| Author |
Do I deserve more? Or am I just being a baby?
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| Here is my situation:
I started out as the Helpdesk Guy. 4 months in the LAN Admin quits. They have a hard time replacing him, so after 3 months they come to me and say “Can you help us out?” They get me to cover the LAN Admin stuff with the help of the System Admin and hire a junior guy to help on the Helpdesk (At really low wages and after 3 more months). Fine. I’m a team player. No Problem.
So here we are 2 years later. They have spent most of that time either unhappy with the level of support on the Helpdesk or the fact that the infrastructure is suffering. During that time, they have replaced the Junior position again. For even cheaper, with a very inexperienced person straight out of school. The System Admin who was to help with the LAN Admin duties never really did, outside of “supervising.” And has now taken on a more Managerial type roll.
The end result. I have spent 2 years in a tug of war between Helpdesk and LAN Admin. And I am now pretty much demanding the promotion to LAN Admin and a wage increase of 5kAnd they are still Hmm’ing and haw’ing over it.
Here is what I am expected to support:
7 Rack Mount Servers Total) 1 DC (In 2000 AD environment) 1 Exchange server, 3 Database servers (We have a DB admin and the System admin, but I handle all the maintenance etc) 2 Citrix Servers. 2 NT servers in a separate Domain. A WAN with 9 small remote offices. 15 Home offices. About 130 users all together. (So you can imagine the wackiness the ensues on a daily basis)
My Question: Is this to much for one guy to be handling? Considering that my junior is struggling just dealing with run of the mill helpdesk issues? And the system Admin only handles very selective issues? Or am I just a big whiner who should suck it up cause every IT guy, everywhere is in the same boat?
Wow. That is a long one. | |
| WarrenStreet 2003-10-06, 10:53 am |
| IMHO is going to be a bit of a tough task for just one person, but that's the is going these days. Don't know about your country but in mine, Italy, managers are trying to cut budget down reducing staff resulting in more tasks per person.
Just my two cents. | |
| bloodshotx 2003-10-06, 11:58 am |
| If you have the choice to look for another position in a company I would do that.
It sounds like you have been trying to get this position for years and they are not offering you it for some reasons.
The amount of workload is not bad if you don't have alot of things going on outside of work. Im sure your salary so expect those 50 hour weeks when there are alot of computer problems with end users. 130 people is decent size, you should bring up to thetm that they should hire interns to do the grunt work like repairs/end user problems. Minimum wage is cheap. even if its 10-20 hours a week. | |
| bloodshotx 2003-10-06, 12:00 pm |
| Oops forgot to add a few things.
Your from canada and the economy up there just blows partly due to NAFTA (according to my law teacher). I would recommend moving to the US if possible. You have a decent amount of certifications and experience. I would get a degree if you want to have a good future. If you already have one, then I wouldn't think you would be wasting your time trying to get into a net admin position for the last 2 years.
just my 2 cents | |
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| Thanks for the replys so far. Anymore are welcome.
Its not that I've been trying to get the promotion for the past 2 years. But i have been shouldering the responsibility throughout that time and would now like to see the title and money to reflect what I actually do.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't care to work 50 hr weeks. There is always something to keep me here and extra 2 hrs a day if I let it. I work so I can live outside of work. But on the other hand, I've never not stayed late or come in during off hours when it was needed. | |
| ANDRONDA 2003-10-06, 6:23 pm |
| I would wait until my review, than be prepared to explain what you are adding to the position that warrants the extra pay. If you approach it that way it turns the table to say “Look what I am doing for YOU”. | |
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| Thats totally the way I would suggest most people go about it. However I went in early for a couple of reasons. I wanted to feel my manager out on the issue. I wanted him to have time to stew with my position. I wanted to know exactly what more he would expect performance wise so I could deliver in full before my review. And I wanted to give him fair notice of my requests so he wasn't blind sided. I also wanted him to be aware that if he could't deliver that I am looking at leaving.
But your right. Either way, all of this will come to a head at review time. Which is Nov for me. | |
| curiousgeorge 2003-10-07, 2:34 am |
| I think your job is pretty easy compared to mine. I work for a very large regional bank in America. I am the sole source of level II support (desktop support, LAN administration, IMAC's, etc) for 39 sites, 45 servers, and 500+ users/computers and peripherals.
The company doubled my workload over the past 6 months because they are downsizing. I asked for a $3,000 salary increase for doubling my workload (a more than reasonable request). They have spent the last month trying to decide.
Personally, I'm looking for another job. Once I get an offer, I'll take great pleasure in resigning and watching them run around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to do my job.
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| Holy crap dude. How the hell do you handle all that? I can only imagine the number of things that must go wrong in any given day. How do you even come close to staying on top of all that?
I think I would have just walked out the door. | |
| elearning 2003-10-07, 11:21 am |
| Hi Zen,
You've obviously got the skills, and a lot of great advice. I'll just add my $0.02 worth.
I think you are justified in asking for more money. But you should also consider what you will do should they decline your offer and say (in not so many words) "look elsewhere if you can get something better".
It is an employers market right now and jobs are tight - however if you feel that you can find something better, you could also push back if they say "no".
Good luck.
