SHOULD I STAY OR SHOULD I GO, II ?
A few years ago I posted an entry with the same title, but today's dilemma has nothing to do with that.

Before I get into it, thanks Antsie for your comment. For the record, I rarely drink coffee. Once in a while I'll have a Diet Coke at my desk at work first thing in the morning, poured into a big cup HEAPED with ice. It usually lasts me more than 1/2 a day. Then when I eat at fast food joints I usually order a Diet Coke, but I only drink enough to wash down my meal. Then I throw the rest out.

OK, onto my current dilemma (as if I only had one). When I moved from my original position at work into my current one, the HR director told me that since it was a lateral move, I would not be receiving a pay raise for moving. I would have to wait till my performance review in October to see if I got any kind of a raise. I was not happy about this, but I kept my mouth shut for fear I would lose out on the move & have to go back to my miserable situation with the nasty person.

Now, when I moved and was still under the impression that I might get a raise, there was a certain figure I was hoping for. I don't want to say what it is or what my current salary is, will just call the figure $GOAL. When my performance review came in October I did in fact get a raise. However, yearly raises are limited to a certain percentage. So my $CURRENT is still less than my $GOAL.

Last week I learned (don't ask me how) that $GOAL was the exact figure budgeted for my position into my department's fiscal budget. And even after my annual raise, I'm still making less than that.

It gets better. Another thing that happened last week is that I ran into a former colleague who now works at...oh, let's call it Big University. As a result of a conversation we had that day, she emailed me some figures. Turns out an entry-level admin just starting out at the very lowest level clerical position at Big U. earns slightly more than $GOAL.

I'm seriously thinking about leaving. If I can land a job at Big U., I'll automatically have a better salary. Probably better benefits too, and that's an issue since my current insurance doesn't cover psych care adequately. (If I go to see a PCP or any other type of specialist, my co-pay is $15. If I go to a mental health provider, my co-pay is 50%. Not $50, 50 PERCENT!) Plus, there's some shit at my current job that's really starting to piss me off. More on that another time.

So why haven't I updated my resume yet? 2 things. Onne of them is that if I manage to stay here till the end of November, it will be the longest I have ever held a FT job. The other is something I don't want to post online right now because it would be too revealing. Remember folks, the only reason I can be this open and honest in this blog is because I am completely anonymous.

So that's my dilemma.
- posted by Pat @ 1:23 PM