Should I stay or should I go now ??

fatboypee

Well chaps,

I just got my payrise today, first one for two years 7.9 % ONLY if I hit all my targets.

I'm a S/W consultant for a small company, the plus points:

1. Job is 15 mins from home
2. Can work from home as and when
3. I get into Europe on a regular basis as and when I want
4. I get to design & develop products the way I want to.

Bad points:

1. At least 20% less than national average wage
2. I work in a guy's garage / ex-shop

I'm struggling badly financially and I feel this chap is taking the p1ss, he tells me he will make me up to technical director if I can prove myself by doing all the techy stuff so he can go onto technical sales. (Big Carrot but nothing definite).... I asked if he would consider back-dating the rise but got no response.

IF I'm honest I've not been concentrating on the job for a while (moved into newly built house) but do feel my contribution is worth more than a p1ssy 7.9% target related...

Downside is no permy jobs round here and if I go contract again I miss out on seeing my kids etc...

So what do you think ? Should I leave ? or hang out for the carrot ??

I do enjoy the job but you can't eat enjoyment....:mad: and I hate being taken advantage of..

Cheers

Fatboy..

oli_ro

What's stopping you to play on 2 fronts ?

Keep looking for a perm position which would suit better your requirements, but still make the most of your current job, especially if you're still learning on the job, which looks like you are.

Also don't forget that the flexibility you enjoy is a very valuable benefit.

I would not worry about the place, what's the use of working in nice looking premisses, if you do F^%& all ?

fatboypee

oli_ro wrote:

What's stopping you to play on 2 fronts ?

Keep looking for a perm position which would suit better your requirements, but still make the most of your current job, especially if you're still learning on the job, which looks like you are.

Also don't forget that the flexibility you enjoy is a very valuable benefit.

I would not worry about the place, what's the use of working in nice looking premisses, if you do F^%& all ?

Hey oli_ro, Thanks for the reply. I'm not worried about the place, quite contented overall (I even get free lunches !), its simply that I took a pay cut to come here with the hope/expectation that I would become more involved with the buisness and eventually be made up to a director level (very small company so that means nothing really, just the $$$ that are associated).

I had been a contractor for a long time and would personally consider myself on top of my game at this time. Having worked for 2 years here and delivered more than 5 major projects single handedly (very low estimate the revenue from these projects has to exceed a half a million) , brought the company up to speed technically even using my own subscriptions to provide new software for company use so I'm not sure how much more I need to learn or what is expected of me to "rise" to director... perhaps I should be working 24/7.... but then to ind I'm rewarded by a piddling pay-rise which, to add insult to injury, is fkkking performance related and no further mention of promotion I think its time to roll on....

This rise is in the form of a "Bonus" and not added to my salary per-say so I can't even use the rise (easilly) to leverage getting a new mortgage).

I suppose I'm feeling de-valued by this and am sorely tempted to ensure they become acutely aware of my value very quicky :mad: ......

I'm not sure permy would be the way to go really as I only took this role with the "Promise" of better things... seems I was conned :mad: as I don't think that will ever happen so I'm thinking of upping sticks & heading away.....

FBP.

oli_ro

I think you got your answer really, life/career is too short to waste it in dead-end jobs, find a place where your contribution will be appreciated.

By the looks of it, even if you would get the position, the employer will not change his behaviour/attitude towards you overnight - we all know these things never change.

fatboypee

oli_ro wrote:

I think you got your answer really, life/career is too short to waste it in dead-end jobs, find a place where your contribution will be appreciated.

By the looks of it, even if you would get the position, the employer will not change his behaviour/attitude towards you overnight - we all know these things never change.

Guess you're right, but at my time-o-life i'm loooking to be more than an employee... hoped this would give it to me..... just outta cash and need to do something ....

Thanks

FBP..

jrey1981

can you not do any nixers to help cash flow?

fatboypee

jrey1981 wrote:

can you not do any nixers to help cash flow?

Suppose I could do, have a few clients for Websites already but its kinda longer term ? I'm sick of struggling to make ends meet and being undervalued tho really... I know I'm stretched financially bcos of the new house etc and that will pass in time (hope )... just having got off the rat-race gravy train (city working) I'm limited in my financial options....

FBP..

TempestSabre

I guess you have look at how realistic that carrot is. By that I mean have a hard look at the companys forward planning/projections and estimate how long you think its going to take before your slog pays off. Soon, in the future, possibly never.

Zaph0d

fatboypee wrote:

I had been a contractor for a long time and would personally consider myself on top of my game at this time. Having worked for 2 years here and delivered more than 5 major projects single handedly (very low estimate the revenue from these projects has to exceed a half a million)

Do you mean your total experience is 2 years? or your contracting experience is 2 years?

what do you mean revenue from these projects exceeds half a million? Do you mean you charged this amount or you were charged out at this amount by your agency

when you say 'singlehandedly', do you mean that you never work on teams and are just being bodyshopped out to clients for projects?

DublinWriter

I've been working as a self-employed IT bod for the past ten years, and funnily enough I find the most interesting work I do is normally the most badly paid, and vice-versa.

It sounds like you have your feet pretty much under the carpet with your current client. If money really is the priorty right now, then chase the buck with other clients and let your current primary client pay royally for your infrequent services once you get some better paying main work.

fatboypee

Thanks for all the help and advice chaps, much appreciated. In answer to some of the later posts:

TempestSabre: I guess you have look at how realistic that carrot is. By that I mean have a hard look at the companys forward planning/projections and estimate how long you think its going to take before your slog pays off. Soon, in the future, possibly never.

Yep, the carrot is the key, will I ever get to being more than an employee? Dunno, thats the nub of the issue really. And the only thing keeping me here is the impending summer and the fact that the commute is under twenty minutes....

Zaph0d:
Do you mean your total experience is 2 years? or your contracting experience is 2 years?
what do you mean revenue from these projects exceeds half a million? Do you mean you charged this amount or you were charged out at this amount by your agency
when you say 'singlehandedly', do you mean that you never work on teams and are just being bodyshopped out to clients for projects?

Contracting experience is 15 years, I've been permy with this company for 2 years (easiest way to get mortgage etc for new build as contracting was across Europe and Ireland). I'm the sole consultant with this company and do everything from client meetings to the washing up, the result being thier revenue has jumped significantly since I joined but all I got after 2 years effort was a paltry 7.9% rise which is related to hitting my targets.

DublinWriter, I would dearly love a contract role here where I am but Cork or Dublin are the only realistic options (or London) but having 3 kids its tough enough on my wife when I'm gone all week...

thanks again for the posts..

Fatboy.

homeOwner

I disagree with some of the posters here. In my opinion you have traded being well paid by what sounds like a very cushy number with interesting work. Most people would give their right arm to have a 20 min commute and be able to work from home whenever they like. I think you have a better quality of life than most people being able to pop home when you want, travel to europe when you want, you are appreciated in work and are being trusted with more responsibility and from the sounds of it you like your job.

Seriously, you seem to have it all.

More money may ease some of your financial worries, but i think when you are commuting 3 hours a day to a place that pays you 20% more, not seeing your wife and kids and you are knackered from the commute and the drugery of a new job, you'll look back at think that the hell did you move for?

Stick with the cushy number while you have a young family and go for the big bucks in a couple of years when your kids are sick of seeing you and want to spend as little time with you as possible