Deciding whether to jump ship

Liquid_Entity said:
jeeysus, we pay our 1st line chumps 10k more than that
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Can I come work for you? :p

Following the advice from here, I'm going to stick with it for the moment but stop caring as much. I'll still do my job but will take my lunches and start looking into where I want to take my career to get myself certifications etc.

In the short term I might gather together a few job postings where the pay is much higher for my role / less of a role than mine and confront them as to precisely why I don't qualify for the raise
 
RyanF said:
In the short term I might gather together a few job postings where the pay is much higher for my role / less of a role than mine and confront them as to precisely why I don't qualify for the raise
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Do you get an annual performance review? If that went well then I'd certainly ask for another meeting re: pay rather promptly.

Tis also maybe worth pushing for a mid year rise, ask if you could get a rise in 6 months time subject to certain targets etc.. hopefully by then you'll have got some more certs and if you do get the mid year pay rise just use it to get a bigger pay rise for moving to another firm.
 
RyanF said:
So I've just been told, as part of a recent review that I do not qualify for a raise. To put things into perspective officially I'm employed as an "IT Assistant", the reality is I'm 1st / 2nd line support and work in an IT Department of 4, 2 of which are "Managers", that supports approximately 500 users.

I practically run the day to day operation of the business handling just about every request under the sun. The only ones I don't do relate to out of date financing software or more advanced queries pertaining to SQL / Windows Server.

I'm currently on £14k a year working 40 hours a week Monday to Friday, we officially get a 30 minute "lunch break" but so far, for the 2 years I've been here, I've had to eat it at my desk as IT Support would seize to exist.

I was already on the verge of handing in my notice prior to being told this; the only thing keeping me going is the want to save up enough cash to get myself a motorbike.

Anyone got advice on what to do?
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I have worked 1st, 2nd and third line, both employed and contracting.

The fact of the matter is, the IT departments in all industry have to a certain extent become automated, 10 years ago there would be 6+ guys, not 4, although it's a skilled job the market has been pushed down for 1st line\2nd line support, in the public sector it's seriously under paid, if you go private you can get around 16k to 24k if your lucky.
 
I know people including myself who are in 26-28k jobs for doing exactly that, 2nd line support.

I would definitely be applying elsewhere now, there is no way I would do those hours for 14k- your skills and time are worth more.
 
Get your C.V. sorted, put some real effort into it. Do drafts, do it over. Do it over again. Leave it a few days. A week. Do it over again. Until you are relatively happy.

Take multiple interviews and learn from the mistakes you made in the one's you didn't do so well.

14k sucks. Keep your job, and take holiday time (NOT sick days) to go to interviews.

Do you have transport?
 
£1166 per month? After tax you'll be lucky to be clearing £750 I reckon. That's atrocious! Absolutely get looking! That's £6.73 p/h. How old are you OP?
 
MissChief said:
£1166 per month? After tax you'll be lucky to be clearing £750 I reckon. That's atrocious! Absolutely get looking! That's £6.73 p/h. How old are you OP?
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£1166 per month gross would work out at like £1050 or something net

Edit: I did the calculation and its £1050.60 net :)
 
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Perhaps I'm used to paying more tax but that's really not a lot. See what happens if you take your unpaid lunch away from your desk for a few days. :)
 
Ireheart said:
Yes but they don't hold much security, especially not for 1st\2nd line.
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Exactly - that's why it was kind of an irrelevant thing to point out in the first place. I keep getting tempted to make the switch to contracting, I've seen
6 month contracts that would put 50 grand in my pocket - so it really doesn't matter if it takes another month or 2 to find another contract!

Ireheart said:
I have worked 1st, 2nd and third line, both employed and contracting.

The fact of the matter is, the IT departments in all industry have to a certain extent become automated, 10 years ago there would be 6+ guys, not 4, although it's a skilled job the market has been pushed down for 1st line\2nd line support, in the public sector it's seriously under paid, if you go private you can get around 16k to 24k if your lucky.
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Another good example of where junior guys often overestimate their value. Before anyone jumps on me, I'm not referring to the salary, I'm talking about the comments about how he basically runs the place and how everything would fall apart without him. The money in IT isn't in the people who are fighting the fires, it's for the people that are doing the automation. If you can improve efficiency then you're worth a lot more money.

