Should I Stay or Should I Go?
Hey everyone,
I’m a 26-year-old male who’s just moved in with my partner and I’m eager to start saving for a house.
I’ve been working at my first company since graduating from college, and I’ve been there for about 3.5 years now. I specialize in full desk IT staffing, primarily focused on .NET stack roles. This means I’m primarily limited to finding positions for .NET developers or SQL roles, and I have to pass on Java, QA, and other opportunities since I can’t provide kickbacks to other teams.
Last year, I earned $92K W2 while billing $500K (the total fees, without accounting for what my firm takes). My company is a large national firm with over ten offices, and my local branch has roughly 30 people.
So far this year, I’ve billed $382K through permanent, contracting, and consulting fees. I’ve secured 28 new job openings and made 10 placements. I’m on a $70K draw that is spread over 13 pay periods (it takes about four weeks to collect), with my commission structured at 13% of the fee, plus an additional 3% if a teammate completes a deal.
As a team, we’ve generated $913,176 in billing this year. To date, I’ve received $70K in gross pay, including my first commission check of $6K, and another $6K from two pay periods that were paid out last month.
I genuinely enjoy working with my colleagues, although it can be challenging due to the high turnover among entry-level staff, which sometimes leads to emotional situations on the floor.
I have a few questions:
- Am I being fairly compensated?
- Is it a good idea to consider moving to another firm where I wouldn’t be on a draw?
- Should I give up the few pass-through roles that come my way?
- Would it be better to find a firm where I can work across multiple technologies instead of being limited?
- Any general career advice would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
RCadmin
Hey there!
First off, congrats on your achievements so far—it’s clear you’re doing well in your current role and making a solid impact. Here are some thoughts on your questions:
Based on your billing numbers and what you’ve shared, it seems like your compensation could be better aligned with your contributions. Earning $70k on such a high billing of $382k suggests that there might be more lucrative opportunities out there, especially if you’re carrying a heavy workload and achieving significant results.
Is it time to move to another firm where I can come off draw?
If you feel that your current compensation isn’t reflective of your performance and contribution, it might be worth exploring other firms. Coming off draw and transitioning to a more commission-based structure could provide you with more earning potential, assuming you can also take your current skills and network with you.
I do get fed some pass-over jobs—is that worth giving up?
It depends on how critical those jobs are to your overall earnings and workload. If they significantly contribute to your billings and help maintain income stability, they may be worth keeping, at least temporarily, while you look for new opportunities.
Is it better to go somewhere where I can hunt all technologies and not just .net?
Absolutely! Expanding your scope beyond just .NET could open up more job opportunities, both for you and your candidates. This could lead to greater job satisfaction and potentially higher earnings as you tap into a broader market.
Any just career advice?
Take your time to evaluate your options, and remember that your happiness and growth in your career should be a top priority. Best of luck!