Mohammed | |
| fgale 2003-10-07, 11:27 am |
| I have ~140 end users over 3 differnt floors and 3 different companies but all owned by one, 20-30 are remote including two remote offices. I have 13-14 servers and handle all the network issues. Plus I have various projects to work on, along with evaluating new equipment as the product line I had been buying has been discontinued. My manager just finally realized how much I had going on when I gave him a current project list and user count. Luckly they got approval and will be hiring a level 1 tech to help me out as I am the only tech in the building.
It was probably a good idea to let them know what was going on. My manager had been thinking about it and then asked me and I let him have it. It is tough for my manager to see what is going on as his is 3 hours away and hadn't seen him in 2-3 months.
My previous job kept adding things on and on. Then they complained about how things weren't getting done and how come I was behind. Well when you the HelpDesk Lead, with no extra pay or title, 3 techs to supervise, a NT/Exchange/Backup admin, the intranet developer. How can you get everything done when you have 2-3 times the duties and responsibilities that your other techs have.
When review comes around and if they don't make it a good one for you, then definitely leave, BUT make sure you get another job first. With so many others out of work, you don't want to be stuck without a job for who knows how long. | |
| TJLeeland 2003-10-07, 5:19 pm |
| I think it depends on how much you make. If you're not making under $50k USD then you should be making more. If you're making $80k USD you might not be justified in asking for more money.
Have you thought about going to a headhunter and asking them what they think you're worth? Ask them what skills are hot in your area as well and maybe jump ship if you're not getting what you desire/deserve. In this market I'd suggest having a job offer up your sleve first though. | |
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| Thanks for the great reply's guys. For the record. I make 40k (CND). I've asked for 45K.
What is really starting to cheese me off is what other people make in other fields with little responsibility or education.
I.E. My sister is a data entry clerk. (43k), I have a friend who drives truck, 35-40K. Another friend who manages a department where guys deliver mats and stuff His guys average around 45k.
And here I am responsible for the heart and sole of my company. Resposible for about 2 Million in equipment they have put into our infrastructure. They expect me to keep my skills upgraded and always be learning.
But I get paid 40K and they are stalling on 45k.
Just doesn't seem right.
I think I can get 50 for my experience if I look hard enough. And I know not to walk with out lining something up first. Leanred that lesson the hard way. | |
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| Dude I know what you mean. I feel like I could go back to driving a forklift and make 10k more a year and be way happier about my job and not feel like I'm getting so ripped off. I guess our skills really are not worth what we think they are. IT can be very gratifing to where you think, man, I just saved the company a bunch of money with that solution, "again"  but the $ never seems to come my way. But, working in a climate controlled office that is nicer than my house has to be much better than a dirty old too hot or too cold wharehouse. And all the companies exec's are driving new jags, benz, bmws, lexus,...  Grrr and wage freeze for two years now?! Oh well least I got a job in IT  It can be stressful but its easy for the most part ez $ mostly Good luck.  | |
| ruscorp 2003-10-09, 7:25 pm |
| I think it's time to revive and old thread of mine. | |
| virtualarrow 2003-10-11, 1:09 am |
| Zen, I think your manager is just interested in his own salary. I worked for so many companies in Canada and the way these guys doing managerials jobs is very bad.
USA is different story, and currently I'm looking for some job positions in Illinois, Chicago.
I'm sick and tired of these kind of things here
It's time to move to the South. | |
| peaceman2000 2003-10-12, 5:55 am |
| for me i am working as senior system engineer in saudia arabia and i am not getting more than 20k$ yearly | |
| onoski 2003-10-12, 6:19 am |
| I think in this day and age especially with the current depressed I.T. job market you guys in a job should be thankful. | |
| Jonojacker 2003-10-12, 7:27 am |
| I think you're being exploited. Them humming and hawing over it shows they're procrastinating. In this market employers are taking advantage of their employees and getting their pound of flesh.
You should be getting 50K minimum. Don't stop at 48K.
Is review time near? If not, send our your resume and see a headhunter. If an offer comes up, use it as leverage. | |
| ruscorp 2003-10-12, 1:06 pm |
| quote:
Originally posted by Jonojacker
I think you're being exploited. Them humming and hawing over it shows they're procrastinating. In this market employers are taking advantage of their employees and getting their pound of flesh.
You should be getting 50K minimum. Don't stop at 48K.
You wanna e-mail my boss and tell him that? | |
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| Thanks for the reply's again.
In the end the choices for anything in life are always the same.... make things worse... do nothing and things will stay the same, or take action and create some options for yourself.
I believe my boss is taking advantage of me. And I need to make more money. Its not enough to just "be thankfull" that I have a job in IT. I can do better.
I can't work for less than I'm worth just because there are a ton of Unemployeed MCSE's that they can replace me with. | |
| jarbob69 2003-10-13, 4:20 pm |
| That would be a tough decision if I were in your shoes... it's unfair the way they are doing you, but then you need to put food on the table too and IT jobs are not as easy to find as they once were. I fear that, as long as the demand for jobs is so much greater than the market has available, attitudes like those of your employer will become more prevelant. | |
| onoski 2003-10-13, 4:47 pm |
| The choice is yours. |
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