Should I stay in a job that is underpaid?

P

pinkyBear

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Hi all,
I am looking for some objective advice - I work in IT - 4.5 years programming in Java. I am working in a company that is doing relatively well. However in general how we are paid is 10% below average with a bonus at the end of year bringing us up inline with the average.
With one thing and another it is looking as though this year we will not be getting our bonus.

I am of two minds, it is a nice place to work - however we work hard - my average day - if good is 7.30 - 5. That is if I don't log on at home or week ends! I am at the stage in my life where we are thinking of starting a family and the company I work for does pay maternity leave.
So if I decide to stay for a year and leave when I am expecting I could find it very difficult to get a job - if I left before I become pregnant I could find the new company does not pay u during maternity leave.

I have a review comming up in a few weeks time and I want to try and fight for a pay rise - but I find that in my line of work it can be difficult as it can be very difficult for management to see exactly how much you do.

My query is: what are other IT companies like for women, maternity leave and such? And would you stay in a company if you knew you were not getting paid the standard amount? If you are a programmer how do you/ or do you try to get a decent pay rise?

When I look at irish jobs and I see jobs being advertised for 1-2 years experience being offered roughly what I earn am I nieve in thinking all these jobs are real??

Many thanks P:)
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

pinkybear get your cv up on monsterjobs or with an agency and see what kind of interest you get and what kind of money/benefits they offer. Might give you a taste for what you could get out there.
The fact your posting means not being valued and paid your worth in your current job is getting to you. It will continue to do so and grow so that you become really unhappy and despondent in the job. Get out looking for whatelse is on offer.
Also having a little baby bear could take a while (in most cases its not that easy!) so you'd be wasting away miserable where you are when you could be building up time for maternity leave in a better paid job.
Good luck hope it goes well for you on all counts.
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

pinky bear,

to get an increase i would register with specialist IT agencies ASAP and talk to them about whose hiring and what the salary / package is, knowledge is power, then use this in your review if you are unhappy by saying you know taht the market is paying x as company x are looking for java programmers and paying x or have you ever thought about setting up by yourself and going contracting..very lucrative but not for the faint hearted...

If you are thinking of starting a family and thinking of moving company most employers that pay for maternity leave prob the multi nationals will want a min amount of service before they pay- usually 1 years service..

rememeber its always easier to get a new job when you're in a job and not out of work !!!!

best of luck,
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

Hiya, Yeah I would get your CV up on to a recruitment website. I found this site very good when I was searching for my new role. I actually register my CV ( Its a new service they offer) and I got calls from employers and agencies based on what I was looking for straight away. I am sure you are well aware that IT is a very strong industry in Ireland, you will have no problem find a jobs. Yeah definitly put your CV on a recruitment website and see what happens, you will be really glad you did. Anyway even if you stay you can always see what the employers or agencies have to offer!!
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

Hi,

When you compare the salaries are you comparing like with like? When you say Java - what technologies? Someone with JSP/Servlets/Swing etc. is not comparable to Struts/EJB/Hibernate or other ORM etc. What app servers have you used? What other technologies?

I've interviewed numerous people with great CV's, but half of them have read about a technology and stick it on the CV. I can't tell you how many people we've seen who claim to have WAS experience, but when we ask which version they haven't a clue.

My company are recruiting for experienced J2EE developers for a number of projects based in Dublin city centre - send me a PM if you want and I'll send you contact details for our recruitment team.
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

topday1 said:
Hiya, Yeah I would get your CV up on to Recruitireland.com. I found this site very good when I was searching for my new role. I actually register my CV ( Its a new service they offer) and I got calls from employers and agencies based on what I was looking for straight away. I am sure you are well aware that IT is a very strong industry in Ireland, you will have no problem find a jobs. Yeah definitly put your CV on Recruitireland.com and see what happens, you will be really glad you did. Anyway even if you stay you can always see what the employers or agencies have to offer!!
Click to expand...

