Lowballing employers

Ive noticed a trend with employers in high cost of living areas advertising jobs for salaries that are well below the adjusted wage. I usually take this this as a sign that they either have high turnover, i.e. drive people away, or poor sell through, i.e. poor sales and/or mediocre product. Recently I had a job offer in Los Angeles for $65,000, which while a good salary in St. Louis where I live, is a manual labor salary in LA due to its high cost of living. Are employers completely unaware that they operate the most mobile business there is (software development) in the worst possible business environment, or are they intentionally trying to low-ball people. Some of these jobs have fairly industry specific requirements as well, indicating they are looking for experienced engineers, not entry level people.

Some do that. Others do that to get past either internal policy or legal hurdles to "prove" they can't find any qualified application domestically, which opens the doors to go offshore and get really cheap labor.

I've actually seen some companies in Toronto looking for about $30-40K developers! They sound pretty shocked when they ask me what my salary expectations are... :)

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Originally Posted by cpjust

I've actually seen some companies in Toronto looking for about $30-40K developers! They sound pretty shocked when they ask me what my salary expectations are... :)

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Yikes! You would have to live in a cardboard box for that kind of money in TO. That's not even good if you live in KW.

Be a consultant they get to rape and pillage. One of the last ones at company I work for gave them a database system built one lotus notes 4.6 for, lets say, a princely sum. Whats even worse this happened in this millennium. Anyway, it was b0rken and they wanted me to fix it, but it doesnt help when all google can provide is stuff like this. So far this has been my only failing, because, well, its hell on earth. Of course, for everything else I kick ass.

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Originally Posted by mike_g

Be a consultant they get to rape and pillage. One of the last ones at company I work for gave them a database system built one lotus notes 4.6 for, lets say, a princely sum. Whats even worse this happened in this millennium. Anyway, it was b0rken and they wanted me to fix it, but it doesnt help when all google can provide is stuff like this. So far this has been my only failing, because, well, its hell on earth. Of course, for everything else I kick ass.

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Yes, but even good consultants and contractors get kicked out before permanent staff when the times are hard - so right now is perhaps not the BEST time to go free-lance.

Also, it helps if you actually do a good job, so that other potential employers will receive good references when asking old employers, and that you get called back next time the company needs help - repeat business is a good thing in contract/consulting business - and to achieve that, you'd better do at least a decent job.

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Mats

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Originally Posted by kermit

Yikes! You would have to live in a cardboard box for that kind of money in TO. That's not even good if you live in KW.

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KW? You don't mean Kitchener/Waterloo do you?
Is that where you are? I grew up in Kitchener. :)

Well, I'm convinced that a lot of employers saw the movie 'Hackers' and think every nerdy kid coming out of high school can program at a professional level.

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Originally Posted by cpjust

KW? You don't mean Kitchener/Waterloo do you?
Is that where you are? I grew up in Kitchener. :)

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Yeah - I was referring to Kitchener/Waterloo. I live here, but I am a transplant from about 10 years ago.

PLEASE explain what you quote means Abachler. I cannot figure it out.

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Originally Posted by lruc

PLEASE explain what you quote means Abachler. I cannot figure it out.

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which quote would that be?

I think he means this:

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Why does my goldfish keep telling me to 'Finish what Coleman started' ?

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Originally Posted by Dino

I think he means this:

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Yes.

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Originally Posted by Dino

I think he means this:

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Ah, its a reference to a scene in the movie 'He was a quiet man".