It sounds like you've got a pretty good deal-probably better than most in this field. Pension plans are a rarity any more, and to get a 401(k) match on top of that is great.
I just think of other professions, from mechanics on up to lawyers. Most charge by the hour, and if they put extra time into a project they're going to bill for it. But in IT it seems like we sell ourselves short, and work for free an awful lot. From: Mike Sullivan [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 2:55 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: So, Why Do We Do It? For me part of it is just loving what I do and a push to have everything work flawlessly. I regularly work 50-60 hours a week and on salary. If I work a Saturday or Sunday I get that comped. That being said I also wonder why I do so much without proper compensation. I live in the country on 1.5 acres so I do get away from technology when I want to. I take long lunches, get 3 weeks of vacation and 1 week of sick per year. I also have a good retirement that I think is pretty good, 12% of what I make is put into a pension plan and I also have a 401k that I put 10% into, with my work putting 6% matching into. I work in the private sector. On Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 11:05 AM, John Hornbuckle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>> wrote: I was recently talking to a technician who works for a company we sometimes hire for projects. He's salaried, but working just 40 hours in a week is pretty rare for him. Looking at the poll in another thread and how many of us are basically on call 24x7x365 for no additional compensation, I have to ask... Why? Why, as a profession, do we allow ourselves to be treated this way? Is it that the pay is just so good that it's worth it? I know a few folks on this list have indicated that they get compensated pretty well, but my sense is that most of us just earn average pay and aren't living the high life. I'm not really sure why. We have skills that are in high demand, and take years to develop. Why are we selling ourselves short? Personally, my pay is just so-so. For the area I live in (poor, rural, and with a low cost of living) it's decent, and I do work in the public sector rather than private-that's always going to hit you win the wallet. But I generally get to make up the extra time with time off, a long lunch, maybe going in late or going home early. Plus I get vacation and sick leave that's pretty generous by American standards, and participation in the state retirement system. So all in all, I can't complain much. But I know a lot of people who work in the private sector for pay that's only so-so, and regularly work 60-hour weeks. Why? John Hornbuckle MIS Department Taylor County School District www.taylor.k12.fl.us<http://www.taylor.k12.fl.us> -- Mike Sullivan [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
