Was thinking about the last year of my life and where I am now and what I should do for the future and remembered this thread.
My 1 year anniversary at my current job was on the 21st of August. Managed to get a job as an "Industrial Maintenance Technician" basically doing preventative maintenance and repairing/diagnosing problems on roll forming machines.
I've done extremely well with this job. Haven't missed a single day and haven't been late once (I usually get to work an hour early) which I'll be honest was entirely due to the harsh comments on this thread that forced me into really looking into myself and trying to see what my actions and general behavior lead to many things going south in my life.
With all that said my current dilemma is, I started work here at $12/hr which is pretty good starting pay for Florida wages but this company doesn't do 90 day raises, they do yearly evaluations. I got my paper work for my self evaluation and was told that in the next week (this was a week prior to my 1 year date) that we would all sit down and discuss my progress and I would find out what my raise would be.
It never happened and were already a week into September, of course I am really anxious for this raise because I am still scraping by, everything is getting paid and I have a stable residence which in itself is a blessing that I do not take for granted.
With all that said, this job has not been easy. I basically came into the job expecting to work under an experienced Tech that would train me and show me the ropes, the very first week of me starting, the Tech gave his 2 week notice on that Thursday and quit to never come back on that Friday.
For the next 3 months I was the only Tech on my shift, with nobody to help or guide me in any shape or form, no documentation at all to reference how to diagnose or fix problems, with around 90 production employees depending on me to keep 26 different roll forming machines running that literally break sprockets, chains, pistons, air lines, shafts, gear boxes and so much more, on top of material jams, change overs to different dimensions or bends depending on product availability and demand, on top of greasing berrings, shafts, documenting air compressor values, checking over-head cranes for any signs of problems and doing the actual maintenance on the building itself, changing light bulbs, ballasts, material racks, hell even replacing toilet wax rings and I'm forgetting a lot but you get the point.
It is a lot, especially for someone who has had no training or prior experience in this type of work.
Of course it has gotten considerably easier since the first 3 months. After the year mark, I know how to do my job extremely well.
Which brings me back to the start of this post... I have been told by my department supervisor that I should only expect at most a 2% raise, a 24 cent raise.
Is this really acceptable? Am I just being a greedy, entitled brat that thinks he deserves more than he should?
After everything I've been through I don't want to screw up something that I have worked so hard at but at the same time I feel like I am being taken for granted.
To give some perspective, my company makes $4-4.5 million a month, gross. We have around 110 employees spread out through 3 shifts.
I looked around on indeed, craigslist etc at similar positions in my area and they all start at $16/hr at the LOW END.
Is it time for me to look for a different company? Should I just keep my head down and work here another year for experience? Give my supervisor an ultimatum of give me more or I'm going to quit?
I'm so caught up in all the bullshit that I can't think straight, what should I do bros?
