Current Events > Every job I've been interviewing for turns out to pay in the $30k's

(+) Yeah! (+)

Started out making 47k, 6 months later landed a job at 75k. Unfortunately a lot of luck is involved, but also the market. Since we just got a new president in the past year and corporations are relatively greedy anymore, finding a job paying a lot is challenging
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Do you work for a large corporation? Because I totally get that; when I was younger I worked for a fortune 50 company, and my mentors were all pissed because they did work that deserved promotions and would streamline processes or implement new processes and the company did jack shit about it because they weren't always in line with the companies "vision".

Fucking corporate culture. I'm glad I've been able to work for a small firm that still has the resources to treat me well.
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Yeah, I work for a massive multi-national. Most of my time was in defense but am currently in a commercial branch.

Working in contracts was awesome because I worked directly with sales so it was very much the attitude of do whatever it takes to make things less expensive and get us the sale. So basically all of my suggestions were evaluated based on their business merit, since my leadership then was judged nearly entirely based on saving money and making sales, that is what I was judged on.

The engineering manager job I had a much smaller management organization above me and it was just really cool work, I was getting to work some real next gen classified program stuff that was just really fun to learn about.

I thought worked in supplier management they would be solely focused on cost reduction as well, but for some reason that isn't that high of a priority. About a year ago I negotiated a huge $XXXM deal with a large computer supplier. I saved the company ~25% compared to the previous contract. Rather than getting kudos for that I was admonished for negotiating so hard with our "partner" by my direct management. Of course they took plenty of credit for the savings to THEIR leadership.
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BuzzyTheCat posted...

s0nicfan posted...

Cleo_II posted...

how do you overcome that realization that to do a good job, sometimes you have to trick people into making a purchase they shouldn't? That's the problem I'd have trouble with. I mean... at the end of the day you're just manipulating people.

Im in sales and consulting for farm equipment and technology. Of course I manipulate people, thats my job. Ive never thought twice about it. If people do what I say, buy what I say, and use it the way I say, I know for a fact it will make them money. The way I see it, sometimes people need to be manipulated for their own good. My own good also plays a big role in that as well.

Unless you purposely withhold or alter information in order to get them to make the sale, I wouldn't exactly call that manipulation. That falls under influence, imo.

BuzzyTheCat posted...

Im in sales and consulting for farm equipment and technology.

Could you tell me a bit more about what you do? I grew up working on dairy farms and that sounds awesome to me. Farmers are just about my favorite people.
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KILBOTz posted...

I thought worked in supplier management they would be solely focused on cost reduction as well, but for some reason that isn't that high of a priority. About a year ago I negotiated a huge $XXXM deal with a large computer supplier. I saved the company ~25% compared to the previous contract. Rather than getting kudos for that I was admonished for negotiating so hard with our "partner" by my direct management. Of course they took plenty of credit for the savings to THEIR leadership.

I understand stressing good supplier relations, but Christ, those guys sound like major assholes.

Have you thought about consulting? I imagine you're extremely knowledgeable and could do some lucrative work for a small-to-midsize firm doing that.
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It's kind of funny, people in my future line of work make the same starting salary whether you have a masters or a bachelors.

However, it's extremely difficult to get a job if you don't promise you get your masters, and impossible to move up to a good position without a masters. So the idea is that you miss out on three to four semesters worth of pay anyway.

It's kind of odd, but also makes sense.
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Jabodie posted...

It's kind of funny, people in my future line of work make the same starting salary whether you have a masters or a bachelors.

However, it's extremely difficult to get a job if you don't promise you get your masters, and impossible to move up to a good position without a masters. So the idea is that you miss out on three to four semesters worth of pay anyway.

It's kind of odd, but also makes sense.

What line of work is that?
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Drpooplol posted...

KILBOTz posted...

I thought worked in supplier management they would be solely focused on cost reduction as well, but for some reason that isn't that high of a priority. About a year ago I negotiated a huge $XXXM deal with a large computer supplier. I saved the company ~25% compared to the previous contract. Rather than getting kudos for that I was admonished for negotiating so hard with our "partner" by my direct management. Of course they took plenty of credit for the savings to THEIR leadership.

