We're a small company that has about 50 users, and I'm the only other IT person here besides my boss. Would like to move to a mid-size company, although not sure about a large size.
_____________________________ Cameron Cooper IT Director - CompTIA A+ Certified Aurico Reports, Inc Phone: 847-890-4021 Fax: 847-255-1896 ccoo...@aurico.com From: David Lum [mailto:david....@nwea.org] Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 2:35 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant What do you do as IT Director? Kind of surprised that a director-level person would be on a techie list - IT Director's don't get their hands dirty often, do they? I'm glad there are folks like you who actually WANT to do director à C-level stuff. My boss asked me a few months ago what I would like to be doing a couple years from now and down the road farther...a promotion to Sr. Systems Engineer would be pretty much it, I have zero desire to do anything other than be the guy folks come to for the tougher troubleshooting and implementing new infrastructure and figuring out the details of how to make subsystem A integrate with subsystem B. Put another way, I want to be the one that the C-level types think should be easy to do (because they don't know the technical hurdles), but that some techs think is impossible to actually achieve (because they DO know the technical hurdles). Dave From: Jacob [mailto:ja...@excaliburfilms.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:13 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant >From IT Director to ??? (CIO). MBA, Project Management??? There is a great book... "The Executives Guide to Information Technology" http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470095210/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=304485901&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=0471266094&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0XYY03HV01EE7VB28FWX I am not an CIO (not even close), but I use it. Great info. From: Cameron Cooper [mailto:ccoo...@aurico.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 10:29 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant So for someone who is looking to move up in the IT field, what do people recommend? _____________________________ Cameron Cooper IT Director - CompTIA A+ Certified Aurico Reports, Inc Phone: 847-890-4021 Fax: 847-255-1896 ccoo...@aurico.com From: Andrew S. Baker [mailto:asbz...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 12:26 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: OT: Salary rant Remember that when you look at averages for the US on a whole, you have to take into account the higher salaries available in the metro areas. I find that most of the salaries in the more comprehensive surveys are low to average for the NYC metro area. It all depends on the sample demographics. -ASB On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 1:05 PM, Maglinger, Paul <pmaglin...@scvl.com> wrote: How about those salary surveys in the trade rags? ________________________________ From: Sherry Abercrombie [mailto:saber...@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 11:39 AM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: OT: Salary rant Yup, what Vicky said. I've read too many stories like yours Scott, so when I hear those radio ads, I KNOW it's not true and it just ticks me off actually that they are even doing it. But, like they are saying in their ad, stimulus money is available....and I don't want this to denigrate into a political discussion but it just makes me angry when an unscrupulous company is capitalizing on a government handout and preying on clueless people and they won't be able to make good on their promises of a great paying career in IT. On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 11:14 AM, Vicky Spelshaus <vicky.spelsh...@gmail.com> wrote: Ouch! just ouch. On Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 11:03 AM, Scott Williamson <scottwilliamson...@yahoo.com> wrote: At least everybody here has a job. I lost my job in March.. The recession hurt our online sales (50% drop in sales). The owner, who had no clue when it came to SEO/SEM, decided to make all these changes to get it in top of the search engines. He ignored the employees, including our marketing person. We said this would hurt us even more. Boom!... an 80% drop in sales. From over $40,000 a day in online sale to just over $8,000 in six months. The owner kept assuring us that the company has been through this before and we will weather is out. The company has over $2 millions in reserves (found out this was not true). The owner quietly sold the business under us. We came to work and it was closed. Your paychecks will be sent in the mail. It never came. Company filed for bankruptcy the same day it closed. I went from 115K a year as the IT Director to $450 a week on unemployment. If figured with 15 years IT experience, a Masters in Information Systems, a PMP, A+, Network+, MCP, and advanced ColdFusion certified, I could find a job. Nope... Over 200 positions I have applied or sent my resume to and I got only one interview for an System Administrator making $55,000. The only way I got the interview was because I has to dumb down my resume. Did not get the job. They found someone with more