Need Advice.

TechJunky

I dont want to give too much information due to the circumstances.

However, I just moved into a new position for a company as a Systems Administrator. Since then our company has merged, downsized and taken on a lot of new business. I am now the Apple Certified guy at my company and they want me to do install's through out the U.S.

Pro's: Awesome experience, resume filler.
Con's: Ton's of travel, no wage increase currently, no corporate card for expenses; takes atleast 2 weeks to get reimbursed after trips. I currently have a 10k revolving tab from traveling.

Ok, so here is the situation.

I was contacted by two large companies and they are paying between 60k - 80k. With my experience both said I would defiantly be offered minimum of 75k range and they would pay for relocation.

Here is the problem. I love my current company, the training, the employees the new way the company is going etc. However, I have a HUGE problem with the revolving monthly credit card tab from flying so much and the low salary. The traveling tab was obtained from just 2 months of traveling and is getting worse every time I travel. I travel about every 2 weeks and it costs about 3k each trip. I am usually on another trip before I get reimbursed from the last trip.

Should I...

A: Demand a corporate card or have them pay all my expenses before I do any more work for them, if they dont then put in my notice?

B: Ask for a substantial raise due to all my new duties and flying.

C: Ask for corporate card and wage increase?

I dont want to come across demanding, but this is rediculious to be honest. Plus, I have had 2 new managers in the 5 months time I have been on board... I don't even know who to ask for a raise.

When I was hired on I took a pay cut because I explicitly asked if travel was invloved and they the hiring manager said no. He was also were very direct on my job duties and they have changed drastically. Now that this manger is gone how do I back up my conversation?

I am now in charge of the Alaska/Hawaii division along with installs all over the U.S, along with that I am making sub par wages considering my job roles.

One of the new companies offering is Microsoft.

human151

I would atleast ask for a company credit card. I used to travel to Boston and Reno quite a bit for one of my past employers and they offered me a company card for this. I cannot imagine why your company has not done this.

Im sorry to hear that the company is low balling you as far as pay, you're not alone there.


On that note, If M$ is offering you a position....dude you have to take it, imo. THink Stability and opportunity. Large Corporations can offer stability, for the most part and in normal times. And Large Corporations offer more opportunities for training and advancement,


Good luck with whatever path you choose to take.

HeroPsycho

Take it from me and personal experience, if MS is offering you a position that's a contracting position, do not think of it as stable. They cut contractors at the drop of a hat. It's still great experience, but just remember that. Also, if you come aboard as a contractor with them, your job will last no longer than 1 year. Even if they like you and want to bring you in full time, you must then not work for them for 3 months, THEN they can bring you on.

The good news is when I worked there, I got an immediate six weeks straight of paid training, and got to see ridiculous amounts of "under the hood" stuff about Active Directory, Exchange, and Windows.

As for asking your current employer for additional compensation, a corporate card vs comparable pay, unless you're keeping receipts and what not for the job expenses, you're better off with the card since income is immediately taxable.

If it were me, I'd take the job with the combination of the best experience/job growth with pay. Only you can know that.

One caveat:

Do not make ultimatums to your current employer without having a written, signed offer letter from another company you're willing to accept.

undomiel

Are you wanting to leave your current employer? Do the other jobs have you traveling? If they don't then I would say go for one of the other jobs. Will you be getting great experience from them as well? If you do decide to jump jobs don't forget to get all of the details of your last checks and travel reimbursements from them because you may need those details later on. If you decide to stick with them though you should definitely enter discussions about getting a corporate card as it is rather ridiculous for them to expect you to foot the initial outpay for all of that travel.

As HP mentioned though, make sure you have that offer letter in writing first!

TechJunky

Thanks for the insight.

My current company is a 60 million dollar company, so they aren't small. Only a couple of other employees in my department have corporate cards and they are Program Managers. Each job would require 25% travel, so that is not something that will be going away. I took my current position on a notion that I would have ZERO travel and would just be maintaining 5 companies AD environments and some SQL databases. This was true for about the first month of the position and then drastically changed to 50% travel almost over night and now I am supporting many new companies and taking on other duties that require travel all around the U.S. So with that being said I feel they should defiantly compensate me atleast what I was making at my last company because my past companies duties were pretty much parallel what I do now and I am making much less currently. Also, the corporate card thing is defiantly a must.

I agree with ultimatives. I have never given one, and especially considering I love everything else about the company I wouldn't want to have to bring that up as an option. Hopefully they are level headed enough to do the right thing before I have to make a drastic change.

The worst they can say is "no", I can get a written contract from another employer and move on if need be, I just truely hope it doesnt have to come down to that.