I understand stressing good supplier relations, but Christ, those guys sound like major assholes.

Have you thought about consulting? I imagine you're extremely knowledgeable and could do some lucrative work for a small-to-midsize firm doing that.

It was never even a good supplier relationship to begin with, based on dun and bradstreet data we were getting a shit deal. I didn't even beat them up that hard, I got us a deal in line with what most companies buying as much as us get.

i have considered consulting, i actually started a side business years ago for consulting but I didn't especially like the work and closed shop. So much of consulting felt like you were supposed to tell your customer what they wanted to hear, not what they needed to hear.

im wanting to work for blue origin or spacex next, though spacex would be an awful commute, so i'm leaning towards blue origin. maybe eventually sell my place and get one nearer spacex if i really enjoy the industry.
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twitterfriends posted...

Damn that is considered poverty wage in my city.

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Godnorgosh posted...

deupd_u posted...

My GPA is 3.77

lol, no one cares, sadly. My GPA was 3.8 and I'm making a whopping 11/hr. There's room for advancement, but still.

It can make a difference. Where I work if we get a pile of resumes for an opening, generally the people who post their GPA and have a solid one like that will bubble for the top. If we're only budgeting for 5 or 10 candidates for an interview, a good GPA can be make or break for getting in the door.
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s0nicfan posted...

Godnorgosh posted...

deupd_u posted...

My GPA is 3.77

lol, no one cares, sadly. My GPA was 3.8 and I'm making a whopping 11/hr. There's room for advancement, but still.

It can make a difference. Where I work if we get a pile of resumes for an opening, generally the people who post their GPA and have a solid one like that will bubble for the top. If we're only budgeting for 5 or 10 candidates for an interview, a good GPA can be make or break for getting in the door.

true that, i know plenty of companies that only even consider you if you have a certain GPA. it can totally make a difference
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I started at 35k out of college and 5 years later make almost double that. Gain experience and advance.
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If youre looking to do something you enjoy, get whatever degree you want.

If youre looking to turn a profit on what you paid to get that degree, do research on what jobs that degree will qualify you for.

If money is your primary concern, then go to a trade school. Learn how to weld or something. Youll make $70-90k and at a fraction of what college costs.
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KILBOTz posted...

BuzzyTheCat posted...

Im in sales and consulting for farm equipment and technology.

Could you tell me a bit more about what you do? I grew up working on dairy farms and that sounds awesome to me. Farmers are just about my favorite people.

I work for one of the Big Colors selling their equipment and their technology packs. On large projects they will put me on loan to other companies who are trying to build a complete package for a specific farm/company.

For example I just finished a 2 year consulting project in southern Illinois that combined everything from automated machinery, a complete technology package (including hardware and software from almost a dozen companies) a full survey of the land, soil analysis, chemical conditioning, crop selection, etc

I absolutely love consulting like that but it can be hard for multiple reasons. I only make 30k a year in salary. That 2 year project had a very nice commission check at the end of it, but for those 2 years I was earning my base salary things got tight at times. The other difficulty is with so many moving parts, if 1 company out of 20+ screws something up badly enough, it can poison the entire deal for everyone involved. Its exciting, rewarding, and I truly love what I do but I can see how some people who hate it and would be a nervous wreck all the time
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Having a degree doesn't guarantee shit.

Take the job.
Get experience.
Learn valuable skills.
Get new job for more money.
Repeat.
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BuzzyTheCat posted...

KILBOTz posted...

BuzzyTheCat posted...

Im in sales and consulting for farm equipment and technology.

Could you tell me a bit more about what you do? I grew up working on dairy farms and that sounds awesome to me. Farmers are just about my favorite people.

I work for one of the Big Colors selling their equipment and their technology packs. On large projects they will put me on loan to other companies who are trying to build a complete package for a specific farm/company.