Hint: when you're promoting a company you work for, try not to make it too obvious. Thanks. :)

PinkyBear - I would certainly consider making a move. You are working long hours for poor pay, as you say.

Would you consider moving to a Delphi/.NET environment? The company I work for is desperate for people. Good pay + normal hours.
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

Hi all,
Many thanks for the replies. I have just moved department within the company - one that will give me alot of technical exposure with J2ee technologies. So I am reluctant to move for the next 6 months.

When I interviewed for here 3 years ago I told them I really wanted a place that I could carve out a career for myself. However 2 1/2 years later I can honestly say I am still a mere minion!!!

As a result of my post you have given me some really good tips - I will contact a recruitement agency to see what is out there - work wise and benefits (what companies offer) - this is my fist provate sector job - previous job was public sector - terrible conditions! hense why I grabbed this job:)
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

pinkyBear said:
Hi all,
Many thanks for the replies. I have just moved department within the company - one that will give me alot of technical exposure with J2ee technologies. So I am reluctant to move for the next 6 months.

When I interviewed for here 3 years ago I told them I really wanted a place that I could carve out a career for myself. However 2 1/2 years later I can honestly say I am still a mere minion!!!

As a result of my post you have given me some really good tips - I will contact a recruitement agency to see what is out there - work wise and benefits (what companies offer) - this is my fist provate sector job - previous job was public sector - terrible conditions! hense why I grabbed this job:)
Click to expand...

Congrats on your move. Can I just add that you make your own breaks in work, dont wait around for your mgr to give you more responsibility or to train you. If you feel you are ready for more work, ask for it. Take on more responsibility and show that you are able to do more than they are giving you. That is how I have moved up....by already basically doing the job a step above me without being asked, stepping up when the oppertunity arose, asking for more work and helping other people do their work. The best of luck with it.
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

Piority, priority , priority !!!! career ? family? career ? family ?

If you really intend to start a family in the near future, then stay were you are even though salary may be on the low side.. there is more to life than €€€...

There is .....
pinkybear said:
it is a nice place to work
the company I work for does pay maternity leave
just moved department ....will give me technical exposure with J2ee technologies.
I am reluctant to move for the next 6 months.
Click to expand...
and family...
 
Re: Should I stay ina job that is underpaid?

bacchus said:
Piority, priority , priority !!!! career ? family? career ? family ?

If you really intend to start a family in the near future, then stay where you are even though salary may be on the low side.. there is more to life than €€€...

There is .....

and family...
Click to expand...

But on the other hand a 7.30 to 5.00 day with the possibility of logging on at home also would be very heavy going with a baby.
 
Hi pinkybear
Could have posted that myself, except for the long hours but, mine's a regular 8.30 - 5, unusual to work late. But I'm a vb6 developer, very very underpaid with 9 years exp. Been working here for 7 years now, getting 3% every year.
BUT, I had mat leave 2 years ago and got my full top up (but had to come back for a year before I could keep it). I got really bugged by it at the beginning of the year and looked around. Got offered a job with less money but much closer to home and a "promise" that the money would quickly improve. However, the day before the offer I discovered #2 was on the way, so I turned it down. I agree with bacchus that you have to decide family vs career. The heavy workload and long days don't suit being pregnant or caring for a baby, but if you didn't have a clawback of your topup then you'd have the option of going for something else at that stage. One thing that meant alot to me was knowing that I'd be pregnant in a company where everyone knows me, I have friends, it is known that if I call sick it's cos I'm genuinely sick, etc. I had a pretty crappy pregnancy last time and couldn't face going through that when I didn't know anyone and was trying to prove myself (worth noting that you become a basket case when pregnant). But I had the advantage of knowing that I was already pregnant and in your case it is possible that it could take a while (or may not) so you could have plenty of time to settle in to a new job. As for the top up, unfortunately unless you know someone already working there it's difficult to find out if they pay or not, not exactly an interview appropriate question. For me, I'm after a job, not really a huge career, and while I'm grossly underpaid I do earn enough to get by.
It's your call, but you could always try to move now and give it 6 mths before you start on the baby trail. That way you'd probably be a year there before you were at the stage of telling your news and be a well settled member of staff.
And asking for a raise just doesn't work in here. They just say no and if you threaten to leave they just say 'close the door on your way out'.
Hope it all works out for you...
 
