Re: salary idea

  • From: Dba DBA <oracledbaquestions@xxxxxxxxx>
  • To: Michael.Coll-Barth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Tue, 15 Jun 2010 12:30:31 -0400

The US has a near 10% unemployment rate and you are going to respond
demanding $150k and if they ask why you will go "you are making me deal with
SQL Server" Your email will be deleted.

This has been my experience the last few years. Been doing alot of
contractor so I take alot of recruiter emails.

1. If they ask you for a number up front, they probably aren't paying that
well. Some exceptions, but its a "too expensive don't waste our time". So
they want to screen people out. If they go "give us your best offer", that
is pimp speak "we don't care who is good, so we want to submit the cheapest
people to make the most money.
2. If they won't give you a number until you interview, it is a cattle call
with tons of candidates and they pay middle of the road.
3. If they respond with "you look really senior, what would it take to get
you to talk to us", then it is negotiable, but they have a budget. They
won't blow you off if your too expensive and it won't burn a bridge. they
would talk to you later at a lower number if you need a job. Just be
friendly.
4. If you ask and they answer, it is anywhere from average (below $100k, to
$130k on salary).
5. if they tell you in the email, it either pays absolute bottom of the
barrel (so you don't bother them if you don't like it) or it pays
really well and they are trying to recruit you.

There isn't anything in that ad that is unique. RAC is a little bit, but its
been around long enough where alot of people know RAC atleast a little bit
(yes I know everyone says they know it). Dataguard you can pick up quick if
you have not used it. Everything else is standard. The golden gate
administration could mean you have a few things to do or its a big deal.
That is usually more of "can this person figure out what he needs to do" and
its not a requirement.

Alot of shops have SQL Server also and they need people who can do both.
They won't pay more money for this. They want someone who won't complain if
they have to do multiple things. I personally think this is a fair request.

The job ad depends on you. Do you know all this stuff? Are you good at it?
You can't really tell what is valued until you talk to them. Recruiters
often pump all kinds of stuff in an advertisement. I have seen RAC and it
was "we may use RAC at some date in the future" and its not important to
them. To "we have 50 RAC databases we are managing and you need to know it
well". You have to talk to them. I had one RAC phone screen where they
didn't know anything and I had another where he asked me every little picky
thing about it since they manage massive numbers of RAC systems, so with
that many if it can go wrong it will. The good thing about those types of
jobs is that 2 years there and you can really know RAC well(along with alot
of other things), but its a rough two years.

How much to ask for is in large part based on
have a job and are secure in the job and like the job, ask for more than you
make
need a job: be more cautious. There is 10% unemployment.

The compensation range between companies is enormous. What one company may
think of as middle of the road pay, the other thinks of as outrageous. I
have seen very senior DBA jobs go for $90k or less with off hours support
required in the DC area to $130k on salary with no off hours support and
working 9-5. So it depends.

The lowest paying stuff is typically the 1099 sub-contractors where they
won't even give you a payment date (we pay eventually and don't bother us
about it) and includes "if you quit or tell anyone we didn't pay you we can
sue you and take your house". You don't get that stuff in normal salary
jobs(since its not legal on a w-2, but 1099 is considered a business
contract) and I never sign those.

just my take.



On Tue, Jun 15, 2010 at 10:01 AM, <Michael.Coll-Barth@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>wrote:

>  ~125K in NYC, at least.  I have no idea what that should be in Western NY
> dollars.  ;O
>
> That 'mentoring' pushes the salary up.  Plus there are a few other things
> in there.  How often will you be doing off-site DR duties that require
> travel?
>
> I would also add another 25K just for having to having that god-awful SQL
> Server crap in your head, contaminating your thinking and taking up space
> that could be used for more useful things.  Like the batting averages of the
> NY Yankees in 1933.
>
>  ------------------------------
> *From:* oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:
> oracle-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] *On Behalf Of *Zelli, Brian
> *Sent:* Tuesday, June 15, 2010 9:49 AM
> *To:* oracle-l-freelists
> *Subject:* salary idea
>
>  Hello listers........a fortune 100 company recently interviewed me.
> Below is a job description.  They asked what my salary requirements were.  I
> need some help here.  What do you think this job is worth?  I have my own
> idea but I just don't want to sell myself short.
>
>
> Preferred Qualifications:
>
> • SQL Server 2005,2008 strongly desired
>
>
>

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