Some of the best corporate holiday parties I’ve been to were at small startups i worked at. Great end of year bonuses as well. Office kitchens filled with free snacks \ drinks and paid lunches on Fridays.
Eventually, they all hire accountants, business analysts, or financial officers. And it’s the same every time - they all start “cost cutting”… First the free food and lunches stop. Then the end of year parties. Then they complain about it being “a lean year” so they have to cut bonuses (about the same time they switch to “unlimited PTO” but guilt you into not taking any nor do they have to pay you out when you quit).
The best is around August or so, they post the financials and thank everyone for helping the company “smash” goals \ previous records, but then have some soulless mid level manager tell everyone at the end of the year they didn’t “meet expectations” so they don’t qualify for a raise.
Yeah, startups pre-sale or IPO are the best. Got catered buffet lunch every day. Full size candy bars in the break room. A beer fridge and whiskey club on Fridays.
Then we got bought and all of that was gone and we had to pay for our own lunch.
Spend the year making yourself indispensable (even if that involves writing code no one else can maintain, keeping your reports and files in an organization structure only you understand, making sure clients value you over the company, whatever’s appropriate for your position). Also, beef up your resume, get it out there, start ‘passively’ job searching. Then, when review time comes up, you quantify all of the lost perks, and demand that amount as a minimum raise. If they don’t agree, you quit on the spot.
If you followed step 1 closely enough, they may want to prevent you from leaving (ideal) or try to hire you back, at which point you can start making salary demands.
Some of the best corporate holiday parties I’ve been to were at small startups i worked at. Great end of year bonuses as well. Office kitchens filled with free snacks \ drinks and paid lunches on Fridays.
Eventually, they all hire accountants, business analysts, or financial officers. And it’s the same every time - they all start “cost cutting”… First the free food and lunches stop. Then the end of year parties. Then they complain about it being “a lean year” so they have to cut bonuses (about the same time they switch to “unlimited PTO” but guilt you into not taking any nor do they have to pay you out when you quit).
The best is around August or so, they post the financials and thank everyone for helping the company “smash” goals \ previous records, but then have some soulless mid level manager tell everyone at the end of the year they didn’t “meet expectations” so they don’t qualify for a raise.
God, I’m still bitter…
Yeah, startups pre-sale or IPO are the best. Got catered buffet lunch every day. Full size candy bars in the break room. A beer fridge and whiskey club on Fridays.
Then we got bought and all of that was gone and we had to pay for our own lunch.
Spend the year making yourself indispensable (even if that involves writing code no one else can maintain, keeping your reports and files in an organization structure only you understand, making sure clients value you over the company, whatever’s appropriate for your position). Also, beef up your resume, get it out there, start ‘passively’ job searching. Then, when review time comes up, you quantify all of the lost perks, and demand that amount as a minimum raise. If they don’t agree, you quit on the spot.
If you followed step 1 closely enough, they may want to prevent you from leaving (ideal) or try to hire you back, at which point you can start making salary demands.
Oh this was three jobs ago. And I’m definitely indispensable at my current startup
One place had full sized beer and wine fridges. It was hilarious when the tech support people were getting drunk before lunch.
It does seem like the best way to do level 1 tech support.