[LEFT]Ok, I’m going to start this off with a warning… if you’re expecting a short post, don’t continue 
Anyways, I just started a new job for a real estate company, which I thought was a web design position. Upon closer inspection, I find out it’s pretty much a secretary job that involves a lot of web design and other graphic design work. As it turns out, I’m pretty much maintaining their entire website, managing their database of over 12,000 entries and also doing their filing and newspaper advertising.
I’m going to post the first page of the job description because it’s going to help getting my question answered
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Website Design, Organization and maintenance (35%)**
MLC utilizes an extensive website(a complete mess) and multiple domains to attract land buyers and owners. The website’s purpose is to educate buyers and sellers, and to expose them to properties listed for sale, as well as to provide useful information related to a land purchase, or sale.
New web pages are designed, created, revised, deleted, uploaded and downloaded continuously requiring a thorough knowledge of Dreamweaver, Fireworks and Photoshop.
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Database Entry, Revision, Organization, and maintenance (25%)**
MLC maintains an extensive relational database of customers and clients. The database contains a complex mix of data related to land buyers and sellers. The database is an integral component in the marketing, direct mail, advertising and reporting functions of MLC.
A working Knowledge of Filemaker Pro is employed to revise and update large database files, to improve database organization, and to input new records. The ability to suggest and implement improvements to existing company databases is a plus.
Advertising, Marketing & Promotion (20%)
A wide variety of communications are employed to attract the customers and clients of MLC. Customers and clients are kept informed via print advertising in newspapers and magazines, by monthly internet newsletters, by auto-response messages, in-house slide presentations, DVD’s, Monthly newsletters, regular mailings, inquiry response packages, and even “pod casts”
Microsoft Word, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, Filemaker Pro and Microsoft Excel are all used in the marketing and promotion functions. In-house color and black and white printers are used to produce marketing materials.
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Graphic Design, Desktop Publishing, and Printing (10%)**
A wide variety of promotional materials are designed, published and copied and printed in house on color and black and white canon printers/copiers. Property profiles, buyer and seller packages. A newsletter, and other promotional materials are printer and kept in inventory for use by company brokers.
Printed items are designed, created and printer in0house in large quantities. Mail-merge computer programs, printer/copiers, and prepared for third-class delivery on a monthly basis. Primary program used is Adobe InDesign.
Organization, filing, Mailing, Misc. (10%)
A wide variety*(how many things are going to be a wide variety?) *of miscellaneous tasks are involved in the smooth daily operation of MLC. They include scheduling of activities, office organization, document filing and organization, interaction with, and support of company brokers, daily mail handling, management reports, limited telephone and personal contact with customers and clients, and any other responsibilities assigned by management.
I looked up what an entry level web designer salary is in my area, and it’s about 40-50k a year.. And that’s just for web design. Now, I’m not a master of web design by any means, but I’m not incompetent either. As a freelance/contract flash/web designer up to this point, I make about $50 an hour on average for WAY less work than I’m doing for this company. I feel that I’m being underpaid for the work that I do, and I mentioned this to them, and their response was “well, it’s good that you come to us with your opinions, and we’ll look into that”
Today, they started loading me up with extra work that I should start doing in my “spare time” I’m supposed to start going through their entire database of 12,000, a 100 at a time or so and start correcting naming errors that were entered starting 5 years back. I mentioned that their website was a complete mess, and they want me to start going through it now and cleaning up the file system, (organizing htmls, putting pictures into appropriate folders, etc.) They also want me to start re-designing their entire website, utilizing CSS and Flash (my own designs) all of this “in my spare time”
So… how much would someone think you would get paid for doing all of this on a daily basis? And I assure you it’s not a slow work environment. I’m working for the full 8 hours of every day. And I havn’t even been working there 2 weeks. So there’s still a few things that they’re doing for me until I get a bit more comfortable with the whole system.
25k a year, with an IRA and half of my health insurance premium. If I work the full 40 hours a week, that’s 12 an hour roughly, not counting what they take out for taxes…
So, if you’re still with me, here’s my question: This is my first real step into the world of web design as a career. I’ve tried asking nicely for more money, but it didn’t turn out well…. I’m not much for confrontations, so demanding something, or saying something up front is a bit harder than it is for most. Should I stand up for myself and tell them that I need more money or I’m taking my talents elsewhere? Or should I just suck it up, make 12 bucks an hour and make a great website for them and chalk it up to experience (and use every single thing I create in my portfolio). If I DO stand up for myself, what am I supposed to say? How much more should I ask for? I’ve never been in this type of situation before, and I’m not really familiar with the process… I don’t really have another job lined up besides a few random websites I’m working on, so I don’t really have any leverage, except that they should keep me around instead of hiring some college kid who WILL do the work for the amount their paying.
I appreciate you reading the whole thing…
Myles
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