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R U OK?

ruok.org.au

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Re: R U OK?

#11

Post by royletron »

Single dad - with two boys who delight and terrorise in equal measure. Working in an industry in constant flux, trying to make the right moves and play to my skills. Knowing all along that I am not the best at what I do by a long mile. I've had two years that have often felt horrendous, and that's putting it lightly. I am approaching 40, and have taken a turn for the worse in terms of lock down weight...

Weirdly corona has brought together my family, has made me see I am really lucky to have the job I have and made me desperate to work harder at social relationships.

So that's my story, and I am here for anyone who might benefit from a similar perspective :)

Re: R U OK?

#12

Post by dirktheman »

ashhimself wrote: post #6
person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

I know the feeling.. found out recently that someone in my team is on a good 80k more than me!

Excellent! That makes asking for a raise much easier!

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=16574650

Re: R U OK?

#13

Post by anilakar »

person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

It's even worse when your friends tell you that you're underpaid and should seek new employment when you are struggling to find open jobs or get past the HR people.

Re: R U OK?

#14

Post by ManlyBread »

person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

If you're living in Europe then that's something that you just need to accept, the pay is nowhere near anywhere the pay in the US, I think in my country it caps at something like 60k$ per year and that's if you're really good at what you're doing.

Re: R U OK?

#15

Post by chanux »

ashhimself wrote: post #6
person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

I know the feeling.. found out recently that someone in my team is on a good 80k more than me!

This is good knowledge. You probably can't say you know directly. But build a case for asking for more and you now know an upper limit (you can even go a bit higher). Try to find a local salary survey, that can be very helpful. Good Luck :)

Re: R U OK?

#16

Post by bb123 »

ManlyBread wrote: post #14
person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

If you're living in Europe then that's something that you just need to accept, the pay is nowhere near anywhere the pay in the US, I think in my country it caps at something like 60k$ per year and that's if you're really good at what you're doing.

I recently came to the same conclusion, but also realised that there is a lot more to it than just pay. Generalising here but switching for a similar role in the US will mean:

* No more free healthcare

* Much less PTO

* _Significantly_ less parental leave for you and your partner

* Less pension/401k contributions (typically)

* Generally longer hours and a more intense working culture

* Probably a higher cost of living

Depending on your new salary you may find that these downsides are offset by more cash in hand, which is great, but it is definitely not a one way street.

Re: R U OK?

#18

Post by freetime2 »

anilakar wrote: post #13
person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

It's even worse when your friends tell you that you're underpaid and should seek new employment when you are struggling to find open jobs or get past the HR people.

I was really underpaid for the first 5 years of my career. But I tried not to worry about it too much because I was making enough to pay the bills, and generally enjoyed the work and the people.

It turned out that those relationships I built in those first 5 years were very valuable. I haven't applied for a single job since then, and instead have relied on referrals from colleagues at previous companies - which completely changes the interview process and gives you a much better bargaining position negotiating for a job.

Of course I think people should always be on the lookout for new opportunities, and take them when they come along. But I think even more importantly if you are looking to grow your career is to make sure you are doing a good job at your current gig, making a good impression on people, and continuing to challenge yourself and expand your skills. If you can do that, then hopefully the opportunities will find you instead of the other way around.

Re: R U OK?

#19

Post by smabie »

david-s wrote: post #9
smabie wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are underpaid, then you should be able to easily find a company that pays you more, no?

There's no "easy" to the tech interview process

That hasn't been my experience, but the point is that if you can't convince someone to pay you more for similar work, then you're not underpaid. It's not about value, or how hard you work, or whatever. It's about how much money you can convince someone to pay you. That's the only thing that matters.

Re: R U OK?

#20

Post by smabie »

ashhimself wrote: post #6
person_of_color wrote: post #3

No. Because tech blogs and forums like HN/Blind constantly make me feel I'm getting underpaid.

I know the feeling.. found out recently that someone in my team is on a good 80k more than me!

No one is going to pay you more unless they think you're valuable and you're departure is a credible possibility.

I know it's a lot of work, but the best strategy is to interview for jobs consistently and regularly, regardless of whether you are happy with your current job. Shop around your offers, get companies to fight over you. Use all the leverage you have. You don't get more money without demanding it.

Power and money are never given, they are only taken.

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