What am I worth? 1

[benlinkknilneb]

Hi all,

I am currently working a paid internship for a manufacturing company. I am technically part of the Quality Assurance department, although all my work is programming. I have been here one year. I don't have my degree yet; 1 more year of school to go (BS Computer Science). I have been full-time during the summer, but my hours had to be reduced to accommodate my school schedule.

I now have 1 year of database programming in Access, and I'm starting to get my feet wet in MS SQL Server and Lotus Notes. I taught myself everything I know about the .NET framework/VB.NET; most of my collegiate courses have been in C++. I've toyed with C#, but haven't produced a major project yet. I am the only programmer in the plant; our IT department (currently just 2 people) does some programming in Notes, but they're mainly responsible for network administration and repairs.

I realize that pay scales are dependent on lots of things, such as location, experience, certifications, education, etc, but I'm wondering if I can establish something of a median value to give me an idea where I stand. If you were in my shoes, what kind of compensation would you request on an hourly basis?

 

[arlems]

Thanks all. Obviously, if one is only looking at himself, his pay check, and doesn't care about the organization, then yes, who care if the product is being exchanged. One can produce tons of good software that never get used. Then what's point. You can produce a million of cars or CDs and stock them in a big hangar, and never exchange them. You won't get a pay for very long because the organization won't make any money. One's responsibility can shrink to himself only, and that is a flaw in human behavior. An one can point the finger to the Marketing dept as much as he wants, if he doesn't get his product exchanged, he won't make money. So everyone has some responsibility to exchange what one has produced, if he want to expand at all.

 

[jsteph]

arlem,
First a product doesn't have to be 'high quality' to be a product, there are plenty of low-quality prodcuts out there that do get 'echanged' and the company still makes money.

Second, we are cogs in the wheel that is the organization. If we produce a product--whether it be a widget or softwere, that is production---PERIOD. I don't care if it never gets sold or is never intended to be sold, it's production. And the producer should get paid. The other cogs--sales, marketing, whatever, then must do their part--and their production is measured in terms of what's exhcanged.
--jsteph

 

[arlems]

jsteph
Not quite logic. Low products sale, but for how long. Are you buying low quality products, and continue to buy them? I don't. I buy it once by mistake and never again. So the company won't make much money from me. You can argue this for sure, but it is worthless since company that sell low quality products do not expand but go bankrupt one after the other.

You may feel a cog in the wheel in your organization - I am not. Your product could be exchanged with another division of your organization. That's fine. But the organization to make it needs to exchange it with someone as an exchange for a valuable. And if it doesn't, it will go down, and you with it.

I am sure if you start starving because the "marketing" division is not doing its job, you would do something about it. You would be more responsible for the product you gave them. And if you were the owner of the organization, you would do all you can to get that product in the hands of someone as an exchange for a valuable.

 

[jsteph]

arlem,
You have an all to idealistic vision of the workplace, one that we've all seen and heard before. The companies that go under are the Ben & Jerrys, for example. They 'empowered' their employees, gave them all sorts of benefits, sayso, etc,. and look at them now. It's a nice ideal--really--but it's not reality.

You'll learn that an organization thrives when it's 'organized'--not when the programmers or punch-press operators or whomever go around telling the marketing department what to do. It just doesn't work that way. You do *your part* the best you can. If you take the phrase 'cog in the wheel' to be demeaning, then you are looking at it from an insecure standpoint. I'm an extremely valuable 'cog' in my company--one that I might add they would be hurting without--but I'm a cog--I have a position and a role and I do it well. I don't make the rounds of every department and tell them what to do.

If you see the marketing department slacking--you can try to join that department and become a cog in that wheel and try you hand (and see how you like it when the other departments 'cogs' start second guessing *you*)--or you leave. Period.

You won't last in any company long if you barge into the CFO's office and start telling him you don't like the way he's spending money on this or that.

If this is a 5 person family-owned company it might work that way, but not in the real world of any company of reasonable size.

And I do buy low-quality products--on purpose, and will continue to do so. You need to understand that quality is relative. I regularly buy $80 loafers. I know there are $200 pairs of higher quality, but I'm not going to buy them. Is the company I buy the $80 pair from out of business? Not a chance. I could go on and on, but I think you get the point. There is a market for low(er) quality products that won't go away. If we're talking *no* quality, then you may have a point, but everyone can't build Lexus's
--jsetph

 

[Grenage]

Well said jsteph.