experience and the HR person said that over 300 people applied for the position.. Three years ago, they could barely get 5 to apply. Recruiters are no help. I do have family in the Dallas area, and got a couple hits from companies in Dalles. But the both stated that because I am out of town, they feel I will leave when things pick up. Not true. I am looking to get out of California! So.. it is now August. My savings is dried up and my wife makes $40,000 a year as a dental assistant.. Not enough in Southern California. Mortgage company will not do a forbearance so we have to move out of our house and live with my brother. But the rent wont cover the mortgage and we have already accepted the fact that we will lose our house. I have spent $3,000 on two attorneys to help us with the mortgage company.. no help. I get a kick reading that IT jobs are the hot jobs and they are hard to fill. Not enough skilled workers. I have not experienced that. ________________________________ From: "Ziots, Edward" <ezi...@lifespan.org> To: NT System Admin Issues <ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> Sent: Wednesday, August 12, 2009 3:34:23 AM Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant I agree, right now, a lot if not most companies are "bleeding a nickel" when it comes to getting maximum productivity out of workers, on top of reducing costs any and every way they can. I don't see this trend ending for a few years to come. Like its been said before for those that get raises ( Ours have been frozen too, and possibly for longer for just this year) along with the raise in paying more for your benefits, less in the 401K, 403B, and no training budget) be happy you have a job and a roof over your head, it could be a lot worse, and quiet quickly.. I agree use the opportunity to stand out, put in the time, (and we all know it isn't a 40 hr work week, you are lucky if you get away with 60-70 hrs a week now a days) learn all you can learn with new technologies, and bide your time. Z Edward Ziots Network Engineer Lifespan Organization MCSE,MCSA,MCP+I, ME, CCA, Security +, Network + ezi...@lifespan.org Phone:401-639-3505 ________________________________ From: James Kerr [mailto:cluster...@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 7:17 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: Re: OT: Salary rant Guess I shouldn't complain about our 1% raise company wide. ----- Original Message ----- From: Sam Cayze <mailto:sam.ca...@rollouts.com> To: NT System Admin Issues <mailto:ntsysadmin@lyris.sunbelt-software.com> Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 6:49 PM Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant Well put, nice words Andy. (And others). They might be lowballing to find someone serious about the position, not the paycheck. If you bite, they may make it worth your while if you are committed. ________________________________ From: Andy Shook [mailto:andy.sh...@peak10.com] Sent: Tuesday, August 11, 2009 4:27 PM To: NT System Admin Issues Subject: RE: OT: Salary rant Chris, It's tough out there no doubt and I feel your pain, many of us that are employed are right there with you. Salary cuts, benefit cost increases, insurance coverage decreases, 401(k)s turning into 101(k)s, furloughs, FREAKIN' COMISSION PLAN RESTRUCTURES (I fell better). The cut sucks, I understand, but you're standing there with an FULL TIME OFFER LETTER. To many IT guys that are stupid smart are now bagging groceries... I encourage everyone in this situation to look long term; the here and now is not fun but it is temporary. "This too, shall pass", wrote the psalmist. I would use the opportunity you have been given to rise above the morale, fear\doom & gloom and stand out; i.e. all of you be the rock star in your current position(s). It's a killer opportunity, as the fat has been trimmed and orgs are now focusing on everything & everyone with laser precision. Be the best... [1] Shook [1] This could be perceived as an unintentional Karate Kid reference (tournament music....You're the best, around. No one's ever gunna beat you down) but that was not the intent. J On Tue, Aug 11, 2009 at 3:49 PM, Christopher Bodnar <christopher_bod...@glic.com> wrote: I know I'm not going to get a any sympathy here, due to the unemployment rate, and the economy in general, but needed to vent a little. Was hired as a contract to hire position last year. Great company, close to home, good salary. 6 months in they cut my salary by 10% to the contracting company, which was then passed on to me. I was told at the time, that if/when I was offered full time employment, I would be brought on with the initial salary I had started at. Just go the official offer, and it's 5% below that. I know I should be thankful I even have a job, which I am. But I still feel like they are low-balling me just because of the economy. If the economy would be better and more IT jobs out there, I'd tell them to take a hike and see what happens. Can't afford to do that right now with a mortgage and 2 kids. For once I just wish someone would offer me what was promised. Sorry, not looking to offend anyone out there. Just blowing off some steam. Chris ~ Finally, powerful endpoint security that ISN'T a resource hog! ~ ~ <http://www.sunbeltsoftware.com/Business/VIPRE-Enterprise/> ~
