FLASH: OT: Salaries

[Gahlord Dewald]

I was out (it being past five) so I missed all the excellent dialogue re:

salaries (which is more valuable to me these days than how to load a

movieclip). I'll try to respond to things I thought might have been prompted

by my post and also perhaps clarify my post some:


Russ:

I didn't mean to come off as being so egotistical but on review of my post I

understand why some might get that impression. I do tend to disregard

arguments about "if you're not working 90 hours a week you aren't in the

internet industry" as horseshit. I know that me, myself, my productivity and

the quality of my work takes a serious nosedive after 60 hours of work (and

I've done it) in a week. Perhaps I don't have the stamina, perhaps a lot of

the internet industry is spinning it's wheels when it should be putting

fresh troops on a problem. It's my firm belief that people do the best job

when they've slept well, eaten well, and have other things in their lives

that make life worth living; ie have a perspective to bring to the table.


Also, you're right, I probably wouldn't accept a job that didn't have

"director" in front of it. But that's the stage I'm in. I've been running a

web development firm to my satisfaction (which is, most likely _way_

different to others' standards and includes things like time to play music,

cook, hang out, drink coffee, generally expand my mind a multitude of

directions and pay all my bills on time vs. make a _shitload_ of money).


But I also wouldn't take a job where I didn't get my hands in the code and

design at least on occasion. I see too many art directors and tech directors

who are great designers or programmers get thrown into management positions

and never getting to do what they love: code and design. Good project

management would keep me involved in these tasks at least to some degree

(though not on projects where my "subordinates" were involved, I hate having

someone look over my shoulder while I work and I wouldn't want to do it to

others). 


But aside from the director thing, at FF2k I was offered five jobs as lead

flash designer/programmer for salaries at 100k and above; i.e. not as

something with director in front of it (the ones with director in front

peaked in the 200k range). The physical locations of these jobs were major

metro areas in the US and Europe. Which means I'd have to leave my sweet

location in Burlington, VT: mountains on one side, lake on the other, good

food, good people, good beer. Maybe in a year or two I'll be ready to leave

and take a job (maybe for less money even) but for now I'm very satisfied

with my surroundings.


I most enjoyed your postings. And I admit, my standards and definition for

success are probably very different from others on this list.


About skills:

Someone asked about what skills we were talking about. I was originally

referring to the skills mentioned by Jeppeson. But for me, the skills I have

that make team leaders, CTOs, creative directors, and HR wanks pay

attentions are:


1. Operates a new media firm at a profit.

2. Understands project management issues.

3. Can find answers to difficult questions in 24 hours or less.

4. Has not been behind schedule or over budget _ever_.

5. Has design talent.

6. Has programming talent.

7. Understands cultural divide between programmers and designers and can

   negotiate this divide in a way that builds a stronger team.

8. Is committed to constant learning and makes time for it (I'll admit,

   sometimes I read programming manuals _after_ 5pm).

9. Can handle AE issues, present to a client, and get specs from a client.

10.Can handle intense timeline crunches without crumbling.


These skills are the ones that carry me through. In terms of programming, I

draw my line at databases. I won't touch them. But I know enough about them

and have enough contacts that a database job can be handled smoothly. My

clients trust me implicitly because I can and have produced for them

regularly. All the languages in the world won't do much good if you can't be

a team player. Which I am. And yeah, I tend to be a team leader (and not so

blunt in presentation style as I am with all of you because I know you all

have as many horror stories as I do while people on the teams I've worked

with tend to be a bit young and/or inexperienced).


I view internet work a lot like that scene in apocolypse now when the guy is

at the bridge and there's a lot shooting and grenades and he says "Do you

know who's in charge here?" and a guy turns back from blindly gunning a

slope and says "Ain't you?!?" Someone's got to take charge, be cool, have

the answers, admit when he/she doesn't (but present a plan for getting the

answers), take heat, and get everyone home safe and sound. You can do that:

you get offered 125k, no one asks if you know VBscript (but you better not

let them down if they need it). Everybody just wants to go home.


Laura:

Good point to keep the distinction clear when talking hourly vs freelance.

When I use a k in my numbers I'm talking salary. When I use a /hr I'm

talking freelance. If I were a beginner, working for a shiny new company, in

a place that had easy cost of living, had a great corporate culture, and was

making a profit, had benefits etc., I'd be happy to make 30k assuming it

would cover my expenses (which it wouldn't, given the life choices I've made

re: education). I will definitely try to be clearer about this as this topic

continues and I encourage others to do the same.


Another barometer of prices:

aquent.com has some pricing info that they publish at their site complete

with what skills they think are necessary to achieve said rates. But again,

it's all in the personal and qualitative skills. I probably couldn't hold a

candle to many of the programmers on this list. But I have a sense of the

situation that carries me through. Life is not binary. Clients and their

problems aren't solved with call action.


It's not so much in arrogance that I write all this shit for. It's that I

don't want to wake up 20 years from now and wonder what the hell happened to

my life. And I don't want anyone else to have that happen either. Given that

the hours in your life are finite, what is one of them worth?


Stop reading Geek Daily and Artiste Quarterly. Start reading Fast Company.


*ducks from tomatoes and offers beer to all of you next time you're in VT*



Gahlord Dewald

gahlordweedsmedia [dot] com

Weeds Media Consortium

www.weedsmedia.com


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