For example I just finished a 2 year consulting project in southern Illinois that combined everything from automated machinery, a complete technology package (including hardware and software from almost a dozen companies) a full survey of the land, soil analysis, chemical conditioning, crop selection, etc

I absolutely love consulting like that but it can be hard for multiple reasons. I only make 30k a year in salary. That 2 year project had a very nice commission check at the end of it, but for those 2 years I was earning my base salary things got tight at times. The other difficulty is with so many moving parts, if 1 company out of 20+ screws something up badly enough, it can poison the entire deal for everyone involved. Its exciting, rewarding, and I truly love what I do but I can see how some people who hate it and would be a nervous wreck all the time

So do the small companies negotiate directly with you or are they working with the farmers as well? I did a few partnering agreements for large programs where it is taking their product, putting it onto our platform, and unfortunately they still get a seat at the table when we were negotiating with customers. And yeah, they can shit the bed sometimes.

If you don't mind me asking what sort of commission do you get for 2 years of work?
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KILBOTz posted...

BuzzyTheCat posted...

KILBOTz posted...

BuzzyTheCat posted...

Im in sales and consulting for farm equipment and technology.

Could you tell me a bit more about what you do? I grew up working on dairy farms and that sounds awesome to me. Farmers are just about my favorite people.

I work for one of the Big Colors selling their equipment and their technology packs. On large projects they will put me on loan to other companies who are trying to build a complete package for a specific farm/company.

For example I just finished a 2 year consulting project in southern Illinois that combined everything from automated machinery, a complete technology package (including hardware and software from almost a dozen companies) a full survey of the land, soil analysis, chemical conditioning, crop selection, etc

I absolutely love consulting like that but it can be hard for multiple reasons. I only make 30k a year in salary. That 2 year project had a very nice commission check at the end of it, but for those 2 years I was earning my base salary things got tight at times. The other difficulty is with so many moving parts, if 1 company out of 20+ screws something up badly enough, it can poison the entire deal for everyone involved. Its exciting, rewarding, and I truly love what I do but I can see how some people who hate it and would be a nervous wreck all the time

So do the small companies negotiate directly with you or are they working with the farmers as well? I did a few partnering agreements for large programs where it is taking their product, putting it onto our platform, and unfortunately they still get a seat at the table when we were negotiating with customers. And yeah, they can shit the bed sometimes.

If you don't mind me asking what sort of commission do you get for 2 years of work?

On that project we were all consulting for a company that was selling the entire package as one. We negotiated with the project management company. My paycheck still came from my company, but my vehicle, my business cards, my polo, my jackets, my PPE, all had the logo of the project management company. We would have large meetings for specific issues. For example when it came to vehicle telemetry it would be a meeting with the project management company, their engineers, me, and a few of the vendors who also did telemetry... then we all basically pitched why our solution was best for that part of the project. The project management company then picks who they are going to go with and the "winner" then helps pitch that aspect to the farm company along with the engineers.

For the commission... the entire project at close was $87.5 million. I get 1% of my companies sales for the project (The actual machinery and tech that I sold that was produced by my company) I dont get paid a commission on anyone elses products even if I assisted in their sale. I wont tell you the exact figure, but it was in the lower 6 figures.

The flip side to that is I have also worked multiple multi-month projects that just died at the end for one reason or the other. Those can be tough to swallow sometimes. Especially when you are already spending a 20-40k commission check in your head when it suddenly goes Poof
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the value in school isn't what you learn, it is who you meet

I really wish I could tell 17 year old me that before I pissed away my undergraduate tenure

I had to get a graduate degree to break out of the 30,000s
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fjb posted...

Got to start somewhere man. Have a buddy that started at 32k post graduation and is easily clearing 6 figures 4 years later at the same job.

This isn't going to be the case for 95% of jobs
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Welcome to the real world OP. This is what every entry level position is going to pay you.
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Perascamin posted...

fjb posted...

Got to start somewhere man. Have a buddy that started at 32k post graduation and is easily clearing 6 figures 4 years later at the same job.

This isn't going to be the case for 95% of jobs

Yeah, most people have to change companies to get fat raises.
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College does nothing but condition you to be an obedient drone.

I make 65k as a lab technologist
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JustMyOpinion posted...

Shut the fuck up and work your way up. You chose a degree with a crappy starting salary. Deal with it.

12 year olds shouldnt be giving career advice
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