How good/bad do I have it at my job?

[TomCollins]

If you are making only $30k a year with a Computer Science degree, did you get it at ITT Tech or something? Do you work 20 hours a week? Did you have a 1.5 GPA or something? Wtf happened?

[tagtastic]

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And your food budget seems low.

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But I like to eat well, so whatever.

[tshort]

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Are there opportunities for advancement? Are you taking the initiative to get noticed by those in charge of said advancement?

For an entry-level job, it sounds okay. At this point in your career, you are just learning. Your focus should be on amassing KSAs (knowledge, skills and abilities), not so much on salary. You want to be somewhere that allows for your development as a professional. The money will come as you become more valuable.

Oh, and you generally need to ask for a raise in order to get a raise.

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well i do stuff above and beyond what i was hired to do. seeing as i have a bs in comp sci i also run their small network, fix their comps (and their home comps they bring in) as well as the new wide format printer they just purchased.

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You have a BS in computer science and are making 30K after working for over a year?

[Botch Gallegos]

If I was a CAD guy and the company had me doing bs IT stuff all the time I would demand at least 45k and ask them to change my title.

[BuckyK]

You should be making way more than $30k a year with a BS in CS. When I graduated in 2000, I had a BS in finance and worked for a mechanical contractor making $32k a year. With 1 year experience, you should be making at least $40k.

But, to answer your initial question, no, you don't have it good. That's my opinion at least. If you're lazy then yes, you have a cake job that requires little to no effort, in return you get little to no reward. You're short changing yourself by taking such a low paying job, and the benefits associated don't match up. Sure, I'd love to have a 5 minute commute to work and take an hour or longer lunch and leave at 4. However, if I was making dick for money, then it wouldn't be worth it. A brother's gotta eat you know?

You have a year of experience using CAD, and are able to read architectural drawings. Go send your resume to larger contractors who are looking for a detailer. Most union contractors offer the same benefits for their office staff as they do the unionized field staff. Of course you will have to wake up earlier and maybe have to work 45-50 hours a week a couple times a year, but you might also qualify for a bonus and profit sharing.

So, the question to ask yourself is: Do I want to have a job where I don't work much and don't get paid much, or do I want a job that pays me what I'm worth?

Edit: You have a degree in comp science and are doing IT work instead of programming? What kind of comp science degree do you have, and from where? You really aimed low on your career choices didn't you?

[RunDownHouse]

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i guess my post boils down to the issue of free time vs money. at my age, is it worth it to pursue a 50-60 hour a work week job that pays maybe 20k more and have less free time, or is it more worth it to enjoy myself now while making a modest amount of money.

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I think you should consider that neither of those things should be the issue. Instead, as turnip said, your biggest concern should be finding a field you could spend the next 20 years in. If this is the kind of thing you waant to make a career, then you should be looking for the job that has the most room for growth both through promotion and learning new things.

[Leaky Eye]

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Oh, and you generally need to ask for a raise in order to get a raise.

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Two people have said this. Really? All the jobs I've had, there were semi-annual or annual reviews where raises were de facto guaranteed unless you sucked really bad. Have I been lucky?

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I have always worked in this environment as well. Even in that environment I ask for raises. I tell them what I want before the decisions are made. Because once the decisions are made I will have no chance of being heard.

[meleader2]

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If I was a CAD guy and the company had me doing bs IT stuff all the time I would demand at least 45k and ask them to change my title.

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LOL title? i don't have a title. i don't even have business cards.

oh also, i am allowed to wear jeans and t-shirts to work and keep my piercings in. but i dunno if thats a perk or not.

['Chair]

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i guess my post boils down to the issue of free time vs money. at my age, is it worth it to pursue a 50-60 hour a work week job that pays maybe 20k more and have less free time, or is it more worth it to enjoy myself now while making a modest amount of money.

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everyone would love to work 40 hours/wk (or less ;-)
everyone would love to retire at age 40 (or earlier ;-)

these are trade offs

[tagtastic]

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oh also, i am allowed to wear jeans and t-shirts to work and keep my piercings in. but i dunno if thats a perk or not.

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pieces of the puzzle starting to come together.