i guess it all depends on your current situation

A friend of mine moved jobs to this greatly paid job , then got sick and the company lets say did'nt make life the easiest for her when she was coming back - as is expected and the norm with a lot of companies who are'nt obliged to pay sick pay , she got the usual sick pay from social welfare


me - i am at a job that me too thought the grass was greener somewhere else and also felt underpaid
and i was ready to jump ship been the more appropriate word had a great job lined up , but just hand'nt handed in my exit or letter of bye and thanks but no thanks
i Got sick and ended up been out sick for 8 months,
i Could not have asked for a more understanding employer !
so much so - that when i did come back after the 8 months , i was allowed to work part time and got paid full time - not many do that
Regardless of the company and their attitudes i consider myself been very lucky not to have to worry about that area of things
i was also 30 when all this kicked off so i guess all i thought about before was Money, making it , and enjoying myself

If u feel that -u are going to find a job else where
Dont leave just based on money alone, go thru all the pros and cons etc ,
factoring in travel , area and scope for progression
as u said yourself u thought that this role would give u more progressioin and in a way , the job was probably dressed up a bit ! as one of the other posters say -u cannot always wait for the manager to realize the great work u are doing !! there will always be the loud ones boasting of how great they are and sadly their names are the first people will think about !which is a shame

At the moment my job in the private sector increases rougly 7 % a Year, We have'nt got the budget yet for this Year, but it all based on performance
 
pinkyBear said:
Hi all,
I am looking for some objective advice - I work in IT - 4.5 years programming in Java. I am working in a company that is doing relatively well. However in general how we are paid is 10% below average with a bonus at the end of year bringing us up inline with the average.
With one thing and another it is looking as though this year we will not be getting our bonus.

I am of two minds, it is a nice place to work - however we work hard - my average day - if good is 7.30 - 5. That is if I don't log on at home or week ends! I am at the stage in my life where we are thinking of starting a family and the company I work for does pay maternity leave.
So if I decide to stay for a year and leave when I am expecting I could find it very difficult to get a job - if I left before I become pregnant I could find the new company does not pay u during maternity leave.

I have a review comming up in a few weeks time and I want to try and fight for a pay rise - but I find that in my line of work it can be difficult as it can be very difficult for management to see exactly how much you do.

My query is: what are other IT companies like for women, maternity leave and such? And would you stay in a company if you knew you were not getting paid the standard amount? If you are a programmer how do you/ or do you try to get a decent pay rise?

When I look at irish jobs and I see jobs being advertised for 1-2 years experience being offered roughly what I earn am I nieve in thinking all these jobs are real??

Many thanks P:)
Click to expand...


Hi,

I am in the same profession with almost 2 years experience ( A first and a MSc to boot) . For the first year I was earning below industrial average type salary. I applied for several jobs on jobs.ie and picked up Java work in financials with above average salary for my experience level, paid leave, 10% bonus guaranteed, yearly pay review, BUPA and Pension contributions and study leave.

Several places in financals were keen to express how rare a commotidity good experienced hard working (i.e. productive, not work all hours god sends!) Java techs are in todays market.

I have friends with your experience level and in particular if you've got the following skillset

Java EE ( Including EJB, J2EE, Hibernate, JSP/Servlets)
SQL ( any flavour )
Linux
XML/XSLT

Then you could command a salary in the region of 50 - 60k based on several friends salary within these criteria.

If I were in your shoes I'd hold out for my review, but enter

+ Having applied for jobs and knowing what offers are available
+ What your company have to compete

and don't leave until you get what you could get elsewhere or at least an explanation as to why you aren't being paid according to the industrial average, or what you feel you should be paid.

Dave
 
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