What are you laboring for?
It’s Labor Day! Everyone’s favorite holiday!
This is the day where we celebrate our privilege to work in Silicon Valley!
It’s where we celebrate the fact that we can spend all year, working in cubes (if you’re lucky), on the next game changing disruptive social sharing music video coupon synergy open graph mobile app! And BECOME RICH from it!
That’s why you’re reading this at work. Because you want to!
So… what do you do for a living? And how many hundreds of thousands of dollars do you get paid?
(Do you agree with the assessments on glassdoor.com?)
September 6th, 2010 at 9:01 am
I’m laboring today in hopes that my little startup company will be able to IPO sometime before I retire. When I joined all the way back in dot-com bubble times, the recruiter said–and I quote–”This is a multi-million dollar opportunity!”
How little I realized that he meant that I would need to work here forty years and that he wasn’t talking net-present value either.
Still glad I have a job at all though. I must live in the RBA.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:30 am
“the recruiter said–and I quote–”This is a multi-million dollar opportunity!”
How little I realized that he meant that I would need to work here forty years and that he wasn’t talking net-present value either.”
An extra $1 per year for millions of years!
September 6th, 2010 at 11:13 am
> So… what do you do for a living?
I groom pets of course.
September 6th, 2010 at 11:59 am
I’m a handyman here. I’m laboring today for lower grass, the timothy’s all grown up in the orchard and it’s time to weed-wack it down.
But right now I’m practicing my trumpet a bit, I “busked” for the first time a couple of days ago, and the money wasn’t great, but neither am I, yet, and it was fun.
The garden is getting some major work today.
September 6th, 2010 at 1:45 pm
I labor away at making certain that my darling children (Prudence, Bitsy and Chip) keep their little noses to the grindstone so that some day they will be able to buy a home in the RBA.
Prudence is working, of course – because I’ve taught her to NEVER take a day off or you’ll fall behind.
Chip is working on applications because you can never have enough degrees.
And Bitsy – oh Bitsy! She’s going to have to marry well.
September 6th, 2010 at 1:53 pm
I’m just an RBA hauswife. What I do isn’t important because nobody notices and I don’t get paid so it don’t count anyway. Good thing I can live off my investments unlike you guys. You see, I knew the difference between a house and an investment.
September 6th, 2010 at 2:04 pm
> So… what do you do for a living?
Anything so that I don’t end up becoming a lucky one working in a cube
September 6th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Madhaus -
No one is JUST an RBA hauswife. At the very least you’re a trophy wife who can not only manage the investment portfolio but also Fundraise and those two things are the grease that keeps the RBA running.
September 6th, 2010 at 4:47 pm
RBA, madhaus? Now, now. I’ll buy the trophy part, but Real Bay Area?
September 6th, 2010 at 5:49 pm
What’s labor?
September 6th, 2010 at 7:21 pm
anon- Labor is what you do trying to decide what RBA house to buy and how much to “over-bid.” After the deal is done, your address is “easy street.”
September 6th, 2010 at 7:39 pm
Not that Easy Street I hope?
September 6th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
>(Do you agree with the assessments on glassdoor.com?)
I find them tilted towards the low end. I suppose if you contribute data to such a site, you’re among the dissatisfied ones to begin with. I was particularly surprised at the consultancy salaries, thought they’d be much higher than that.
September 6th, 2010 at 7:51 pm
I was under the impression that most consultants in companies like Deloitte were fresh college graduates they can put on the road 50 weeks a year for peanuts. One of those shit jobs you do to “pay your dues” because it leads to better things later.
September 6th, 2010 at 8:07 pm
nomadic – Really? Are you saying that if you’re in your late 40s, you wouldn’t be caught dead working for a company such as that one?
September 6th, 2010 at 8:44 pm
wow, that’s a strong response. No, I wouldn’t say that. I see the average consultant salary is about $76k, and would guess that person is in their late 20s or early 30s.
Maybe you mean the six figure salaries? Those liberal arts majors have to make a living too, right?
Or are you saying I should consider a career change when I get to my late 40s?
September 6th, 2010 at 9:50 pm
nomadic – Why in the world would I recommend you join Deloitte?!?
unless you can get them out of their recent lawsuit mess.
September 6th, 2010 at 9:53 pm
I dunno. Would they let me wear my Birkenstocks to the office?
September 6th, 2010 at 10:02 pm
Eep, I know people who work at Deloitte and the like. Definitely not a good place to end up, but a reasonable petition to be “from.” Maybe that article about the bitter 50somethings was about those types, expecting the easy money to keep rolling in after the hard work at the beginning was over.
Nah, much better to fundraise for CUSD. Though the idea of a Sunnyvale trophy wife seems rather contradictory. Maybe I’m more the blue ribbon type. But yeah, I can find my way around an REIT.
