[Jay Gatz]

Quite a few of you seem to have decent experience in the corporate world, lets see if you can give me some advice.

Background: I'm an engineering intern, one semester away from graduation. I have taken almost all of my engineering classes, i've probably got 90-95% of the knowledge that I'll leave college with after I graduate. I've been working this internship for a year, and I've got my yearly review coming up. For the first few months I was doing regular intern crap- pretty simple autocad drawings, taking measurements, etc. But in the last 8 months or so I've become involved in higher level projects.

For the last 6 months, I've been working on a big project. I do most of the work and (I feel) contribute alot to the project. I've been with it from brainstorm to reserach to justification. Implementation will be sometime in june/july and I've been the one who drives it foward the most, partly because the other two members are busy with the day-to-day operations. When this is implemented, it should save atleast 200k/year and avoid untold amounts of headaches and problems.

Anyway, I've got my yearly review meeting coming up soon. Right now I make $10/hr. I feel what I'm doing deserves more compensation than that. Whats the best way to ask? Is there a chance of getting more money? I work at a large manufacturing facility for an international company. Suggestions?

 

[Damn True]

Internships are slave labor. You can ask, but Id seriously doubt you will get anywhere with it unless you have really blown your boss away with your talent or provided something NOBODY else could have done.

Your efforts would be better spent trying to leverage your past contribution into an actual post-graduate JOB, rather than trying to get a little more jing out of them now. Think long term.


Good luck

 

[firetoole]

now a days you are lucky if you have a paid internship

 

[reflux]

Is full-time employment a guarantee after graduation? Has it even been discussed? If not, focus on that during your yearly review.

 

[MMike]

pee on your boss's desk. That way he'll know you mean business. Oh and leave a dead rabbit in his car.

 

[jdcamb]

I recently asked for a raise. Prior I researched how much my job paid in my area. I kept my skills and education current. I kind of did a in-house resume listing my volunteerism, production rating, and just about every measurable skill or quality I had. Well lets just say I now have a new job in the low paying bike industry. I had worked in the media industry for 13 years. IMO it is not the time to be asking for a raise.....jdcamb

 

[JSB]

Last time I spoke to my boss about a raise, he ask me if I was serious. With all the lay offs going on in the company, he said I was lucky to still have my job.

 

[Mike B.]

I agree with reflux, if you want to work there when you graduate, focus on that. On the other hand, $10 is really low for an engineering intern. 5 years ago I made $13/hr with a small division of a large industrial company that was for sale. At the same time my wife, also an engineer, did her internship with a fortune 500 tech/manufacturing company for $19/hr.

How much longer are you going to be there that a raise would do you much good? I probably wouldn't ask if it were me.

 

[Jay Gatz]

first of all, thanks for the replies.

As far as employment after graduation, this facility has a pretty good reputation for turning internships into jobs. Also, our plant is taking over responsibilities for another plant that was losing money fast (40% more machines and production). There are going to be more people hired, and I've had three different people tell me that the timing could work out very well for me.

On the other hand, i will probably just play it safe and not touch the subject. Maybe I'll buy a calendar or something to vent. Even with a huge % raise it wont make that big of a difference in my paycheck.

 

[manziman]

well, I think i got you guys beat in my job world. I work for a publishing company that makes Labor Law Posters (required by law if you have 1 or more employees on payroll). I was hired on as shipping dept/utility. and there are 3 ways of getting a raise in this company;
Bring a new skillset to improve the company
take a class/skill course to improve the company
be in sales dept and only get bonuses.

I worked in shipping and heard they needed a graphic designer. I'm not getting paid crap ($10.25/hr) in shipping. so, I apply for graphic design and they immediately put me to work as graphic design. After a couple weeks, I asked about my raise or if it would be retro. nope, no raise. then there was a federal update, so we had to ship out all of the updates to our customers and move me back into shipping (fair enough, it needed to get done). After the chaos of the fed. update, i asked to be put back in graphic design. nope, staying in shipping.
i dunno what that rant was proving, buuuuut, have fun with your internship...?

 

[reflux]

first of all, thanks for the replies.

As far as employment after graduation, this facility has a pretty good reputation for turning internships into jobs. Also, our plant is taking over responsibilities for another plant that was losing money fast (40% more machines and production). There are going to be more people hired, and I've had three different people tell me that the timing could work out very well for me.

On the other hand, i will probably just play it safe and not touch the subject. Maybe I'll buy a calendar or something to vent. Even with a huge % raise it wont make that big of a difference in my paycheck.

I'm leaving town tonight and won't check the thread after this, so here's my last advice.

