IWorkForMorons's Journal: Supposedly, I'm a good worker. This is news to me...

This is pretty much another rant about work. God I hate my work.

So I recent went through my anual review. Which means I've been here for three years now. Three years...my god. I remember saying once that I didn't want to look three years into my career and see myself still here. But after the whole job market drought, it's not so bad. It's still a pay check. But for what? According to them, I do a rather good job around here. My review was filled with nothing but the "Meets Expecations" or "Exceeds Expectations" marks. And here I thought all along that I was slacking as much as I could. I guess they aren't watching as closely as I thought, and really are just going on what I tell them I'm working on. Dangerous. Very dangerous. But it works in my favour for now, and I guess I'm not as close to being fired as I thought. The only bad things the boss said was that I need to improve my communication, and that I'm too focused at times. Like that is such a bad thing.

Of course this isn't what the rant is about. This rant is about compensation. Yes, I know. I don't really deserve compensation for my work, since I don't do a whole lot of it. But after working here for three years, you'd think that they would have gotten a clue and given me a promotion by now. Whether I truly deserve it or not, in their eyes I am doing a good job. I'm also the lowest ranking person here, and I wasn't even the last one in. After I was hired, they hired a few people with experience. So of course they need to be paid more, since they bring something with them. Except Twin #2...he's never had training past what Twin #1 showed him, and he makes twice as much as I do. And Twin #1 has never had formal training himself. Sorry to anyone who is a self-taught programmer. But these two are more like salesmen then programmers, so it's not comparing the same thing. But I'm still bitter. ANYWAYS, I just brought my sweet ol' self and a whole load of enthusiasm. Too bad they don't pay you for enthusiasm, even though that quickly faded. But still...in the three years I've been here, I have made about $7000 in raises. I still make less then some friends started at three years ago. The excuse..."Well we just can't afford to give out good raises, what with converting the old system to a new web-based system and all. You're not the only one getting such a small raise." Yeah, that makes me feel better. The difference is that everyone else is at least at the intermidiate level, while I'm still at the base level.

So everyone else still makes at least $7000/year more then I do. And yet, I look around and say to myself, "In the time I've been here, I've done more then that person. And that person. And WAY more then that person." The more I do that, the less I want to work. What's the point? If I've done more then some people, and the boss thinks I'm a good programmer anyways, then why push myself to do a good job? I can just keep pushing the drivel I have been for the last little while, and get paid the same as if I did more work. If one day I got a promotion, or a half decent raise, there might be more incentive. At least then I'd see a direct relation between work and pay. As it is now though, there is none. At least none that I can see. So for now, I will spend my days surfing Slashdot, and my nights surfing job sites.