So my job interview went like this....

[D-Frag]

A national real estate company, just got bought 2 years ago and has grown to 5 offices here in AZ alone. I go in an interview with 3 people, one of which is the manager of the Design/printing dept...

Well, upon my interview I learn I will be the sole designer, and also in charge of managing the fiery printer and doing color adjusting...etc. Also, they said since they will be growing so much, they would need me to hire other designers under me. I willingly agreed, as I have past management expeirence from working in retail while I was in college. They tell me the job is pretty intensive doing work for all the different offices.

This place is in N. Scottsdale, which is a VERY VERY nice part of AZ, multi million dollar homes sorround the building, and everybody that works in that town is out to make a ton of money.

Guess what they offered.... $10.50 an hour originally, they said the MAX they would pay someone would be $12.00 an hour.

Thats 24K a year for the mathmatically inclined, hardly livable! So with that said, tack another one on for the corporations as they bewiddle our industry and ask far more from you then they are willing to pay. I have school loans, I want to buy a house in the near future, I owe the government a TON, what makes these people think they can get away with this...its blasphemy.

just thought I would let ya'll know, im not pissed, I pretty much expected it, but I remember Joe posting a job offer like this, and it disgusted me.

anyways, have a uber-spectacular weekend!

[shellebelle]

That sucks. I was making $12/hour at the customer service position I just resigned from. $10.50 an hour is a SLAP IN THE FACE!

[Vikia]

I once got an offer of $21K Salaried (aack) from a bank! Sole designer reporting to the Marketing Director. Salaried of course means overtime is not compensated but probably expected.

Didn't take that one.

[cjoe]

10.50 an hour! i make more than that in aussie dollars, and the cost of living in the US would be way more. So you actually took the job?

[Patrick Shannon]

That's insulting....and how much do their real estate agents make? You scramp to make ends meet while the rest of the big wigs drive around in Farraris, sheesh.

[INDY GS]

I worked for a real estate company for several years doing pretty much exactly the same work as you described. When I was hired I was replacing someone who was paid low hourly wages but worked a ton of overtime because they didn't know how to design themselves out of a hole.

Anyway, I interview, get to the point where we negotiate salary. I stood firm in wanting a salary. because I needed to make at least X dollars to support my family.

They wanted to pay hourly, under the impression that it was in my best interest because the previous employee had to work sooo much overtime. Anyway long story short, I demanded salary if they wanted me, I got what i needed and I was miserable in that job after 1 year. I liked most of the people, but the work was extremely boring.

I stuck it out for a few more years untill we parted ways. They decided they could no longer afford me, and I decided I no longer wanted to be stuck doing that job.

They got what they needed out of me, which was a solid graphic direction to take their business in, and a solid advertising plan.

What they have now is at best a production artist, that fills in copy for prolly less than 10 bucks an hour.

Some advice, if you you take the job for graphic design experience, most likely you won't get much. If you take it for some social interaction, to see how sickening the money that these real estate hogs make, and to wish you were somwhere else, consider it.

Otherwise, feelance or find a design firm that needs some help, at 10 or 12 bucks an hour, you could be a coffee boy in some houses.

[Jeff92]

Curious, what did you say when they told you the rate? Personally I would have siad that would be perfect for anybody that was underneath me. What would be my rate!
Stupid Stupid stupid.
But welcome to the new world it seams!

[Mynock]

Smile D-Frag BF2 comes out in two days! :)

[D-Zine]

D-Frag - you should have slapped them.
Thats insulting at the stage in your career you are at now.

I'm sorry it worked out that way :(

Something better is somewhere damnit!

[danedawg99]

wow. in Snottsdale? I woulda thought they'd pay better up there. I make $12 at the job i'm at now. And I'm barely making it on that! There's more out here, tho the bad part (for me) is that I gotta compete against you! Keep looking! ;)

[D-Frag]

Smile D-Frag BF2 comes out in two days! :)

yes and you shall never see me again! Bwhahahahahaha :D

but yeah, its no biggie, thanks for all the responses, im just dissapointed they couldn't pay me what I was looking for, because it would have been a very lax job.

im actually VERY happy at the ad agency im working at part time. word has it they are moving in the future and getting much nicer stuff..etc.etc... who knows, they might offer me a stay. im not keeping my hopes up though, ive come to the realization I may never be where I want to be. Disheartening...sure, but its the truth and I have to deal with it and work my way around the obstacles.

thx again for the kind words :D