You are in a good position...let me rephrase that, you are in a great position. To be near graduation with work experience and a job lined up (for all intensive purposes) is something a lot of other grads could only hope for. That being said, start hitting the phones, websites, friends, acquaintances, whatever, you get the point. You have a resume that a lot of employers look for and if you can network, your name will pop up when jobs come up. If you want market value for your services (disregard company loyalty for the moment), you're going to have to do some research and interviewing for comparable positions. Blah blah, that paragraph is a little jumbled, but you get the point.

the best of luck, let us know how it turns out.

 

[sanjuro]

Asking for a raise from a corporation is not a very personal question. Even for interns, there is probably an official salary policy for your boss to use. This is different than my shop job, where I had to go back and forth with the boss before he gave me my 6 month raise he gives to everyone.

I wouldn't worry about any negotiation tactics; you have almost no cards to play: you are a 1-2 year employee without a degree or experience, and you have no other job offers to use as a bargining chip.

While your poor negotiating position might sound like a negative, you have the freedom to just go ahead and ask. High level negotiations are usually ultimatums, "Do you want me or not?", which can be very nerve-racking because in some ways it is a bluff. Or even worse if the company decides to evaluation whether they want to keep you or not.

If you are doing an important task, then they obviously want you around. If there is leeway for your boss to give you a raise, he will probably do so. If he doesn't, it will be probably be either company policy or budget reasons, not because you do not deserve one.

Finally, I would just take a private moment, tell your boss you have been at your job for X months and that you have been working hard (don't tell him you have been doing a good job, because he is the judge of that), and that you would like a raise.

He might ask you why you deserve a raise, but it is a bullsh*t question. He should already know why. Here is when you apologize for asking but that you need more money (who doesn't?). This should be a safe response. He might ask you to review your work, but if you cannot do that, you probably don't deserve a raise.

 

[Jay Gatz]

Well, had the review meeting today. went well, all good things said.

I didn't mention anything about a raise, but at the end of the meeting my boss goes "oh yeah, you might be getting a little bump...$10 to $11" and then he came by and confirmed it a little later. so that was cool.

thanks again for your opinions everyone.

 

[Echo]

I recently asked for a raise. Prior I researched how much my job paid in my area. I kept my skills and education current. I kind of did a in-house resume listing my volunteerism, production rating, and just about every measurable skill or quality I had. Well lets just say I now have a new job in the low paying bike industry. I had worked in the media industry for 13 years. IMO it is not the time to be asking for a raise.....jdcamb

Jim you got fired for asking for a raise? Man I would be a millionaire if Xerox ever pulled that sh!t.

 

[COmtbiker12]

Is your handle from The Great Gatsby? Lol. We read that this year in school and it just dawned on me that the name is the same...

 

[Jay Gatz]

Is your handle from The Great Gatsby? Lol. We read that this year in school and it just dawned on me that the name is the same...

Right you are. I couldnt think of a name, and the book was lying around.

 

[COmtbiker12]

Right you are. I couldnt think of a name, and the book was lying around.

I love that book. One of my favorites.

 

[SkaredShtles]

Rip of your shirt and strut around saying "Show me da money!" really loud like.

That'll show 'em you aren't screwin' around.



-S.S.-

 

[Jr_Bullit]

I just got me a pretty little hunk of money...I manage to squirl away an extra 5% - 10% every 6 months on this job...

First - a paid internship is a treasure - I earned my stripes working two jobs around my full time internship, and it was hell...but I learned what I was made of and learned what careers I wasn't ready to face. Be thankful for the opportunities the internship has given you, a modern day apprenticeship is a rare thing.

Second - it never hurts to ask, but it always hurts to deliver an ultimatum. You know you'll be graduating soon, and at the top of your class. You know you'll be in high demand for your skills, knowledge, and pedigree. You shoud know "approximately" what you want after graduation and what salary you're looking to "start" at.

Go to your boss and do as I have done in the past -

Look boss, I feel I'm proving myself everyday, and I'm really glad for the opportunities you have provided me with. My graduation is coming up soon, and it's time for me to look to the future. I've done some research, and I think I have a fair estimation of what I'm worth. During my internship I've done XXX, which saves the company XXX $$$s.

I really like it here, and want to continue to grow and learn under your tutelage. I believe I'm worth XX for this level of position. I'd like to hear your thoughts on hiring me full time for this type of salary and position.

Then hear your boss out. Be absolutely sure of the following -
you're estimating your potential salary higher than what you think you'll rightfully get - your boss will undercut you a **** load.
you're equally as positive as to what your position is really worth.
That you either a) are comfortable with walking
or b) are comfortable taking less than what you ask for - but have some bargaining chips in hand as well...

You'll do okay - I'm learning the golden rule is if you don't pursue and ask, you generally get ****-all...

hehehe - asking and asking and asking finally has put me in the position where I can politely walk in and say I'm leaving (in a few months) and laugh as they scramble to offer me money to stay just long enough to pay for a replacement - you can bet I'll be posting about That conversation when it happens in September.