So What Are You Worth?

One of the things that my epic job search has thrown up is the salary debate.  What am I worth?  What are others with comparable skills worth? What are those with less skills worth?  And even more importantly what will employers pay?This debate is so wide open as there are so many factors that influence how salaries are determined.
One of my friends has had to recruit a number of junior level staff in the past few months and the types of demands she has been getting are something of an eye opener.  If you want to get rich marketing in professional services firms is not going to make you super rich but they're nothing to be sniffed at either.  As companies are now on the up following the recession many are having to stump up more and more dough to keep people or inflated job titles so that people stay put just that little bit longer.
Lots of people with very little marketing experience (under 3 years) are now so delusional that they think they should command salaries in the mid 30's+ range.  Not being funny but for a junior marketing role where the buck ultimately won't stop with them that is just plain greedy.  What is the world coming too?  I guess some people nowadays have inflated egos and have lost sight of reality - something I think applies to lots of aspects of life not just salaries.
With my job hunt the salary debate has been interesting.  I am happy to drop a few k for the right role but some agents have wanted to me to drop almost £10k which would set me back years in terms of clawing my way back to where I was.  Others have said things like the salary bracket has a 10K variation and if the client offers towards the lower end you would have to take it - never heard such a ridiculous statement in my life.  The interview process is a bit like dating - a two way thing including the negotiation part.  Come to think of it if I see dating like that maybe that's why I'm always the single one :).
Anyway, take a look at some of the salary surveys  to get a view on what is going on out there.  Most of the recruiters do an annual thing each year namely as a way to have more evidence in order to turn up the heat so that people get more and more money and they get more and more commission.

200 NOTW Staff Made Redundant Right or Wrong?

Wow, what a crazy few days.  It has to be said that I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw a newsfeed NOTW to close this Sunday.  My Sunday's will change forever. What will now be my newspaper of choice?  I can't become a cardigan wearing middle England type Mail on Sunday reader even if the You supplement is nice.

The thing that has struck me though is not just the appalling activities of a few immoral people but the huge knock-on effect it has had on people who ultimately were not involved. Of course my condolences go to the families whose privacy was so intrusively trampled on. But my sympathy also goes out to those 200 or so NOTW staff who through no fault of their own directly are facing redundancy.

How must they feel as the main person who presided over this era not only has scaled the ranks to the top of the News Corp tree but also is the only one who will remain in place keeping her job. Not only are the soon to be redundant staff in shock at the loss of their job but in a predicament where they probably can't stick their head above the pulpit and voice their anger as it may prove detrimental to any settlement they receive and Rupert M is ruthless enough to take them to the cleaners by hiring the best lawyers  in the land to protect his company.

Being subject to a 90 day consultation period may be a good way for News International to stop any dissent. Also any redundnacy payouts will certainly be clouded in confidentiality agreements in terms of talking outwardly to the public and stifle freedom of speech that the NOTW so staunchly campaigned for.
Will be interesting to see what insider comments surfaces online in the coming weeks.  Anonymous bloggers and tweeters giving an insider scoop - I wonder if any super injunctions will be used to identify them and stop them. In fact in the Independent I have seen a few comments from staff who have been named so hats off to them for doing that. There are times when principles are more important than money.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on this matter but would be great to hear yours as this saga is going to run and run.