salary expectations

blacklilly

Would appreciate some sound advice.
I graduated two years ago with an honours degree, have been employed since and Im with the current company over a year and a half.
My degree is specifically designed for the job I'm currently in.
Also during my time as a student I gained great experience with work placement and internships.
My contract is up since June and I have requested a meeting with hr 3 times since to no avail.
My work involves a lot of responsibility.
I am also a member of a number of regulatory bodies which makes me somewhat unique in my company.
My question is, I am on a salary which I don't believe is good enough for the experience and work I do and also the amount of responsibility I have. Asked for an increase some months ago and didn't get it. I recently discovered a number of my colleagues are on salarys 15-20% higher than I am. These colleagues do not have the experience I have. I am regularly commended for my work so I know I am doing a good job.
What would you consider to be a fair salary for the work I do. I don't want to go into specifics, but taking my degree, experience so far and the responsibility I have into consideration?

djpbarry

blacklilly wrote: »

What would you consider to be a fair salary for the work I do. I don't want to go into specifics, but taking my degree, experience so far and the responsibility I have into consideration?

How can anyone answer such a question when we have absolutely no idea what it is you do or what skills, qualifications and experience you have?!?

It sounds like you know your under-paid. My advice would be to (quietly) search for opportunities in other companies that you feel you are suitably qualified for and see if you can determine how much those positions pay - it will give you some idea of how much you're worth.

I will however say this: you are over-stating how much experience you have. You've only been in the workforce for 18 months - regardless of what you do, that makes you pretty inexperienced.

blacklilly

I am just comparing my experience to that of my colleagues. Throughout my degree (4 years) I had jobs in the industry I work in.
My colleagues some of whom who are on better salaries than me would not have the experience I have, that's what I'm trying to get across.

I have been looking out for other jobs so maybe something will turn up there.

I know its difficult for anyone to advise what salary i should be on with the details I've given. Just thought perhaps you'd have an opinion of what someone's salary expectations would be with degree, 2 years post degree experience.

djpbarry

blacklilly wrote: »

I am just comparing my experience to that of my colleagues. Throughout my degree (4 years) I had jobs in the industry I work in.

A few work placements and/or internships are don’t count for much at this stage of your career. Sure, they’re gold dust on your CV when you’ve just graduated, but after 12-24 months in the labour force, they become less relevant.

blacklilly wrote: »

My colleagues some of whom who are on better salaries than me would not have the experience I have, that's what I'm trying to get across.

And I’m saying you only have 18 months experience! You couldn’t be that much more experienced than your colleagues!

blacklilly wrote: »

I know its difficult for anyone to advise what salary i should be on with the details I've given. Just thought perhaps you'd have an opinion of what someone's salary expectations would be with degree, 2 years post degree experience.

It’s an impossible question to answer without knowing what you work as.

professore

Nothing improves your chances of a raise like a job offer from a competitor.

Call me Al

djpbarry wrote: »

blacklilly wrote: »

I am just comparing my experience to that of my colleagues. Throughout my degree (4 years) I had jobs in the industry I work in.

A few work placements and/or internships are don’t count for much at this stage of your career. Sure, they’re gold dust on your CV when you’ve just graduated, but after 12-24 months in the labour force, they become less relevant.

blacklilly wrote: »

My colleagues some of whom who are on better salaries than me would not have the experience I have, that's what I'm trying to get across.

And I’m saying you only have 18 months experience! You couldn’t be that much more experienced than your colleagues!

blacklilly wrote: »

I know its difficult for anyone to advise what salary i should be on with the details I've given. Just thought perhaps you'd have an opinion of what someone's salary expectations would be with degree, 2 years post degree experience.

It’s an impossible question to answer without knowing what you work as.

Have to say I agree completely with djpbarry.

Work experience is good for getting you in the door but thereafter, once you are working fulltime, it isn't really considered as experience in a fulltime capacity. It is more part of your learning experience.
You would need to be more specific with regard to your job and pay for us to be able to express an opinion on whether you are underpaid relative to your colleagues or not.

blacklilly

I don't really want to say too much on this, I hold a managerial position in the construction industry (my company is doing good financially and profits have risen for the past three years)
I understand what you are saying about my experience but it us relative when compared to colleagues. I work in a male dominated work force and I am not being paid on par with them.

djpbarry

blacklilly wrote: »

...I hold a managerial position in the construction industry...

You hold a managerial position with less than 2 years' experience?!?

blacklilly wrote: »

I work in a male dominated work force and I am not being paid on par with them.

In that case, if you feel you are being discriminated against, I suggest you contact the Equality Authority.

blacklilly

djpbarry wrote: »

blacklilly wrote: »

...I hold a managerial position in the construction industry...

You hold a managerial position with less than 2 years' experience?!?

blacklilly wrote: »

I work in a male dominated work force and I am not being paid on par with them.

In that case, if you feel you are being discriminated against, I suggest you contact the Equality Authority.

Yes the experience I gained through internships were pivitol in obtaining this job.

I have considered contacting the equality authority.

newport2

blacklilly wrote: »

I don't really want to say too much on this, I hold a managerial position in the construction industry (my company is doing good financially and profits have risen for the past three years)
I understand what you are saying about my experience but it us relative when compared to colleagues. I work in a male dominated work force and I am not being paid on par with them.

You say you know of some on 15-20% more than you, how can you be certain there isn't also others on less than you?

What you get paid in most industries largely comes down to when you were hired and what the demand for your skills was like then. You probably joined the construction industry at the worst possible time. I know companies who have recruited people since the crash for just over half the salary that people recruited during the boom are on. Both doing the same jobs for the companies now, just negotiated at different times, hence on vastly different rates.

If you are that much underpaid, you should seek work elsewhere. Good luck with it.

djpbarry

blacklilly wrote: »

Yes the experience I gained through internships were pivitol in obtaining this job.

It may have been, but let me put it like this...

If you were applying for another job right now, the employer in question would be far more interested in what you're doing in your current job relative to your work placements/internships.