Going to take a minute to rant here about a situation that's current for my family.
Missus was told last month about getting her big promotion, which I figured was just them trying to keep her in the company as she hinted towards possibly making a permanent leave after our child is born (she's taking 2 months off for bonding and recovery, let it slip she might stay gone and move forward). Outside of a few other reasons (regarding the company), this news, a high risk pregnancy at the time, and a small vehicular accident (with her having a hospital stay) I decided to resign from the last job I got. One reason being, trying to concentrate on building my own company as I am much happier doing this than working a regular 9-5 dayjob. I figure if I reach my goal of sustaining enough business to pay all my bills I'm doing pretty ok (IMO).
Over the weekend she is part of a multi-corp large meeting with her boss, to which conversation lead her to believe she all of a sudden wasn't getting this promotion anymore. So during the week she pressed the subject, to which she was presented with basically "we're announcing your promotion next Monday and want your asking salary in writing by Friday"...."I (her boss/CEO) would also like your spouse to send me his resume again as I have somebody that would love to put him somewhere". This followed her telling them she wants enough money to support us while I work on my business and stay at home to take care of the kids (Stay at home dad, but also still bringing in money). To me, it sounded like if we can find him something then we don't have to pay you a higher salary. Does that not sound like that? Going average salary for that position is 80k in the state, and since she doesn't have previous experience I told her shoot high but for the middle at 60k. It's fair for her qualifications, a decent bump for her, and in between the state average and her current salary while keeping it lower for their own company budgeting. I get the feeling this will not happen and she's going to be rather disappointed.
Following up with her boss's request, I sent my resume to her again to get a reply with "check our business portal and send req #s you want to apply for" which is nothing more than what any other basic recruiter would ask for. I also had a call from another recruiter that found me off Indeed that wanted to try and tell me I was only qualified for a position they had at 20 an hour. As of right now, I'm in the process of solidifying a month to month contract with another company at a rate of 2400 a month. I told this man on the phone let's sit in my shoes for a minute. My resume has a job on it where I was making a hair away from 6 digits, another position making 22 an hour while waiting for my management position before COVID hit, and topped by a 55k position at an MSP where they openly paid SAs level 2 money for level 3 work. I'm in the process of grabbing a contract at 2400 a month which is a couple hundred shy of 22 an hour NET for my own company where I'm my own boss, and I make that cash for 5 days worth of work which is realistically about 24 hours total of work. All while having the time and availability to grab more work to make more money, not be strangled by corporate policy, not potentially get fired because I vaped off cam in a Zoom meeting (happened to a previous coworker sitting in his own home), time to spend with my kids and wife, set my own time off, and not have to talk like I have a stick up my ass with these specific people. This contract is all encompassing of my total IT services, while also providing business consultation, accounting/finance supervision and revamping, as well as general project management for a field I'm NOT experienced in (construction). But I'm only qualified for a 20/h position to YOUR company. Ok. Rude and arrogant, yes, but I am absolutely fucking sick of how most companies treat IT employees these days. As posted, I saw not long ago an Indeed post wanting to offer 10-11 an hour for an SA. That's downright insulting. Sure this isn't all encompassing of all companies hiring for IT, but you'd figure with an overall "labor shortage" at least they would want to pay their IT people a little more or stop overlooking overqualified people for fear "they might leave later". Sorry, most of us won't leave unless the job is shit for the pay. An overqualified IT person IMO is just more efficient at his/her job which makes it easier and quantifies a lower pay scale as long as it isn't insulting like 10-11 an hour.