Hello
I am a master-degree-having six-figure earning cis woman who works as an engineer in the tech industry and I’m also a “single mother.”
I started in the tech industry as a support agent in 2015 making $30k/yr and I’ve busted a33 to get to the skill and experience level I’m at now. However.. Anyone could do what I did. My master degree is in Animation, but circumstances led me here.
This past week I did a few job interviews, gotta keep it fresh: one for a career job as an engineer that I was contacted by a recruiter for, and one for a data entry job that in my mind I thought would be easy extra cash on the side.
The Engineer job like I said is a 6 fig job and it was a pleasant, non-discriminatory and respectful experience. I was treated like a valuable professional, and that is and should be the standard. I’ve noticed though it’s, generally speaking, only the standard for well paying roles.
The data entry role pays $25/hr. Within two minutes of interviewing I was saying in my mind holy authoritarianism batman — bc seriously. From what I can tell this is a factory farm for faceless workers. They said things like “You are expected to ___”, “I advise you to __ during these questions” and “ You will pick a shift” and “We will send you equipment, is that understood?”
… Yes, my new overlords, my puny brain has comprehended this concept …
I remember getting yelled at in my tech support position back in 2017 for taking a 20 min break instead of 15.
In the last 2 jobs I had though, once I reached a certain pay and level in the org, I was able to step away as needed – provided that my deliverables are on par. I don’t have to clock in or out anymore. Needing PTO is usually not a problem.
The difference between being a lower income hourly worker and a salaried worker in my experience is night and day. It shouldn’t be that way. No one should ever get treated like dirt no matter what their earning power is.
/rant