Looking for advice : Promotion from Technician to Senior Technician

[gavinpayne]

Hi all...

 

Apologies if I have posted in the wrong forum.

 

I'm looking for a bit of advice...

 

The systems manager at my school has recently left and his vacancy has become available. Well... So I thought!

I started here as an assistant ICT technician 7 years ago, I have worked my way up to be an ICT Technican and have been in this position for 4 years now.

I have always gone above and beyond the call of duty and when comparing my role to that of a senior technician my day to day tasks match the job description word for word... In fact... I'd put myself in the Senior Technician / Network Manager area.

The head has decided that 'some' of the Systems Manager's role is to be outsourced to a local I.T firm. Which I am strongly against due to bad experiences with outsourcing.

After numerous discussions with the assistant head and the head... The outcome of this situation is to 'promote' me to Senior ICT Technician. A job I have been doing for 4 years already. I have been offered an extra £1,000 per annum to do this, taking my salary to £16,830 (Grade F Scale Point 17) bearing in mind the extra responsibilites that have left behind by the systems manager... I can't help thinking that this is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

This is due to reviewed in 12 months.

 

I'm not entirely sure where to go with this and wondered if anyone had been through anything similar?

I have put together a descriptor of what I do exactly and a list of jobs in the county... All of which are offering £19,126 for a Senior ICT Technican.

 

Any advice?

[Dos_Box]

Moving to General Chat.

[featured_spectre]

take the info you have gathered to the people needed and ask them to match it. They may say no but you can then start looking elsewhere. Sometimes the receipt of a reference form or the notifications of an interview needing to be attended is the kick they need to keep you...but conversely it can be the kick needed to oust you. Decision is entirely yours.

[sonofsanta]

If your school is a county school and your job description as senior tech (the one that management are agreeing to) matches the county description that pays £19k, then I was under the impression that they had to pay you at that level - that is what the county job descriptions are there for, after all.

 

If all else fails, though, you have to be prepared to leave your job - oftentimes the only way an employer will appreciate what you do and how cheaply you do it is when they try and replace you.

[sippo]

If your school is a county school and your job description as senior tech (the one that management are agreeing to) matches the county description that pays £19k, then I was under the impression that they had to pay you at that level - that is what the county job descriptions are there for, after all.

 

Spot on!

[gavinpayne]

If your school is a county school and your job description as senior tech (the one that management are agreeing to) matches the county description that pays £19k, then I was under the impression that they had to pay you at that level - that is what the county job descriptions are there for, after all.

 

If all else fails, though, you have to be prepared to leave your job - oftentimes the only way an employer will appreciate what you do and how cheaply you do it is when they try and replace you.

 

Thanks for your replies guys... You've pretty much summed up what I was already thinking. I have a meeting with the head tomorrow to discuss the job offer. Time to put my point across and to justify the going salary.

The school I work at used to be a county school but has recently become an academy so I'm not sure how much clout the county job description has.

[teklogic]

I was always under the impression that if you write a JD and personal spec, then you could send it to your HR department for a review.

[gavinpayne]

I was always under the impression that if you write a JD and personal spec, then you could send it to your HR department for a review.

 

Does this apply to academy schools as well as county schools?

[teklogic]

We are an academy, I'm not too sure if it applies to a county school

[Homer]

Thanks for your replies guys... You've pretty much summed up what I was already thinking. I have a meeting with the head tomorrow to discuss the job offer. Time to put my point across and to justify the going salary.

The school I work at used to be a county school but has recently become an academy so I'm not sure how much clout the county job description has.

 

Unfortunately mate being an Academy means that they can take what comes back from the Borough/Council/County as 'advice' and then set the salary as they see fit.

 

Make sure you go into the meeting armed with examples of Senior roles from other schools, which are very similar to what has been proposed.

 

I would not take that wage if you are going for a 'Senior' title, it's a bit insulting really. That wage is for a normal Technician (and even then that is pushing it), if they don't budge on it then definitely move on as they only appreciate how cheap you are, not how hard you work or what you put in to their institution.

