Boss wants a free webmaster

neurodude wrote: This is my first post to this forum. Hope I can offer some quality posts in the future.

Good to have you with us! Looking forward to hearing some neurodude insight around the forums.

neurodude wrote: I countered with a salary increase request and they denied it.

My question is, how unethical for the webmaster community would it be to accept a webmaster job at the salary of, basically, a help desk tech?

The answer's pretty simple in my opinion. Firstly take the job with no pay rise, work at it for a year so you can put the job on your CV. Then get a full-time job somewhere else doing Web design/SEO. Just take what advantage out of it you can, that's what they're doing to you. They'll either offer you more money to stay and look after the site, or they'll let you go and run the risk of their site failing. Either way, you win.

At the end of the day it's up to you though, the above is just my vague opinion and if it all goes wrong: don't sue me, it's your decision.

I agree that if they are adding to your job duties they should be adding to the pay. Don't let them take advantage of you. Tell them that you can't work for free and that's exactly what you would be doing. I wouldn't touch it or even attempt to help unless they re-think the no-pay.

Jeeves does have a good point though. If you do decide to take it on you can make it work for you in the long wrong.

I was thinking along the lines of what Gx3 said but I agree that JeevesBond has a good point. It depends how badly you want to get a foot in the door and if you want to do this for another company in the future. Where do you see yourself going? The alternative would be to start freelancing part time and build up to having your own business.

My first response would be to not do it without an extra pay raise, but getting added experience could do that in the future. With that in mind, only do it if you feel you can easily handle it. Don't overextend your work schedule because it might impact your main job there.

Just explain to them very clearly how much benefit you could be to their website. You are not willing to do it without a payrise as currently your job doesn't utilise the skills you will be using to improve and maintain the website, and that is what your current wage is determined by. (of course, idiot managers will claim you are currently overpaid, if they do that go work somewhere else imho)

Don't fall into the trap of doing it for a while to show them how good you are, sort out all the loose ends and make it all streamlined and faster, have it start moving up the SE ranks for them to then say thanks!
"but what about a pay rise"
"well, its running smoothly now we don't really need you anymore" etc...they might not be that bad, but I have seen even decent managers pull that stunt

Raise a meeting with the manager(s) and show them your portfolio of current websites and explain what you will do for them. Once you explain that you wont simply be changing a few colours here and there, and that your skills will actually be well worth a pay rise, they may see sense.
Show them you are very capable of vastly increasing their website hits and poularity, I dont know if the company relies hevily on it, or if sales are made from the website, but either way, most companies benefit one way or another from a well viewed website...it's their company profile displayed to a global audience.

A decent manager will acknowledge all this, and will understand that if they increase profits or clients or even just have a more professional website from your improvements, then it only works when you are happy too.
That means- you get more pay and they get a better service
It's the only way the business circle works in a professional way.

Don't forget, managers are usually shrewd, they WILL try to get you to do it without payrise if they can.

Good luck.
And of course, whatever you discuss with them, keep it civil.

give them an incentive... "I give you traffic and you pay me per whatever" Initially it will cost them nothing but if you are any good at it they will pay you for the work you have put in... its a win win situation.

It is fairly simple. What is the point of adding to your workload without the pleasure of financial benifits?

Web-design is a pretty advanced job position, you should be looking at a fat wallet by the end of the year. also it takes a lot of patience, it will tire you out, and leave you tech cons job in tatters.
There is some sense in what people are saying, take the job, gain quals, then run for it, but still, it may not turn out like that. In my oppinion, Dont take the job, not without a pay uprise. Remember, as a webmaster, you have got a lot of responsibilities: 1. Graphic Design, 2. programmer, 3. promotion manager, 4. help and support, 5 tech consultant (position filled (-:)

So it aint that simple. Sure it is a good thing to boast about, but do you really need it? will you really benifit in the long run? (most people would say yes... me included, but after all, the internet is growing, and at an unsafe speed, so we cannot predict the future of online deployement.
Hope this helps

visit my website:
http://www.pcgenius.co.nr/

Earnings related pay. Find some way of measuring extra income that your company will gain from an improved website, and negotiate a percentage as payment.

I agree with sinOcide....If they do not want to pay you a salary then suggest to them that they pay you a "bonus" on all sales, or hits, or whatever.