Got a raise but.....

[daweeze02]

So I have been with this company nearly 2.5 years. I started at helpdesk with about 4 years of IT exp. After my first year I went from 35K to 38K with no certs. After that I quickly got my MCSA, so my second years passes and no raise. Then last week, they are like we are sending you to vmware training because we need a second administrator(by the way I got promoted to system admin 3 months ago)with a vmware cert because we lost 2 guys. Okay fair enough, so they tell me today sorry we forgot about your yearly review back in May. We are giving you a 2K raise and another thousand once you get the vmware cert. Shouldn't the raise increase and not decrease

Maybe I am being greedy but I def think I am underpaid lol. Any thoughts?

 

[MotF Bane]

Look at the economy. You're employed, and you're actually getting any kind of a raise at all.

 

[Saint Nick]

I hate AnandTech.

 

[Platypus]

Do you have a degree?

How much work experience do you have?

You shouldn't just expect $ because you get certs... consider that you now have a cert that you didn't pay a cent for that will help you find other jobs... which it sounds like you need to do if you're being underpaid.

 

[FuryofFive]

Originally posted by: MotF Bane
Look at the economy. You're employed, and you're actually getting any kind of a raise at all.

QFT...im going on 2 years of helpdesk

you picked one of the worst fields to get into lol...im almost considering switching career's.

 

[Platypus]

plus you're help desk dude... that's not a long term career by any stretch of imagination. Get skilled in something and move on.

 

[daweeze02]

I am not help desk, I was always helpdesk/Junior Admin, I did a little bit of everything. Server builds, citrix, vmware, you name it.....I am a sys admin now, been in the IT industry for 6-7 years now.

 

[spidey07]

You're severely underpaid. I'd start looking. Good vmware experience can bring you top dollar - 100K+

 

[FDF12389]

Originally posted by: Platypus
plus you're help desk dude... that's not a long term career by any stretch of imagination. Get skilled in something and move on.

Originally posted by: MotF Bane
Look at the economy. You're employed, and you're actually getting any kind of a raise at all.

This, take the raise, you're lucky you didn't get a 6% reduction in pay this year. Get the VMWARE cert from them and start shifting career gears.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

So you are getting a raise from 38k to 40k and then 41k and complaining?

Originally posted by: daweeze02
Shouldn't the raise increase and not decrease?

^2

wtf?

 

[Drakkon]

You've gotten almost 20% in raises since you started and that has only been 2 years...thats the way the company is looking at it at least.
This is why people switch jobs...you start at a higher salary instead of work your way up to it.

 

[daweeze02]

Between myself, my boss who has the same years in IT as me and our new helpdesk guy we maintain 9 credit unions, 150-200 users.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

PS. to the other posters - reading comprehension ftl...

OP got promoted to system admin 3 months ago...

You should have asked for an appropriate salary when you took the promotion.

 

[Gand1]

If your off the helpdesk completely, you're still only a junior admin. Once you have more expoerience and can admin more than one system, your salary should move up a bit. Specialize in something such as a security admin and you can get further in salary. Also is you want to move up further, learn how to script, learn some Unix and use at least SQL. All are extremely useful skills.

 

[daweeze02]

Originally posted by: Drakkon
You've gotten almost 20% in raises since you started and that has only been 2 years...thats the way the company is looking at it at least.
This is why people switch jobs...you start at a higher salary instead of work your way up to it.

The funny part is our marketing guy makes 120k and golfs all day and works like 20 hours a week lol. But the 3 IT guys who keep our company in business make shit. Our credit union is our only client that is keeping us in biz.

 

[OILFIELDTRASH]

If you work a 40hr work week 40 grand is okay but if your working 50+ your getting screwed.

 

[Platypus]

Originally posted by: daweeze02
I am not help desk, I was always helpdesk/Junior Admin, I did a little bit of everything. Server builds, citrix, vmware, you name it.....I am a sys admin now, been in the IT industry for 6-7 years now.

Then what the *fuck* are you doing getting paid 38k-40k??? That's awful for 6 or 7 years of experience.