Again it's the dunning Kruger effect - you don't know how much there is to know so you think you know it all. Looking back on my career, I was definitely in that mindset for my first couple of jobs and I see it all the time in other people now.

OP can definitely earn a lot more in support roles but if he really wants to earn good money then learning how to analyse processes and improve/automate them. You see loads of people stuck in the mid 20s for years in support roles wondering why they haven't magically become a sysadmin/manager etc
 
Sometimes the only way to get a pay rise is to move. If you like what you're doing/happy with the company etc, then line yourself up another job to the point of being offered it. Then negotiate with your current employer for a salary increase.

If you really do the majority of the running of the department then i would imagine they wouldn't want to lose you, encourage them to create a special role for example.
 
+1 with the move. Keep your current job in the mean time, but you should be able to find something else.

And start taking your lunchbreaks away from your desk.
 
I was made redundant in June after 22.5 years doing deskside support, no qualifications (apart from A+) as all the training was 'in-house', check out Groupon or search google for courses as you can get the material for not a lot (or sometimes free) and just pay for the exam, for instance I got the IT Security Essentials course for £39 and the exams are around £150 each.

I'm now doing a 2nd line role in London as a contractor for over £300 a day.

Do not quit until you have something better but the option to self-study is definitely one you should take a look at as a few years experience and a couple of qualifications can mean a massive hike in opportunities opening up.

It's also possible that you will always be seen as the 'junior' whilst in that role until someone new comes in so you may have to move to earn a rise and also professional respect.
 
RyanF said:
Can I come work for you? :p

Following the advice from here, I'm going to stick with it for the moment but stop caring as much. I'll still do my job but will take my lunches and start looking into where I want to take my career to get myself certifications etc.

In the short term I might gather together a few job postings where the pay is much higher for my role / less of a role than mine and confront them as to precisely why I don't qualify for the raise
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If I was in your situation I'd stay in the current job and start taking my allocated breaks/lunches, update my cv ASAP and start applying for jobs (remember to tailor the cv to each job).
Definitely look at qualifications just make sure it doesn't tie you down to the same company in the same position.
I know our company make you pay back the course in full along with any exams and materials if you leave the company within a certain amount of time once completing the course.
 
Ireheart said:
Yes but they don't hold much security, especially not for 1st\2nd line.
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Your'e not going contracting for the job security and if you are thinking that way then contracting is not for you! If anything you want to move around so work doesn't become boring but when you are paid approx. twice what a permanent employee is paid its all about being flexible and doing what you want to do. Any half decent contractor isn't going to be out of work for long periods of time unless they have chosen to be
 
OP how old are you?

Have you had pay rises in the two years you've been there?

It does seem a very low wage but please don't just jack it in and leave with nothing lined up, get your CV up to date and get job hunting for better jobs. Someone out there will pay you more for what you do.
 
mattyfez said:
To put this into perspective, 15 years ago I worked in that area as a warehouse operative (forklift driver/picker packer) and I was earning 17k.

Op is definitely under paid.
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Wut. That's a completely different job using different skills with different and more responsibilities.

MissChief said:
£1166 per month? After tax you'll be lucky to be clearing £750 I reckon. That's atrocious! Absolutely get looking! That's £6.73 p/h. How old are you OP?
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I think your tax code may be a little out of date... http://www.listentotaxman.com/1166?time=12 He's only going to pay 20% on 4k.
 
It sounds to me like you've already made up your mind what you want to do. But do it smartly. As others have said, research the job market, find yourself another, better paid, job, and only then quit. Until then, smile and work industriously. If you do, you might find handing in your notice provokes a change of heart over your pay, and if it doesn't you still quit. If it does, you have the option to stay. Either way, staying in good cheer and being conscientious may pay dividends in terms of references. Not doing so risks a reference that speaks volumes in it's blandness.

Just remember, while doing this, that you're smiling and working hard for your benefit, not their's.
 
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