Careerchat

[Iskaral Pust]

Trisk - we do market/competitive reviews of pay for all jobs every couple of years and if someone is found to be well below market then they would get a special adjustment to their pay during the next annual cycle (so would go into affect in March or April for us).

Hopefully there's a nice pay bump coming your way.

[Xray the Enforcer]

Do you know when your org's fiscal year ends? It might not happen until then. But agreed with an earlier commenter -- it doesn't hurt to ask the person if anything came of it.

[MercenaryChef]

12 hours ago, Iskaral Pust said:

 

Trisk - we do market/competitive reviews of pay for all jobs every couple of years and if someone is found to be well below market then they would get a special adjustment to their pay during the next annual cycle (so would go into affect in March or April for us).

Hopefully there's a nice pay bump coming your way.

In my industry it is standard practice to get people for the absolute minimum amount of money possible.  

Lowballing is an art form. 

[zelticgar]

58 minutes ago, MercifulChief said:

In my industry it is standard practice to get people for the absolute minimum amount of money possible.  

Lowballing is an art form. 

Assuming hotel/restaurant industry

I started working in a restaurant at 14 and stayed in the same place through college and even worked part time until I was 24. It was a great experience, I learned about hard work, dealing with customers, dealing with conflict and most importantly I learned not to take things for granted and how to treat people with respect. It is a tough industry and I give people who make a career of it a lot of credit. I would never make it now.

My brother has been in the field for over 20 years and moves around every couple of years. He comes to me for advice occasionally (which he never takes) because of my HR/Recruiting background and i am always surprised about how little companies will offer experienced people during salary negotiations. It seems like the normal starting point in restaurant industry negotiations is a lateral salary move with some sort of vague promise about better work hours and future promotions.  I remember telling him he should just tell the new place no. Not sure if he ever did. He ended up working there but the hours and work days are still rough.

 

 

 

 

[MercenaryChef]

8 hours ago, zelticgar said:

Assuming hotel/restaurant industry

I started working in a restaurant at 14 and stayed in the same place through college and even worked part time until I was 24. It was a great experience, I learned about hard work, dealing with customers, dealing with conflict and most importantly I learned not to take things for granted and how to treat people with respect. It is a tough industry and I give people who make a career of it a lot of credit. I would never make it now.

My brother has been in the field for over 20 years and moves around every couple of years. He comes to me for advice occasionally (which he never takes) because of my HR/Recruiting background and i am always surprised about how little companies will offer experienced people during salary negotiations. It seems like the normal starting point in restaurant industry negotiations is a lateral salary move with some sort of vague promise about better work hours and future promotions.  I remember telling him he should just tell the new place no. Not sure if he ever did. He ended up working there but the hours and work days are still rough.

 

 

 

 

indeed. a chef or cook for the last 20 years. restaurants/hotels are interesting businesses. most run on very tight margins. between owners wanting to get as much into their own pockets as possible and guests not really interested in paying the prices they would need to if everyone involved in the labor of the operation was paid well you often have people getting lowballed in negotiations.

the industry often attracts people like me who are very passionate about what they are doing and can often look past the finances of it all to do what they love. 

[Starkess]

On 2/8/2016 at 6:53 PM, Iskaral Pust said:

 

Trisk - we do market/competitive reviews of pay for all jobs every couple of years and if someone is found to be well below market then they would get a special adjustment to their pay during the next annual cycle (so would go into affect in March or April for us).

Hopefully there's a nice pay bump coming your way.

I got a market salary adjustment last year for this reason. I had no idea it was coming, either, they just pulled me aside one day and said hey, you're getting this MSA raise.

Which now makes me wonder how much everyone else is getting paid and whether I am got really lowballed on my initial offer or something...

[Kalbear]

You have to ask. It's the right thing to do. 

[Iskaral Pust]

It looks like I'll have to change role early in the new year. After months of vague hints about a new focus on global coordination, word suddenly came down that we're going to reorganize the structure of our business to integrate globally....

So we received from on high the decision about our global re-org and my role was left basically untouched. After three months of expecting that I'd have to switch to a new role, now it all seems anti-climactic.

I'm glad, I guess, but after mentally accepting/embracing a change, I need to see if staying in the same job will now feel stale. There are other roles available but my current one is still the best combination of fit for my abilities and ownership of revenue and direct reports, which are unfortunately necessary considerations for future comp and promotions given that I'm already near the top of the pyramid.

Aside from that, I just hope the two new senior execs who parachuted in unasked won't be a major distraction and that none of my peers whose jobs did change decide to leave now.

[Xray the Enforcer]

I hear you on all that. Good luck with the next few months, as sometimes no change is actually more difficult to manage than huge upheaval. 

[sperry]

I turned in notice at my current job, last day will be June 1st. If I can't find a better job by the end of July, I'm off to business school.  Not really excited about more school, but need access to an entry into the corporate world that really only comes through being a student.

[Knute]

I'm currently a Forensic Pathologist working with a government organization... I've always been interested in the human body but the high stresses and long hours of being a doctor led me to my second choice of pathology.

[Angalin]

I have some time with my dept head tomorrow afternoon to ask him about a non-profit organization he's quite involved with, which has posted a job I'm applying to. It's been a wretched week and I've forgotten all the usual questions that are good to ask about what a company is like to work at, etc etc. The only one I can think of is "what's the corporate culture like?" and he may not even know that. Suggestions, please? 

