Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - anyone making 50-75k a year?

Leto · 10-29-2007, 06:27 PM

OK. My point B has been arrived at after a 20 year, sometimes hard progression from Point A. By the way, my current point B has me earning over 100K, plus 15% variable pay (bonus) component. But this is the second time that I've had to achieve that level.

Point A found me at the end of a BA Hnrs in physical geography and working contract as a geologist. Contracts that were hard to come by in the recession of the mid 1980's. Especially when I had to compete with Masters or PhD's for related contracts.

So... back to school I went, this time college instead of university to get a diploma in Computer Programming and Analysis. This was expensive, way more than my university degree ($100 day). From this I landed my first IT job (april '87) as a programmer for Prudential Insurance. I spent my days coding mainframe applications (COBOL, JCL, VSAM, BDAM) for the princely sum of $19,000 per year.

By the way, this was the year that I got married, and my entire salary went to my 850 dollar per month rental of a one bedroom. My new wife's salary went to food & parking.

So, like has been stated above, I worked hard. within 8 months, I got a raise, and started to make 21,000K per year. I found that by applying for a second job, in mainframe programming a year later, I was able to leverage my salary up. It was hard work, lots of night time on call support, and a good reputation. Plus a lucky break that saw me hired by PriceWaterhouse management consulting that increased my salary to respectable levels.

Unfortunately it did not progress nicely. Although I was timely enough to ride the IT bubble from '87 to 2002, and was able to start a family, buy and pay for a house, the IT crash of the early 2000's caught me up too.

I had to become an independant contractor, and sell my skills on the street. it took 4 years to establish a reasonable reputation. and another 3 to become secure and earn in the 6 digits again. I never assume that I have a job for life. especially in IT.

There is a glut of IT skill in the workplace, and the business side is the driver now, requiring detail benefits to approve of any progect.

So, unless you are extremely lucky or skilled there is no replacement for hard work and a good reputation. Even though I've been in the business for more than 20 years, I have never had to show my degree, diploma or transcript to anybody. I have had to depend on my reputation though, and it has what has been the major contributer to my modest success.

10-29-2007, 06:27 PM	#49 (permalink)
Leto Junkie Location: The Danforth	OK. My point B has been arrived at after a 20 year, sometimes hard progression from Point A. By the way, my current point B has me earning over 100K, plus 15% variable pay (bonus) component. But this is the second time that I've had to achieve that level. Point A found me at the end of a BA Hnrs in physical geography and working contract as a geologist. Contracts that were hard to come by in the recession of the mid 1980's. Especially when I had to compete with Masters or PhD's for related contracts. So... back to school I went, this time college instead of university to get a diploma in Computer Programming and Analysis. This was expensive, way more than my university degree ($100 day). From this I landed my first IT job (april '87) as a programmer for Prudential Insurance. I spent my days coding mainframe applications (COBOL, JCL, VSAM, BDAM) for the princely sum of $19,000 per year. By the way, this was the year that I got married, and my entire salary went to my 850 dollar per month rental of a one bedroom. My new wife's salary went to food & parking. So, like has been stated above, I worked hard. within 8 months, I got a raise, and started to make 21,000K per year. I found that by applying for a second job, in mainframe programming a year later, I was able to leverage my salary up. It was hard work, lots of night time on call support, and a good reputation. Plus a lucky break that saw me hired by PriceWaterhouse management consulting that increased my salary to respectable levels. Unfortunately it did not progress nicely. Although I was timely enough to ride the IT bubble from '87 to 2002, and was able to start a family, buy and pay for a house, the IT crash of the early 2000's caught me up too. I had to become an independant contractor, and sell my skills on the street. it took 4 years to establish a reasonable reputation. and another 3 to become secure and earn in the 6 digits again. I never assume that I have a job for life. especially in IT. There is a glut of IT skill in the workplace, and the business side is the driver now, requiring detail benefits to approve of any progect. So, unless you are extremely lucky or skilled there is no replacement for hard work and a good reputation. Even though I've been in the business for more than 20 years, I have never had to show my degree, diploma or transcript to anybody. I have had to depend on my reputation though, and it has what has been the major contributer to my modest success.