What wages should I be looking for

deceit

Hi, not sure if this is the right place for this. If not, can a mod move it please.
I am working for the last year in my job which I joined with no formal experience relevant to the position as i've a degree in accounting that would be of no use in this position. They gave me the job by testing my knowledge of computers/computer security.
I am working as an IT symantec security specialist. I have passed my exams relating to Symantec endpoint protection 12.1 specialist in the last year.
I am on 20k a year since I started and i'm wondering would anyone know of how much I should be looking for as an increase in wages if any after getting the certificate and finishing my first year in the job and college.
I've also been studying for a degree in computer management which focuses on similar areas but only have my first year completed so far.

everdead.ie

deceit wrote: »

Hi, not sure if this is the right place for this. If not, can a mod move it please.
I am working for the last year in my job which I joined with no formal experience relevant to the position as i've a degree in accounting that would be of no use in this position. They gave me the job by testing my knowledge of computers/computer security.
I am working as an IT symantec security specialist. I have passed my exams relating to Symantec endpoint protection 12.1 specialist in the last year.
I am on 20k a year since I started and i'm wondering would anyone know of how much I should be looking for as an increase in wages if any after getting the certificate and finishing my first year in the job and college.
I've also been studying for a degree in computer management which focuses on similar areas but only have my first year completed so far.

Depends really, I think if you were coming into a consultancy frim like Deloitte or Accenture you would add 6-10K to your salary.

Try the development forum maybe? Might be a few people there that wold have a better idea.

deceit

everdead.ie wrote: »

Depends really, I think if you were coming into a consultancy frim like Deloitte or Accenture you would add 6-10K to your salary.

Try the development forum maybe? Might be a few people there that wold have a better idea.

Thanks for the quick reply there. I will ask there also and link to here to see if they can help me.

seamus

Hard to say. Your certification is in a single piece of very specific software, so it is of limited use to any company who isn't using that piece of software.

10% would probably be appropriate at this stage - presumably your company use SEP on a wide scale and so you're now more valuable to them. However you still only have a year's experience and you're still not qualified, so you're still very much in a trainee/junior position.

Even with a full degree and the SEP certification, the appropriate role would be a junior member of an operations or security team, between €25k - €30k. IMO. In I.T., unlike accounting, experience and skill is far more valuable than qualifications, so you'll have to put in another couple of years to prove your worth.
However, at the end of your degree you will be in quite a strong position with both relevant work experience and your degree course content fresh in your mind.

deceit

seamus wrote: »

Hard to say. Your certification is in a single piece of very specific software, so it is of limited use to any company who isn't using that piece of software.

10% would probably be appropriate at this stage - presumably your company use SEP on a wide scale and so you're now more valuable to them. However you still only have a year's experience and you're still not qualified, so you're still very much in a trainee/junior position.

Even with a full degree and the SEP certification, the appropriate role would be a junior member of an operations or security team, between €25k - €30k. IMO. In I.T., unlike accounting, experience and skill is far more valuable than qualifications, so you'll have to put in another couple of years to prove your worth.
However, at the end of your degree you will be in quite a strong position with both relevant work experience and your degree course content fresh in your mind.

With the sep certification it wouldnt be like what a normal company that has the software gets there staff to go on a course to learn before they can maintain it. I had to learn that stuff before I even started the job.
Its why my job charges 800-1200 a day for me to be on site and as an from this month I will be on site about 5-10 times a month and the rest of the days are support work.

I think I could get a job in alot of our big customers just maintaining this software as alot of these companys have full time staff to maintain these products. Its in alot of big companies in ireland.
As part of this and other products I have to specialise in such as symantec universal server and Altiris server I have to know how to manage domain controllers/exchange/ftp and other servers and configure them properly to make sure I have a full understanding of pushing these products out to the clients. I also have to configure sql servers and have to know a bit about repairing databases when they go wrong.
I'm not sure if any of this would make a difference.

Bandana boy

20K Seems a little low for what you are doing ,but unless your willing to walk its hard to really get what your worth

The company is supporting you to get the qualifications needed to really have a value in the current market ,i guess you could value that at 3-5K a year,

I reckon 25-27 for what your doing would be closer to reality.Knock of the 3-5 K and I think the company would not balk at paying you 24ish.

That said no qualifications yet ,I am not sure you could demand that in another workplace.
the best real test of what your worth is to apply for a couple of jobs ,get a feel for what the market will support.

deceit

Bandana boy wrote: »

20K Seems a little low for what you are doing ,but unless your willing to walk its hard to really get what your worth

The company is supporting you to get the qualifications needed to really have a value in the current market ,i guess you could value that at 3-5K a year,

I reckon 25-27 for what your doing would be closer to reality.Knock of the 3-5 K and I think the company would not balk at paying you 24ish.

That said no qualifications yet ,I am not sure you could demand that in another workplace.
the best real test of what your worth is to apply for a couple of jobs ,get a feel for what the market will support.

Yea that's the problem, without qualifications for a lot of other jobs it makes it more difficult to see the value.
The job doesn't really support me in getting the qualifications as I have had to get them off my own back where as other similar companies would pay the 5,000 for the training course for sep and 5k plus for the other two I am studying the exams for. I saved the company these fees by doing it myself.
Also college is my own decision and I do it at night in IT tallaght doing IT management so it doesnt interfere with work.
If it doesnt increase by about 5k I think I might move back to an accounting position and get a job for about 35k per year until I'm finished college then move back to an IT role .

deceit

Thanks guys for the help and advice on this. I went with everdead.ie's estimate and asked for 6k and they accepted it without trying to drop it in value. They just said okay fine so am happy with that and they have guaranteed me paid training throughout the year which is more important for me as I love to learn new things .