September 6th, 2010 at 11:23 pm
I labor to find that perfect redhead Asian sandwich
September 9th, 2010 at 3:14 pm
I’m wondering how much a CXO level guy such as DreamT is supposed to be making. I have a feeling he’s underpaid, based on his apparent inability to break out of RGA.
September 9th, 2010 at 3:16 pm
Why do you care, troll? Never mind; I just answered my own question.
September 9th, 2010 at 3:22 pm
>> I see the average consultant salary is about $76k, and would guess that person is in their late 20s or early 30s.
As mentioned above, that number must be heavily diluted by liberal arts majors. $76K is actually an excellent salary for a non-tech person. I can’t imagine a tech major coming out of a decent university not making at least $76K in the Bay Area. That’s early 20′s type of pay these days.
September 9th, 2010 at 3:23 pm
Nomadic,
I’m genuinely interested in the answer, because I’m intrigued by DreamT’s situation. Something just doesn’t add up here.
September 9th, 2010 at 3:41 pm
nomadic- How much is Real Estater overpaid?
September 9th, 2010 at 4:19 pm
#21 – I agree with you, I’m underpaid
On the other hand, I don’t plan to ever buy in Palo Alto proper, so don’t hold your breath.
That said, I recently declined an opportunity with twice the salary. So I also agree with you that something does not add up. But what could that be?
September 9th, 2010 at 5:12 pm
DreamT says,
>>I recently declined an opportunity with twice the salary.
Does it involve moving to Third world country or prostituting yourself?
September 9th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Nothing wrong with the opportunity (Redwood Shores), just quite happy with my current set-up. I’ve seen expensive VPs hired then fired for political reasons (and made ineffectual in the meantime by no fault of their own). More to the point, I know from past experience what I’d gain with the higher salary, and that does not tip the balance against what I’d lose from the current set-up. Hope that satisfied your curiosity – if you have further personal questions, e-mail them directly via burbed@ so as to stop bothering the other posters…
September 9th, 2010 at 5:41 pm
No need… Re’s title jealousy is quite entertaining.
September 9th, 2010 at 6:08 pm
Nah, I just think RE is more confused than usual. He cannot possibly comprehend what could be more important than money.
September 9th, 2010 at 6:27 pm
Money’s important, no doubt. But always more money, less so. At some threshold, freedom and stability become overriding. Unless you earn yourself a lucrative position from equity after some years of sweat, it usually comes with harsh constraints – overloaded schedule, breach of integrity, insufficiently empowered position to name a few. And while free money’s always nice, sweat money somehow tastes better to the soul.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:05 pm
DreamT, how exactly are you going to buy your own 2 investment properties like that? Are you preparing yourself for a life of misery?
Regarding Deloitte, there is a reason why it was referred to as “Toilette and Douche”. But indeed, not a bad company if you are a liberal arts major.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:06 pm
nomadic- How much is Real Estater overpaid?
—-
Someone who spells “summar” possibly can’t be overpaid.
Someone who fabricates his AMT problem, possibly can’t be overpaid.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:10 pm
DreamT, how exactly are you going to buy your own 2 investment properties like that?
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Even if DreamT dreaming about it, he can’t. Because his cat’s holiday season is here. He must take his cat to holiday.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:36 pm
L’Shana Tova, kitty cat.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:43 pm
Can we skip the apples and just dunk #27 in the honey instead? And then stake to an anthill?
September 9th, 2010 at 9:47 pm
I actually agree with DreamT. Trying to make a lot of money from your job is just not worth it sometimes. It’s sort of like Bob trying to save his way to riches. At some point you get into diminishing returns.
September 9th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
DreamT says,
>>Nothing wrong with the opportunity (Redwood Shores), just quite happy with my current set-up.
Why did you go check out a new job when you’re perfectly happy?
September 9th, 2010 at 9:56 pm
#38 – Got contacted by an insider I know well and who wants me there. Seriously, why do you care?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:22 pm
Seriously, I don’t care. Just a casual question. Why do you take it so seriously?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:24 pm
lol ^^
September 9th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
#40 – you can hardly claim a “genuine” interest then switch to “I don’t care”. Maybe you’re confused about your true motives? Or are you looking for some personal guidance?
September 9th, 2010 at 10:29 pm
Why do you take it so seriously?
—–
Because someone is genuinely interested.
September 9th, 2010 at 10:36 pm
Maybe you’re confused about your true motives?
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It’s very unfortunate that DreamT did not realize the true motive of Real Estater – it’s helping those who need the most help.
“Beware the GLIB HELPER who fills your head with fantasies while he fills his pockets with fees.”
- Warren Buffett
September 9th, 2010 at 11:21 pm
Real Serious discussions with Real P*** A*** Real Estaters.