This is something that I'm finally learning for myself, and I wanted to make sure other people would hear it before years go by for them like they did for me.
I've worked with my company for coming up 9 years. It was my first job after dropping out of college, and I was desperate to get my foot in the door anywhere. My friend was the manager at the time (left about a year after) and stuck his neck out for me hiring me. So I made sure to show that my friend wasn't just hiring people he knew, but someone that could get the job done.
I was a level 1 technician for phone support for a relatively small CCTV company. I was part time at 11/hr (this was in California 2013) and it was a good idea to me because it would have skills that could transition.
Well, the years go by and I'm constantly the one who will do the difficult tasks nobody else will do or learn how to do. I didn't go to school or get certifications, I just learned what I needed to know to fix the issues as they came.
And every year I would get some kind of promotion or the “best” raise. I went from level 1, to level 2, to level 3. To Product Lead for several types of products. And every time I would ask for more money.
They would always point at my resume and say “well if you had this or this we'd be able to argue more. And for years I thought my lack of formal education was the biggest issue.
Last year, they made me the trainer for all techs, including a newly hired “escalation tech”.
This same time a new level 1 tech with “papers” saying his value was discovered to make 21 an hour, and by this point I myself was JUST given the raise to 23 an hour.
I made this evident as bullshit and they got me to 25 an hour.
Last Friday, I was asked to be an escalation engineer. When I asked what the raise was, I was told there was no raise offered, as I just got two raises 6 months ago.
I don't know what the escalation engineer makes, but I know its a hell of a lot more than me. And it clicked – “How am I good enough for the job, but not good enough for the pay that this other guy is getting that I TRAINED? A guy who still asks me questions”
So I declined the offer, explaining my point. And I'm looking for a new job. I had anticipated that since all of the other “Veteran” techs left last year, I was primed and positioned as literally the most knowledgeable person on the team to leverage my true value. But instead, they didn't even offer me a dime for a raise.
It was a hard long learned lesson, but I'm awaked to my own true value. I let THEM point at my resume and say that I wasn't worth this while they would also say I could do the job. No more.
Hard work doesn't pay off, knowing your worth and refusing to be taken advantage of pays off.
Currently looking for a new job elsewhere, even if my resume isn't the best I know I can do it if I'm given the chance and if my employer respects me. I hope my tale is cautionary to save some of you.