ykonwanderer

p.s. Nick – I looked over your portfolio on here and it’s great!  You are not  unemployed right now right??

I think with some of the extensions you get better design and display options.
 
You know you can use GIS to quickly build 3d models of entire cities or regions and map out the terrain, while simultaneously overlaying an almost infinite number of spatial and network analyses onto this 3d representation.  It’s pretty valuable for large-scale env…[Read more]

Hmm – I’m curious – what Civil 3d tools use GIS?

I know that the company misses out on some projects (typically the “cooler” projects) because they are considered expensive. You think my salary should reflect what appears to be a higher billing rate than average?
 
I also think that on salary we do not get paid overtime, but benefits are provided for sure (dental, physio/massage, not sure what e…[Read more]

Yes, of course I would be respectful and humble.

That’s true, I’m sure I will be getting dental benefits and chiropractor/massage/physio benefits, etc.  So there is that.

I would not be asking for a 50% raise, not at all.  I just know that I took the intern position with what is considered the lowest rate for interns (according to my profs) and am hoping they’re not expecting me to also take the low rate in salary.  I’m hoping to get the average, or more if possible.

Another question:
 
Does the hourly billing rate have any effect on what they offer?  I know they bill out “newbies” (i.e landscape designers) at $85-95 an hour for most types of services.  Standard practice in determining these things is to triple what you are paying your employees right?  Obviously they’re not going to be paying us a third of…[Read more]

Yeah, I have been considering applying to other firms to see if I could get an offer and then I could relax a little bit about things.

If you read me listing my skills as self-aggrandizement then that’s your prerogative, but it’s puzzling to say the least.  
 
I have read far more self-aggrandizement coming from you in a different thread, where people suggested you start your own company since you already do everything better and know more and find your boss so incompetent…

Where I worked none of the younger workers ever worked very much overtime.  Only occasionally to finish a looming deadline in time, but that was pretty rare.  However, the associates and partners worked 24/7 it seemed.  
 
There was a 3 week stretch where I was working on a project that required 12+ hour days, which I loved because it felt imp…[Read more]

Craig, I agree completely.  Looking at senior members I have worked with, they might not have the latest software experienceor be the fastest all the time, but they have *people* and *project* and *problem* experience – which is ultimately the more important skill set when push comes to shove.

I have never said I am not grateful.  I have also said that I am past the interview stage – there will be no interview, they told me they want me back, it’s not word of mouth.
 
It’s starting to sound like you don’t think I should negotiate at all and that you don’t think I have any reason to accept anything than what they offer me.
 
As for ba…[Read more]

ok well it’s good to hear they’re getting $ 40,000 out in California…after all the low figures I’ve been seeing on here.  
 
I think the difference in economic health between the two countries, the cost of living, and currency differences are skewing things here, and I am beginning to think I should be taking all this number talk with a grain o…[Read more]

I should add that the office is in a fairly remote location of the province, not a popular or populated area to live in so I think salaries are maybe a little bit higher because of that as well.

I was told I have a job if I want it, I don’t have to interview, they want me to come back…we just haven’t discussed anything in detail yet. 
 
Really I’m the furthest thing from a prima donna. It’s not like I am expecting/demanding that they listen to me, I was wondering if asking them something like this would be acceptable.  And yeah I ca…[Read more]

You’re last paragraph has sort of hit on a major point for me – I think I am trying to squeeze more money out of the deal here because I know that one of their main areas of focus (just because of one partner at the office) is not at all what I want to be doing for the rest of my career (in fact it makes me sad to be implementing projects like…[Read more]

Thanks Nick!

I can’t divulge some details of things without making it obvious what firm I worked for and what my name is (to anyone who might be on here from the firm), but GIS knowledge at this firm was a huge bonus, they told me this point blank and they also assigned certain responsibilities and “special projects” (for lack of a better term) to me because…[Read more]

Yeah, the CAD is ever so slightly higher than the USD right now but that tends to happen from time to time for a short while and is generally always lower…and salaries are based on the norm.
 
I also have been told that firms here have not had the hard luck that hit American firms  – Canada has not undergone nearly as drastic a recession as E…[Read more]