Decisions

The current decision I'm mulling over is work. Here's currently how it works:

I am a programmer for company A. I am paid a salary that is much less than usual, but I felt it was a concession to actually get work without much experience. I know theory, dude, I'm all over it. But the question comes up "So, what have you done?" and I'm all... WHATEVER! 'COZ THIS IS MY UNITED STATES OF WHATEVER!

*ahem*

Anyway, company A is hired by company B for a very large programming project. Company A bills out by day. They charge about 4 - 5 times what I make a day. I'm not sure the exact number. They try very hard to keep that sort of thing a secret from me. Company B is reluctant, but company A offers to put the programmer On-Site so that there are no discrepancies.

Temporary bonus: I don't have to drive 2 hours each way to work while this project is going on.

Now, company B realizes that this is expensive. They've got big, ambitious plans. They realize paying what company A is charging is a little much. They will try to steal employee of company A, and pay less than what they currently pay. I happen to know for a fact that being offerred a job with company B is a matter of days away.

The punchline? Less than 4-5 times what I make in a day... why, 2 times fits nicely. And it's closer to what programmers are supposed to get anyway.

Wow. I could definitely do well with that. The trick is how much I should ask for. They have no idea what company A is paying me, other than they know it's less than what's being charged. But as far as the numbers? No idea. Knowledge is power, and they don't have my power.

Now, too much and they might shrink away from hiring me permanently for the future projects, and just will let me finish this project and then I get the boot. AKA: killing the goose that lays the golden eggs. Too little, and I'll still be exploited, and it'll be much worse.

These cats are much more strict with hours and dress code and all that stuff. The atmosphere is much less laid back. I will need a few suits, ties, shirts, belts, shoes, and so on. And then there's the work. At least with the web development there's always the mystery of what's next. I get to be more creative than I would be at company B, where my destiny rests with banking and financial software. Snooze.

Although money can rent a lot of excitement.

I really don't know. I've got something in mind for how much to ask. Just like in working again for Company A and asking for more money before coming back to the folks that let me go with 0 days notice, I'll bluff and who knows, maybe they'll call it.

Decisions decisions.

Your Linguistic Profile:

55% General American English

25% Yankee

15% Dixie

0% Midwestern

0% Upper Midwestern

What Kind of American English Do You Speak?