[Datepalm]

For NGO's it's usually a more or less careful phrasing of 'is this organization doing substantantive work in whatever field they're claiming,' no? (or that may just be my cynical local experience...) Project stability and reliance or lack thereof on fundraising whims also tends to be an issue. Opportunities for professional growth? Fieldwork? Do roles tend to be very focused or is there a chance (or alternatively, depending on how you see it, an obligation) to work on different projects?

I had this conversation today - as the person being asked, about a former workplace - and it now seems to me I function in such a small and incestuous professional community its pretty much polite nothings or vicious gossip at this point, no inbetweens.

[Iskaral Pust]

I agree with Datepalm. I have not worked in that sector but I'd be trying to figure out how substantive, persistent and rational is the actual work in pursuit of the stated mission.

Best of luck.

[Angalin]

1 hour ago, Datepalm said:

For NGO's it's usually a more or less careful phrasing of 'is this organization doing substantantive work in whatever field they're claiming,' no? (or that may just be my cynical local experience...) Project stability and reliance or lack thereof on fundraising whims also tends to be an issue. Opportunities for professional growth? Fieldwork? Do roles tend to be very focused or is there a chance (or alternatively, depending on how you see it, an obligation) to work on different projects?

I had this conversation today - as the person being asked, about a former workplace - and it now seems to me I function in such a small and incestuous professional community its pretty much polite nothings or vicious gossip at this point, no inbetweens.

 

1 hour ago, Iskaral Pust said:

I agree with Datepalm. I have not worked in that sector but I'd be trying to figure out how substantive, persistent and rational is the actual work in pursuit of the stated mission.

Best of luck.

Thank you both. About the funding: it'd be a digital archivist-type position in a sub-division of a non-profit that does a lot of reliable, long-term funding of worthwhile projects. No shortage of money! The work is definitely secure and has value; asking whether the job has potential or is a dead end is a good question. I would like to have an idea of how uptight the sub-division is, but that's a tough one to word tactfully. 

[Angalin]

1 hour ago, Datepalm said:

For NGO's it's usually a more or less careful phrasing of 'is this organization doing substantantive work in whatever field they're claiming,' no? (or that may just be my cynical local experience...) Project stability and reliance or lack thereof on fundraising whims also tends to be an issue. Opportunities for professional growth? Fieldwork? Do roles tend to be very focused or is there a chance (or alternatively, depending on how you see it, an obligation) to work on different projects?

I had this conversation today - as the person being asked, about a former workplace - and it now seems to me I function in such a small and incestuous professional community its pretty much polite nothings or vicious gossip at this point, no inbetweens.

 

1 hour ago, Iskaral Pust said:

I agree with Datepalm. I have not worked in that sector but I'd be trying to figure out how substantive, persistent and rational is the actual work in pursuit of the stated mission.

Best of luck.

Thank you both. About the funding: it'd be a digital archivist-type position in a sub-division of a non-profit that does a lot of reliable, long-term funding of worthwhile projects. No shortage of money! The work is definitely secure and has value; asking whether the job has potential or is a dead end is a good question. I would like to have an idea of how uptight the sub-division is, but that's a tough one to word tactfully. 

[Datepalm]

You could ask if the work culture is very formal or something to that effect? Work hours flexibility, formal and informal, tends to be a good measure of that in my experience.

[Xray the Enforcer]

If you've figured out that they're not a bunch of flakes (a real problem in the NGO world), then I'd ask about if they offer flex time, and how the digital archivist's job intersects with other departments (e.g. development, marketing, etc). The key here is to see if they're hiring one person upon which they can dump three or four separate full-time jobs. Also, not sure how to do this, but you might want to ask about turnover (indicative of an unhappy workforce), and about institutional inertia (means that they'll make a lot of noise about "change" and nothing will happen and then they'll attempt to blame everyone else about that rather than look at the culture they've fostered).

[Ixodes]

A few weeks ago one of the larger veterinary drug companies unexpectedly approached me about a position they created in my region.  For the past 10 years I have worked with many companies, doing consulting and education.  The manager is a person I worked with years ago and we got along splendidly.  I met with the team, interviewed with the bosses, and explored the culture of the company.  They made an offer last week and I accepted.  I'm now on this roller coaster ride of great excitement punctuated by wanting to puke my guts out from anxiety.

It is the right time for a change.  Professionally I'm feeling stagnant in practice.  The new position is a combination of things I really enjoy doing and it let's me focus on parts of the profession where I get tremendous satisfaction.  I get to be home based, which is like winning the lottery since there are few career alternatives for me in small town Minnesota.  I've previously worked with half the team and we get along well, so I think the transition will be good.

Working with my spouse has been a great experience but limits life outside of the clinic.  It is so hard and costs the business so much for us both to take time off that we limit the time we spend outside work together.  Our kids are now old enough that business travel isn't nearly as stressful since they are able to help around the house.  And the benefits package knocked my socks off.  Being a small business owner for the past 16 years I'm immune to how much sacrifice it is to have insurance, savings, retirement, etc.  That handed to me is sobering.  

A background check is pending and I have to give a drug test this morning (in honor, I grilled a bunch of asparagus last night for dinner).  I start the end of this month.  I'm not a person who likes change but if I passed on this opportunity I would regret the decision for the rest of my life.  

 

[Xray the Enforcer]

That's fantastic, Ix!!! 

Now you just need to make sure that some of that biz travel includes NYC.