AUGIWorld Magazine - January/February 2008 - (Page 5) ing. There is more to your work/life balance than just a paycheck. I like to think of salary as a reinforcement of the right job or a deal breaker for a bad job. If the firm I am striving to join (or where I work now) sees my value, then they will be fair in setting my salary level. Paying fair wages and even above-average wages is part of the overall positive culture of a firm. If they do not set a reasonable rate of pay, then it may be true that they are not very “reasonable” in most areas. It is a symptom of an overarching “negative” style of company organization. What if you are really disgruntled about your salary level? I would suggest that you think about it for some time before you make any decisions. Changing based just on this one issue may make it tough to find another position that will satisfy you. If you have a narrow perspective that limits your screening of potential employers, then you may not see some very good opportunities. do it and then again, maybe not. Andrew Oswald, professor of economics at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, surveyed more than 16,000 workers at more than 800 firms and found that salary minimally influences job happiness. So keep it in perspective. If you want to jump, how much of an increase should you be looking for? I suggest you not consider a jump unless the base salary (excluding all of these other benefits) is at least 10 percent more than your existing base. That is taking into account only the financial differences. All things being equal, most people don’t leave just for a larger paycheck. There are other factors. If you are not in a good situation then leaving for less money may be worth it. You may gain much more than money. We will look at these other factors next time. Until then, think long and hard before making a job change. It may be that the best place to work is where you are right now. Mark W. Kiker is a member-at-large on the AUGI Board of Directors. Mark is a National CAD Standards Project Team Member and team member of the National BIM Standard. He is the General Editor of BLAUGI and also publishes caddmanager.com, the CADD Managers Journal, and the caddmanager.com blog. He is a returning faculty member at Autodesk University. He is currently Chief Information Officer for HMC Architects in Ontario, California. What do you really make? Before you decide to “turn in your badge,” think about what level of salary will make you happy. The Beatles sang “money can’t buy me love.” It can’t buy you job satisfaction either. It is only one facet of the sparkling gem that is a great job. Think about the things that can eat away at your salary if you make a change. Benefits may cost more or cover less. The commute may take more time and cost more money in gas. You may have to spend more on job-related supplies. Find out what your firm pays for and what the others may not. You may have to cover more expenses than you are used to. You may derail a raise that is coming soon—maybe within the next few months. Changing to a new position will start the clock over. Take into account your overall compensation package, not just your paycheck’s bottom line. Does your firm pay for training, meals, gas or travel? Does it contribute to a retirement fund? Does it pay for sick time, bereavement time, and vacation time? Calculate these at your hourly rate and add it to your yearly compensation number. Does your company offer bonuses? Add that in also. Bonuses may not be guaranteed, but you may have a track record of gaining some of these. Benefits like these all come into play when calculating the total compensation package that you receive. Don’t underestimate them. Take the time to add up all of the financial benefits you receive and look at the overall number. Now, look at that number and think about if moving to another firm might increase that amount. You may be able to Jan/Feb 2008 Seven distribution centers nationwide Industry experienced customer service Next business day shipping Easy online ordering For quick and easy CAD-related orders, go with a supplier who knows their cursor from their chamfer. Call MasterGraphics. We have more than 3,000 products, from bond paper, toner, and inkjet cartridges for all brands of printers and plotters including Xerox, HP and Océ, to quality drafting supplies and furniture. Trust us to understand your needs. Your equipment. And most importantly, your language. MasterGraphics | Single Source. Endless Possibilities.™ To order, visit our online store at www.masterg.com/augi or call (800) 873.7238 today. (800) 873.7238 • www.masterg.com/augi 5 http://caddmanager.com http://caddmanager.com http://caddmanager.com http://www.masterg.com
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