$75k was quite a bit in 1998, when the book was originally published. But taxes aren’t the main thing to take away from the book. Check it out from your library sometime.
To my perception, my first Engineering job was very difficult and quite underpaid. I worked with some very complicated processes and was early on, as in on my first day at work, put in charge of designing a large and complicated glue application machine, complete with pneumatic robotic arms that turned and flipped steel panels over to apply glue to either side. I had to program the SLC 5/03 systems from scratch with a very complicated set of routines, use magnetic Hall-effect and laser sensors for positions, optical encoder wheels, etc. I had to design the structural steel for the whole assembly, and then when it got down to it, tie my hair up, put on coveralls, and go out in a shop that got to 90+ F in the summer and work out on the floor, assembling the robotic parts I made, and doing innumerable test runs with large, heavy, sharp pieces of steel. I had to prep and clean the glue machine too when testing time came for that, an act that almost killed me due to the fumes one time.
For all that, I was paid very little. About 1/3 what I made at my consulting job that I started after a year and a half at design, and 1/9.5 what I make now.
While my job is sometimes intellectually hard, and sometimes the travel is stressful, it is in no way close to what I had to do at my first job.
Yesterday, for example, I was called into a conference call in a meeting room since I’m the company’s technical czar on several issues, and told “we may not need you for anything, but if the client asks a question about coal, we want to have you there to answer.” I told them it was unlikely they would at this point, as the VP in charge is still hammering out contract issues, but they didn’t care. Turns out, the entire conference call was taken up by two lawyers on either side arguing over interpretation of some California emissions regulations. So for a bit more than 2 hours I sat and did…nothing. I did not speak, did not take notes, in fact, all I did was sort through some public domain artwork files on my laptop for 2 hours, deciding which ones I wanted to add to my site. I really didn’t have any other projects I needed to work on for the week, in fact I was about 2 woman-days ahead of budget, so I just didn’t give a fuck about finding some extra work to do. I was also a little pissed that I was stuck in a crowded meeting room after I told them I wouldn’t be needed. So yes, my current job sometimes is incredibly easier than my old one.
Here’s the capper - the client was billed a hair more than $350 for my time. I don’t see that much, of course, but that’s the billing rate for this specific project because it’s in California. Your utility dollars at work…nonetheless, since the project is fixed-cost, it means that that money really just comes out of some other budget in the end.
Is is definitely true that there are plenty of things I can do within this job if I get bored. My primary goal is to do well in training, not just to learn how to drive a bus safely but also to demonstrate to people that I can be taught how to perform a task and be enthusiastic and focused on learning it. After my training is finished, my next goal is to get through the probation period without any problems. Once I’ve made probation, I can then start looking at other options. For example, Light Rail operators are on the same pay scale as Bus operators. If I don’t like dealing with passengers/traffic, I can apply, train and work as a light rail operator. While the big downside is I’d have to do everything over again (factor putting in my application, testing, training, and making probation in that position, and it would probably take 8-10 months to get in the same postion security-wise) I would be able to do something different that may be enjoyable.
I could do that, and maybe not pass the testing. While it doesn’t seem that complicated, the actual safety procedures, controls, etc could be counter-intuitive to my own method of thinking and I could have a hard time wrapping my head aroudn it. The upshot is that even if that does happen, I can always go back to being a bus operator. Another option I am looking at is applying as a dispatcher further down the line, which would have me working in an office, helping drivers deal with emergenices and other problems over the radio. The point is there are a lot of ways to go from where I’m starting.
One thing I mention when people express skepticism about my career move is that I am trying to find a secure means to advance my own career. Both my former part-time jobs were essentially dead ends- there’s no upward mobility and pay raises seriously lag behind many other skilled professions. Even if driving a bus around the Bay Area isn’t as glamorous as being a teacher or a writer, it gives me the opportunity to make a better living than I am now. The starting pay will net me about twice as much money as I made last year, and combined with the benefits its a big step up from where I was previously. Since I really plan on maintaining my standard of living I’m hoping this job will help me stay debt-free, keeping my living expenses down and building up a safety net for emergencies. As I build up seniority I will have more options both in when I want to work and where I want to take the job. I might do it for a few years to familiarize myself with it then, as some people suggested, apply for a position within the organization to train other drivers, work in HR, etc. However, the big advantage I will have in this scenario is that I’ll already be working for them, so even if I can’t get something, I’m not any worse off.
That sounds like a good attitude to me, Incubus. By the way, I believe they tell the light train operators to be aware that there is a chance someone will commit suicide by train, and to not go into it if you can’t live with that (this is from my husband’s father, a city bus driver).