Raises

[CaptainHenreh]

Promotion and raise in the works. w00t!

Waiting patiently for it?

[Feersty]

you knows it.

[JackoliciousLegs]

to me, a 0% raise is an invitation to start taking two hour lunches, maintaining habitual lateness, and interviewing elsewhere. For a cost-of-living raise, I'd still come in on time, but if I felt I had done better, I'd be looking elsewhere too.

Agreed. I left my last company even though in two years, my pay had gone up 38%. In any other industry right now, I'd have stayed, but they sat me on a shitty project. In the tech industry, good employees are in demand. They understood when I left....


...


And I left for more money.

[.RJ]

I dont want to make it sound that I'm expecting something from nothing for a raise - My boss didnt even want to bother with doing a review with me, so it is a little hard to say what their expectations are - but throughout the year I've received some very positive feedback from them in addition to bringing new business ($$,$$$) in from the project I work on. I think more $$ is justified in this case but I'm not going to pursue it.

The job situation for me has changed a little, but in regards to this - new year, same story. No raises for anyone at the company (even though our division and the company as a whole were profitable and exceeded all expectations). I'm glad that we're doing well and I'm still employed, so this really isnt a big deal for right now given the current market.

One thing that has me a little (ok, a lot) bent, is that I was supposed to be moved into a different 'technical grade' (basically a pay grade) last year and that didnt happen - I sat down with my (then) boss who is the director of engineering for our company last year and we talked about this, and the bonus program, and that I'd be moved up - and with that not happening, my bonus this year is impacted - and last year my bonus was $0 because i was in the 'wrong' (according to the boss) grade.

So really, same story as last year. I'm going to go with it for now and see whats coming up in the near future as we have a new piece of software coming out and possibly some other good opportunities, and taking some proactive measures to see if I cant steer my failboat a little better so that I'm not just stagnating. If I cant make it work out, then might be a good time to move or go back to school and get a masters.

rant off.

[WRXtranceformed]

I feel you Ryan, I know exactly what you mean by stagnating. I had to leave my last job because it was simply going nowhere with the current market conditions in that industry. I'm building a sales team as an upcoming manager in the life and health industry and it is absolutely terrifying to not have a consistent paycheck coming in twice a month. I'm starting to do well but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able to do well enough quickly enough to avoid depleting the reserves. So I'm always open to other options, realizing I can do this job on the side (as an agent, not as a manager) and have sickkk residual income over the years.

If I can get the best of both worlds, a salaried career and a 1099'd side job allowing me to get residuals and write off basically everything I do, then that's the ideal scenario. You just have to make the best choice with what your situation is... and you're intelligent enough to do it so just follow what your brain says.

[Evan]

I got a 40% raise.


what recession?

[Sijray21]

I got a 40% raise.


what recession?

beers are on Evan!

[WRXtranceformed]

I got a 40% raise.


what recession?

beers are on Evan!

+1! You're buyin all the drinks if I make it up to Oakton over Christmas

[Evan]

shit.

What I meant to say is that Im unemployed!

(and technically not even close to 40% as I gave up most of my benefits, so that number is just for bragging )

[John]

I look at this "recession" as a good thing for many industries (including mine) - it gives many employers a good excuse to cull the poor performers rather than having to go through the arduous termination process initiated via other circumstances (such as unsatisfactory performance).

[ScottyB]

no holiday party this year

i actually liked mine last year...great food

[Mike]

i got 4%, no bonus (for anyone), and we are having a holiday party. can't really complain.

[PDenbigh]

I exited my not long ago, really due to boredom more than anything, and it's amazing the types of opportunities that present themselves. So don't be afraid. Save up a little, take a month off and enjoy life, and do something you enjoy.

[Feersty]

Moving here I am making double what I did in NOVA if you use a cost-of-living calculator. I am doing better than I ever have been.

[.RJ]

I exited my not long ago

Wait... what?

[Apoc]

I look at this "recession" as a good thing for many industries (including mine) - it gives many employers a good excuse to cull the poor performers rather than having to go through the arduous termination process initiated via other circumstances (such as unsatisfactory performance).

Welcome to a career at AOL. We cull the herd every year.

[HAULN-SS]

I got a 10% middle of the year because i went up a pay grade, hear tell of about a 5% bonus headed my way, and we do our performance reviews tomorrow. I am excited for it, because my manager has dropped some hints that it'll treat me pretty good. My program has cut 120 (10%) people, but most of that was natural attrition anyway. I am going to be looking for a new program right after the first of the year, because I am not doing the job I wish I was doing (perl coding sucks)

[PDenbigh]

I exited my not long ago

Wait... what?

How else did I get Megasquirt installed in that short of time? :-).

[John]

I look at this "recession" as a good thing for many industries (including mine) - it gives many employers a good excuse to cull the poor performers rather than having to go through the arduous termination process initiated via other circumstances (such as unsatisfactory performance).

Welcome to a career at AOL. We cull the herd every year.

Is your HR department just that ballsy? Or is AOL's business platform shifting so drastically that they can justify it with minimal contingent liabilities? I'm curious, b/c that latter issue I just mentioned makes HR departments weak (and in my opinion, ineffective).

[Apoc]

What HR? We laid them off too! (Seriously, we kinda did.)

It's shifting to an ad supported business (read: websites) so as the access revenue shrinks, so does the workforce. It doesn't really hurt their case when they employ you with full pay/benefits for two months after they tell you not to come back and then give you two months lump after that.