My intern now makes more than me?!?
My intern now makes more than me?!?
(OP)
The company I work for started a Civil/Survey department in August 2008. I began working here in September as a Civil EIT. I now have worked 2 and half years as an EIT. It was just me and my boss in the department until he hired an "intern" in January. The intern is going to school for his Bachelor's in Civil but he also has about 20 years of survey experience. To make a long story short, the intern threatened to quit for a number of reasons. Well my boss had a meeting with the owner of the company, and they decided to give him a $10 AN HOUR RAISE!! Of course I didn't hear this from the boss, but I heard it from the intern since me and him are pretty close and are the only two people working for my boss. So I am sitting here with a degree and am quite knowledgeable in AutoCAD and now my intern makes $2 per hour more than me. Everyone I know says that I should have a discussion with my boss about this. What should I do?





RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
There is a reason that they license surveyor and engineers separately, that's because they don't do the same job.
The intern is essentially that, an intern. He wouldn't be an intern at a surveying company, but he is working at a CE company.
What am I missing?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Whatever the work actually is, a degree, 2.5 years' experience, and "quite knowledgeable in AutoCAD" is not equal to 20 years' experience. They may certainly be different, but they are not equal. You may be surprised how much "engineering" some surveyors know.
Lastly, is he really "your" intern?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
that's something i was thinking as well......
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Good luck,
Latexman
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Or at least put you on a bad light....
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
I don't think they are paying for CE experience, but for the transferable skills that he brings to the table. A person with 20 years of experience would not get the same pay as a 20 year old just coming into this field. Did you honestly think that a person with this much experience (I guess coming into this small business) would get the same pay as a Jr Engineer or intern that is 20 years younger than he is? Plus this person might have contacts in the field that may be beneficial to the company and it is these things that the company is paying.
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Never, but never question engineer's judgement
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
I've worked with juniors who became seniors. They earned and deserved it.
Sounds like snobbery to me.
- Steve
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Maybe you should worry less about how much he makes, and do your job. Then you'll get that $2 raise in no time!
Then you'll be on par with him. That's what you want, isn't it?
V
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
If the answer to those questions is "no" then get the hell over it. The less you focus on what someone else in the office is making the more energy you'll have to do your own job.
I've been doing engineering for 30 years. I've been doing CAD for 20. I've never equated one with the other. Not a single time. AutoCAD is one of the suite of tools I use to communicate the results of my Engineering Analysis, but it is no more important than my expertise in flow-modeling, Microsoft Access, or MathCad--they're all just tools, you might as well say "I'm a dab-hand with a screwdriver". Saying "I'm quite knowledgeable in CAD" as an engineering qualification is a clear indication that your skills are about at the level of a 2-year draftsman and if a 2-year draftsman is making $2/hour less than a 20-year surveyor then you are seriously overpaid.
Personally, if I were you I would keep my mouth shut, my head down, and try to develop some skills beyond AutoCAD.
David
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
I agree with your statement. Let's say that same drafter with the same 20 yrs of experience decided to become an engineer. He talked to your boss and he now became an EIT at your firm. He is no longer a draftsman, and while that experience may benefit it doesn't translate directly. Would you still feel the same with the above scenario?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
While the 20 years of experience may not translate directly, it is still valuable, closely related experience and should be considered as such.
"Good to know you got shoes to wear when you find the floor." - Robert Hunter
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Ding! We've got a winner here!
Seriously... Listen to these others. They've said everything already.
David
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
I say take it as a tidbit of information that obviously the company will pay the right people enough money... then figure out how you can make yourself the right person. Being proactive is the first step on the 7 habits of highly effective people. I never saw complaining or jealousy on Covey's list.
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
That could well be the case in Utopia.
Unfortunately I don't live there.
Being proactive on the salary front is the way to get ahead financially, it just doesn't suit everyones' personality.
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
TTFN
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RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
I do believe that this is true in the bigger companies, because they have HR with their formulas and such for calculating how much to pay compensation. In a smaller companies where maybe the owner is making the desicions, I can see the "old boys club" being the golden rule (those who has the gold rules.
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
There was a thread somewhere about comparing pay, or being open about pay, may be worth the OP's time to find it and take a look.
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Tobalcane
"If you avoid failure, you also avoid success."
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
David
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Small companies tend to pay the most money to those who perform the best they are less rigid in their approach.
Some people prefer the more structured side of the larger company and some prefer the get it done approach of a smaller one. It is always easier to think someone earns more than you because they are a friend of the boss rather than they do a better job than you.
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
The company I work for used to have clearly defined grades and salary bands associated with them. That's gone now ... there was a "management speak" reason for it, but questioning it leads to words like "head" and "parapet".
- Steve
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
This is where the popularity contest comes in.
I've done better in small companies, not 'cause my boss doesn't like me at my current medium (but want to be big) place but because he has so little input into what my raise would be.
KENAT,
Have you reminded yourself of FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies recently, or taken a look at posting policies: http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?
What is Engineering anyway: FAQ1088-1484: In layman terms, what is "engineering"?
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Generally, when I see people that I think are "overpaid", I figure they will be the first to go when layoffs or re-structuring occurs. Typically, this situation arises more frequently in companies that are "overpaying" specific individuals.
It sounds like perhaps you boss has become buddies with the intern on a more personal level. If the boss is steering the direction of his personal interest (i.e. surveying) and not where the opportunities are, maybe it will come back to bite him. If it comes up and your current boss is gone, chances are the "intern" will follow shortly if he is being "overpaid". If your boss is the owner, then hopefully he is going in the right direction, or everybody might be out of a job. If he is the owner, and is steering the company towards surveying and there isn't enough actual engineering to keep you happy, then that is a matter of how you fit within the company. How well you are compensated will obviously suffer if your skills don't match what the company does. And what the company does is up to the owner.
-- MechEng2005
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Always, always, compare yourself against you. Then you will only be disappointed in what you are making when it is real. If you think you deserve a raise then ask for one, but never because the other guy makes "x" That becomes a futile process. There will always be those that make more and less. You only should be concerned about what you need, want, think you are worth.
Russell, ABC's
Russell White, P.E.
Automation Technologies, Inc.
www.AutomationNC.com
Automation Help
www.PLCMentor.com
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
As others suggested, it sounds like there is more to it than meets the eye, and I would not be surprised if the intern ends up becoming your boss.
Personally I would leave and find another job.
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
Maybe but the OP is not a time served engineer (or whatever you want to call it) , he is a trainee as well, an EiT.
So, should one trainee be paid more than another? Should a trainee with more experience and who possibly does billable work be paid more than one 2.5 years out of uni?
I don't think it is as clearcut as you suggest.
Cheers
Greg Locock
SIG:Please see FAQ731-376: Eng-Tips.com Forum Policies for tips on how to make the best use of Eng-Tips.
RE: My intern now makes more than me?!?
If you've got the talent to satisfy customers, that should be on your resume, and the boss should know it.