 

Good luck!!

[gavinpayne]

We are an academy, I'm not too sure if it applies to a county school

 

We are an academy too. I'll give that a shot with the HR dept today!

[APMerry]

I would just sit down with the head and be honest, tell them what you think you are worth and the worst they can say is no. You could easily get more than that as a senior technician at another school, you need to try and make them realise how much you actually do. You should keep an eye out for jobs as sometimes they dont realise what they had until its gone im afraid.

[Fazza]

Sometimes it can be easier to move up to a higher position by leaving your current employer and joining another one.

 

My advice would be to be open and honest with your bosses and ask them what you need to do to fill that position. Detail everything you have done 'above and beyond' and explain that these are things that should be done by a more senior person. Tell them that you really enjoy working at the school and wish to remain there for many years to come but want some sort of career path.

 

If they dont budge then just thank them for their time, accept their offer of the £1,000 pay-rise and more importantly accept the Senior Technician job title. After 6 months in that position start looking for another job and when you find the right ones to apply for be open and honest with your bosses and tell them you've found another Senior Technician job (it's easier to get a job elsewhere as a Senior Tech if you already are one - hence why I recommend you accept the new job title as that's worth more than the pay-rise they're offering).

 

If they value you, they'll try their best to keep you (more money) or they'll give you a good reference so you can get better money elsewhere.

[CAM]

Make connections with other schools in the borough and give them some help occasionally. If you have good enough rep with another school, they may desire to grab you whilst armed with a bigger wad of money when they get a vacancy. Edited July 18, 2012 by CAM

[SimpleSi]

What @Fazza says IS the way to do it - 100% best advice

 

Si

[captaincharisma]

I was in the same boat recently (wanted to go from IT tech to Assistant Network Manager) and needed to push on as I have a baby due this year. I openly discussed it with my Network Manager first, then went to our line manager and finally to the head. After numerous meetings I was offered an interview and I was lucky enough to gain a promotion. Like Fazza said just be very upfront and honest and I am sure the school will do all they can to help you out.

[Oaktech]

I am in the same boat right now, we are a federation and i'm just about to take the senior tech role after a bad experience with a NM whos 'face didn't fit'. The vacancy has been advertised internally at 19k1 - 20k8, I've got 3 other adverts with pay around the 22k-23k5 mark which i'm going to take with me to my meeting and try my luck. I'm a pretty committed kind of person so I will stick with it for the foreseeable future, but every time i've jumped ship from a previous employer it's been for more money. (except this job, which is the same money as previous, but I wasn't going to ever be asked to do a 90 hour week in it)

[Dan_ATR]

Looking at point 1#

"£16,830" They can go get lost. That is disgusting for what your asked to do. Im on more then that and that's just for an IT Network Technician for which I feel myself and (now the new not seen IT Techy) should be on at least what out new Senior Technician is on. Our New Senior Technician (no one is taking him away from us....) should be ideally be on 24k a year and a Network Manager on 30K+

@Oaktech

If you leave, im leaving too.... this place has just about cheesed me off with their ignorance over the years.

[Kitkatninja]

...If they dont budge then just thank them for their time, accept their offer of the £1,000 pay-rise and more importantly accept the Senior Technician job title. After 6 months in that position start looking for another job and when you find the right ones to apply for be open and honest with your bosses and tell them you've found another Senior Technician job (it's easier to get a job elsewhere as a Senior Tech if you already are one - hence why I recommend you accept the new job title as that's worth more than the pay-rise they're offering).

 

If they value you, they'll try their best to keep you (more money) or they'll give you a good reference so you can get better money elsewhere.

 

This

[Fazza]

This

 

Why thank you!

 

Honesty is always the best policy. I've always enjoyed working in Education and can't wait to get stuck in - 5 days, 3 hours and 50 minutes to go (not that I'm counting or marking of a calendar each and every day)...