A PE Raise

[Dark Knight]

I get my official money talk today. Don't know if I should cry or laugh. Long story short.

After three years without any raise I got 0.93% on my base salary . Oh, that "raise" is because I got the P.E. They gave me lump sum of $1900. That will put me on the $67,000 from the $64,500 I was. That is a little less than a 4% increase. Still to get the PE incentive bonus. That will be later next month. $1,300 after taxes.

I don't blame my boss. He is a good one, an excellent person and I am learning a lot from him. That nobody can't take away from me. I blame the system. He tried to explain to me how bright the future will be in four or five years if I keep doing what I am doing. Problem is I don't have time. My 43 winters are heavy right now that my son is going to college and Federal Grant was denied as long as two scholarships we applied for.

With all the pain in my heart this is it. I am out of here. Now I am forced to take the first thing representing a big :true: , even if I have to go to Alaska. I wanted to stay in "Paradise" but you can only do so much. I love my job and in this aspect I am happier than ever. My mentor/co-worker has been good to me and my only real friend here.

Problem is: That does't pay the bills.

Should I risk another five years without a raise hoping for the best? I am not going to be able to support and provide my family like that. What would you do?

Sorry for the rant my friends. I am very dissapointed/frustrated/sad :lmao: right now, even when I was expecting this. Somehow I always knew this was going to happen but deep inside I was hoping for a miracle since I wanted to keep doing this job.

The miracle did not happen. lusone:

Looking forward to go home tonight and get drunk. Good thing is that getting drunk will only take a beer. I can afford that...still. :lmao:

 

[MetroRAFB]

Sorry to hear the news Luis. In my opinion, your biggest opportunity to get a meaningful raise is to change jobs. I think others would agree.

I was "comfortable" in a job 5 years ago, a job I'd had for 5 years prior to that. I liked the people I worked with, I liked the work most of the time, but I wasn't ever going to get where I wanted to go professionally if I stayed there. Every evaluation I got was good but the money they seemed to think I'd get eventually never materialized. I agonized over it for almost 2 years before finally making the jump to move my wife and 2 young kids to another state and take another job. THAT job is the one I still have now, and since then I've nearly doubled my previous salary and have gotten my PE. I still haven't had "the talk" with my employer since passing the PE exam, but it's coming. I think the hardest thing in your situation is realizing how valuable other employers are likely to think you are to them. My prayers are with you, I hope all works out for the best. I'm reviewing your email from earlier and I should have some suggestions for you sometime tomorrow. I'll drink one for you tonight!

 

[singlespeed]

I feel your pain Luis. I have had so many "excellent" reviews, only to get a 3 - 4% increase - wtf? There are always reasons, of course: small company, poor economy, good economy and good profits - but shareholders want their cut, rising health care costs, bonuses for executives, profit sharing for executives, huge pay increases for executives, and on and on it goes.

I don't like to job hop, but I've found that the only way to keep up or get ahead is to change jobs every 3 - 5 years, I still have at least a year to go on this one :beerchug: :brickwall:

 

[RleonPE]

Job hop is the only way to get ahead in "our" business. I do not understand why employers do not understand get this. For Engineer to receive an appropriate raise, he/she has to leave that company for another company.

Why not grow Engineers in house? Why let them leave over a 10% raise? After 6 years, I still do not understand this. :beerchug:

 

[Road Guy]

your right, it makes no sense to have to leave your job that your overall happy with just over money, employers should recognize the cost of hiring new people. Headhunters fees alone make up the difference (20% of your salary)

If I was for the most part happy with my job I would even be willing to stay for 8% if I was offered 10% more somplace else, cause you never know if the grass is truly greener.

 

[udpolo15]

Job hop is the only way to get ahead in "our" business. I do not understand why employers do not understand get this. For Engineer to receive an appropriate raise, he/she has to leave that company for another company.
Why not grow Engineers in house? Why let them leave over a 10% raise? After 6 years, I still do not understand this. :bio:

This blows me away too. There are probably thousands of studies that show it is cheaper to keep an employee rather than hire a new one.

I can't complain much overall about my company, but their review practice, at least in my group, is ass backwards. As of 8 AM tomorrow, I have a raise, yet I haven't had my review. I will likely find out how much I got the day before payday (the 15th) as the managers run around and tell people their raise/bonus/promotions so they don't find out by looking at their paycheck. It really pisses me off that my managers can't find 1/2 hour between January 1 and March 1 to talk with me about my performance. What pisses me off even more is that if you aren't going to have a sit down review, don't keep saying you are.

I am pretty much set on walking if i don't get a promotion. I made it pretty clear in my self appraisal that I felt I had responsibilities at least one level above where I am and probably closer to two. We'll see what happens. I go back and forth on how I think things are going to turn out. Based on past experience though, there always seems to be an excuse.

 

[Dark Knight]

My Boss did it :multiplespotting:

He got me my PE bonus so my next check will show an extra $2,000(minus taxes) but he did it. First good thing happening to me in a while. Hope it is a beginning of a positive streak so this time I will say it.... :beerchug:

 

[frazil]

Congrats Luis! :beerchug:

 

[MetroRAFB]

Congrats Luis!

 

[redrum]

congrats!

PS: taxes suck

 

[Dark Knight]

PS: taxes suck

Yeah. It is true. It is a shame that instead of 2k on my next they are not 350.00 on my next 26 checks. But I am OK. 2k > 0.

Thanks to all for your congrats

 

[RIP - VTEnviro]

Congrats Luis! Don't spend it all in one place! :multiplespotting:

 

[Bigwolf]

My Boss did it :multiplespotting: He got me my PE bonus so my next check will show an extra $2,000(minus taxes) but he did it. First good thing happening to me in a while. Hope it is a beginning of a positive streak so this time I will say it.... :multiplespotting:

AWESOME!!! VERY NICE!!!!! :multiplespotting: :multiplespotting: :multiplespotting:

 

[jrsc]

On the note of reviews, my company has all it's reviews in February but this year they seemed to not be doing reviews. Then on Feb. 21 I was asked into my boss's office and was told that the company was going through some layoffs and I was the first to go. When I asked why one of the hires in the last 6-12 months were not going first, I was told that it costs too much to keep the experienced people on staff. Does that make any sense?!?!? How long does it take before one of the new hires even knows how to complete a permit application. Well I guess I'm off to find a better job.

 

[frazil]

Oh man, that's a bummer. Sorry to hear that jrsc. It doesn't make any sense at all. If they have any kind of reputation as a good engineering firm it's going to go out the window once they lose all their experienced people. Good luck finding something else.

 

[Dleg]

That's great news Luis! Congrats!