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List of previous Agony Aunts / Uncles
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QUESTIONS
| Q60.
| |
I
have been
working for
a market research
company in
the home counties
since last
year, and
my salary
is £15,500...
what sort
of salary
should I expect.
I am in two
minds as to
whether I
will continue
with my position
with them
- would that
look bad on
my cv having
only been
there a year?
Answer |
| Q28.
| |
[I'm an SRE
for a fairly
large agency
doing qual,
have moderated
10's of groups
etc...]
1 - Is it
me or are
they taking
the mickey
by paying
me [<£18k]
with no benefits
2 - what do
you think
would be a
fair reflection
of my experience
(roughly)?
Answer
|
| Q8.
| |
Is it true
that salaries
for new media
researchers
are forging
ahead of the
rest of the
industry?
Are there
any other
sectors matching
or outperforming
this?
Answer
|
Questions
in
full
and
answers
| Q60.
| |
I
am
a
graduate
with
a
first
who
has
been
working
for
a
market
research
company
in
the
home
counties
since
last
year,
mainly
on
consumer
studies.
My
salary
is
£15,500.
I
am
awaiting
an
appraisal
and
just
wondered
what
sort
of
salary
I
could
expect
having
been
there
a
year
as
an
executive
researcher.
I
would
also
like
any
info
on
other
jobs
fitting
my
qualifications
preferably
still
in
this
area
as
I
am
in
two
minds
as
to
whether
I
will
continue
with
my
position
with
them
-
would
that
look
bad
on
my
cv
having
only
been
there
a
year?
|
| A.
| |
Debby
says:
Some
agencies
do
pay
more,
but
realistically
a
£2k
rise
in
a
year
would
not
be
bad
going
and
you
are
not
in
Central
London.I
think
you
would
be
best
advised
to
stay
put
to
achieve
a
bit
more
than
a
year
-
at
least
18
months
perhaps
-
albeit
push
to
take
on
more
responsibility,
get
the
chance
to
present
etc.
Although
a
year
is
OK,realistically
you
are
only
a
little
way
along
the
learning
curve.
If
you
are
really
dissatisfied
with
the
training
and
exposure
you
are
getting,
tactfully
ask
how
they
see
your
job
moving
on/what
extra
training
they
are
planning
-
and
if
that
does
not
elicit
a
good
response,
say
what
you
are
hoping
for
-
perhaps
some
presentation
experience
or
some
trial
group
moderation...
and
some
courses.
If
that
falls
on
deaf
ears
then
you
could
be
justified
in
seeking
a
move.
Right
now
the
market
is
very
quiet.
Junior
jobs
are
in
particularly
short
supply
-
not
least
because
last
year's
grad
trainees
are
moving
on
and
up
to
make
way
for
September's
in-take.
|
| Q28.
| |
I've
been
working
for
a
fairly
large
agency
doing
purely
qualitative
research
for
[just
under
2
years]
now.
I've
been
through
the
graduate
program
and
spent
[time]
as
an
RE
before
being
made
an
SRE.
I've
moderated
10's
of
groups
and
I've
taken
briefs
for
smaller
projects,
and
debriefed
on
my
own
a
few
times.
My
questions
are:
1
-
Is
it
me
or
are
they
taking
the
mickey
by
paying
me
[<£18k]
with
no
benefits
2
-
what
do
you
think
would
be
a
fair
reflection
of
my
experience
(roughly)?
|
| A.
| |
Nick
says:
This
is
something
I
am
often
asked
about
and
it's
an
issue
that
is
much
more
complicated
than
it
seems.
The
short
answer
is
that
your
pay
should
reflect
your
value
to
the
organsiation
you
work
for.
If
you
are
excellent,
but
for
whatever
reason
(i.e.
within
or
outside
your
control)
you're
financial
contribution
is
not
high,
then
you're
not
worth
much
to
your
company.
In
another
company
you
may
be
worth
more
because
your
skills,
or
style,
lend
themselves
better
to
the
business
model.
What
you
really
want
to
know
is
whether
you
could
get
bigger
bucks
elsewhere,
and
you
possibly
want
to
know
this
so
you
have
ammunition
for
a
pay-rise
at
your
next
review.
OK,
the
answer
is
you
probably
could
earn
more
elsewhere.
