of money… if what you want to do is make a lot of money.”
Tuesday, 10 March 2009 at 5:06 am
little one, i feel your frustration, but, honestly, in today’s market, you really should be rejoicing for these reasons:
(1) you have job security in any form at all — a lot of folks don’t have a job at all right now; that education/skill set you have will hold you up during the slump
(2) you’ve been in one job for that long — many people just couldn’t do that for loads of reasons beyond internal restructuring or office politics — they just don’t put out product
(3) you’ve moved up at all — many of your peers have been stuck where they were all that time; i know 30-somethings that still are doing the same thing they did right out of the gate; YOU HAVE MOVED UP, even if you don’t think so
(4) you’ve had the opportunity to try out some jobs/positions that you might not have even seen in another company — lateral moves are not always negative, y’know
(5) you’re way up on the curve income-wise — i look at where you’re at and wonder why you’re bitchin’ — but that’s my own disappointment with my own vision-vs-actuality ratio
(6) you have a good partner in life to be there for you when it gets rough and on whom you can depend if something horribly unexpected happens (see no. 1)
Tuesday, 10 March 2009 at 11:38 am
Also keep in mind that you started working in 1999, when salaries in the tech area were extremely competitive and kids out of college were getting really good starting salaries. Compare that to today when companies earnings are getting killed, and some industries are taking salary cuts to avoid layoffs.
Wednesday, 11 March 2009 at 10:05 am
Before you fret too much, read this & you’ll probably feel a bit better:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29497408/