You are caught in a classic cycle of being vastly underpaid for the work you do. The pay you made was relevant when you were a junior admin or helpdesk guy but if you're building servers and administering Citrix and VMware then get the hell out of there as soon as possible and get something realistic.

Unfortunately, you've let this go for so long that you've fucked yourself. You make so little for that much experience that it will be hard to get the pay bump you deserve at your next gig. Granted you haven't been an actual 'sys admin' for that long so that's a plus.

 

[daweeze02]

Originally posted by: Gand1
As others have pretty much said... get off the helpdesk. Once you get you certs you would be at 41k. even though you are able to admin some things, you're still on the helpdesk and that salary is about max. Specialize in something such as a real system admin, or security admin and you can get further in salary. Also is you want to move up further, learn how to script, learn some Unix and use at least SQL. All are extremely useful skills.

I'm not on helpdesk anymore. But even when I was it wasn't just sit here answering the phone, I was out setting up branches, on call doing lots of non helpdesk stuff. But there was only 2 of us so someone had to monitor phones.

 

[BTA]

OP makes no sense.

Sounds like nothing but an increase to me.

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: daweeze02
I am not help desk, I was always helpdesk/Junior Admin, I did a little bit of everything. Server builds, citrix, vmware, you name it.....I am a sys admin now, been in the IT industry for 6-7 years now.

Then what the *fuck* are you doing getting paid 38k-40k??? That's awful for 6 or 7 years of experience.

You are caught in a classic cycle of being vastly underpaid for the work you do. The pay you made was relevant when you were a junior admin or helpdesk guy but if you're building servers and administering Citrix and VMware then get the hell out of there as soon as possible and get something realistic.

Unfortunately, you've let this go for so long that you've fucked yourself. You make so little for that much experience that it will be hard to get the pay bump you deserve at your next gig. Granted you haven't been an actual 'sys admin' for that long so that's a plus.

Just get the certifications and experience as an admin then jump?

What is appropriate? 60k?

 

[PlasmaBomb]

Originally posted by: daweeze02
I'm not on helpdesk anymore. But even when I was it wasn't just sit here answering the phone, I was out setting up branches, on call doing lots of non helpdesk stuff. But there was only 2 of us so someone had to monitor phones.

You should have asked for an appropriate salary when you took the promotion.

 

[Vette73]

As an HR person get the CERT and stay there for another 9 months (already been in new "job" for 3 months). Once you hit a year at that title then look for another job. That way you can say you have over a years experiance with the title system admin and the CERTs as well.

 

[IceBergSLiM]

I dont get these questions. If you think you are underpaid find another job.

 

[daweeze02]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb

Originally posted by: Platypus

Originally posted by: daweeze02
I am not help desk, I was always helpdesk/Junior Admin, I did a little bit of everything. Server builds, citrix, vmware, you name it.....I am a sys admin now, been in the IT industry for 6-7 years now.

Then what the *fuck* are you doing getting paid 38k-40k??? That's awful for 6 or 7 years of experience.

You are caught in a classic cycle of being vastly underpaid for the work you do. The pay you made was relevant when you were a junior admin or helpdesk guy but if you're building servers and administering Citrix and VMware then get the hell out of there as soon as possible and get something realistic.

Unfortunately, you've let this go for so long that you've fucked yourself. You make so little for that much experience that it will be hard to get the pay bump you deserve at your next gig. Granted you haven't been an actual 'sys admin' for that long so that's a plus.

Just get the certifications and experience as an admin then jump?

What is appropriate? 60k?

I am going to vmware training in 3 weeks then test a month after that. I will def be looking for something else after this. I know I should be making 50-60k.

 

[wiredspider]

Originally posted by: PlasmaBomb
So you are getting a raise from 38k to 40k and then 41k and complaining?

Originally posted by: daweeze02
Shouldn't the raise increase and not decrease?

^2

wtf?

I thought the same thing, but I guess he is saying his raise amount should increase each time he gets a raise. ie he got a $2k raise and now is only getting a $1k raise.

Since he made it so confusing, I say he doesn't deserve a raise!