Qualitative
researchers
are
a
scarce
commodity
at
the
moment
and
much
in
demand.
However,
how
much
you
could
get
is
harder
to
say.
Different
employers
take
different
things
into
account.
One
important
factor
is
based
on
years'
experience
rather
than
type
of
experience.
If
you
were
to
join
a
a
company
on
a
level
with
people
who
have
been
in
the
business
for
considerably
longer
than
you
you
may
upset
them
and
others
lower
down
the
scale.
This
is
something
companies
must
take
into
account
as
they
may
not
want
to
lose
two
or
three
disgruntled
good
people
for
one
exceptional
person.
Another
consideration
is
emotional
maturity
and
interpersonal
skills.
Most
people
can
be
taught
how
to
"do
research"
(some
are
more
suited
to
quant,
others
qual)
but
what
you
can't
be
taught
so
easily
is
how
to
be
credible
with
your
clients
and
how
to
develop
productive
relationships
with
them
and
your
colleagues.
So
it's
not
simply
a
question
of
"I've
done
all
this
so
how
much
will
someone
pay
me".
If
you
feel
that
your
employer
is
underpaying
you
then
the
first
step
is
to
talk
to
them
about
it.
They
may
have
good
reasons.
If
those
reasons
don't
convince
you
then
look
elsewhere.
Do
remember,
however,
that
dissatisfaction
with
a
current
employer
is
rarely
a
convincing
reason
for
a
new
employer
to
take
you
on.
If
you
are
offerred
a
new
job,
think
about
how
it
will
affect
your
career
development
and
longer
term
prospects
as
well
as
immediate
financial
reward.
Some
people
at
your
level
are
attracted
to
the
client
side
because
the
money
is
considered
to
be
better.
You
should
take
into
account
what
learning
and
experience
you
will
gain
if
you
do
this
and
think
about
whether
staying
on
the
agency
side
will
set
you
up
better
for
the
long
term.
So
you
can
see
that
it's
not
just
a
question
of
who
will
pay
more.
If
you
make
the
wrong
move
your
salary
in
5
years
time
may
be
much
less
than
it
would
be
if
you
stayed
where
you
are
and
continued
to
move
at
such
a
fast
pace.
That
said,
you
are
clearly
ambitious
and
confident
and
in
your
position
I
would
let
my
employer
know
that
you
suspect
you
are
worth
more
than
they
are
paying
and
that
you
are
considering
looking
elsewhere.
Let
them
make
you
an
offer.
If
they
don't
want
to
lose
you
they'll
be
foolish
to
make
you
too
low
an
offer
without
good
reason.
If
they
are
not
prepared
to
do
so
I
think
someone
else
will.
|
| Q8.
| |
Is
it
true
that
salaries
for
new
media
researchers
are
forging
ahead
of
the
rest
of
the
industry?
Are
there
any
other
sectors
matching
or
outperforming
this?
|
| A.
| |
Sinead
says:
Yes
to
a
certain
extent
new
media
research
salaries
are
higher,
but
new
media
salaries
are
higher
in
all
professions
at
the
moment.
With
many
of
these
companies
there
is
a
certain
amount
of
risk
involved
and
also
with
start
ups
there
are
often
no
benefits,
just
basic
salaries
+
stock
options
which
may
or
may
not
be
realised.
The
current
climate
indicates
that
there
will
be
more
consumer
dot
com
failures
and
it
is
likely
that
traditional
companies
with
an
online
business
will
prove
to
be
more
sturdy
than
the
newcomers.
It
is
still
a
very
exciting
sector
and
the
roles
on
offer
are
challenging
and
in
many
cases
you
can
be
a
part
of
writing
your
own
job
description.
It's
a
work
hard
and
play
hard
business
and
the
people
who
are
in
it
now
will
find
that
the
experience
they
are
gaining
is
invaluable.
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Key
to
previous
and
current
Agony
Aunts
/
Uncles
Sinead
Hasson,
Hasson Associates
Kate
Langford,
Hasson Associates
Peter
McGrath,
PSD
Nick
Gendler,
then
of
KD
Consulting
Debby
Robson,
then of SLS
Services
Liz
Norman,
ENI
Caroline
Steane
/
Clive
Warren,
CSA
Recruitment
Jenny
Bastin,
then of Buckingham
Personnel
Helen
Pegnall,
then of ENI
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