[CAUT] CAUT position announcements, CAUT Academy

[Ed Sutton]

Jeff-
What is your estimate of the entire "market," that is, the total number of college music departments in need of a staff piano technician?
Ed Sutton
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: Jeff Tanner 
  To: College and University Technicians 
  Sent: Thursday, August 21, 2008 11:44 AM
  Subject: Re: [CAUT] CAUT position announcements, CAUT Academy


  Hi Wim,
  You say, "Although it is important for "us" to know how to approach a school and ask for a salary commensurate with our abilities, it will ultimately be up to the school to decide how much to pay a piano technician."

  No.  I disagree.  While budget may limit what they can spend, the market value for an employee is set by the person who accepts the job.  We have an offer and an acceptance.  When you have a small labor pool, such as we have, the market value for the work is set by the people who do the work.  As long as they are willing to do the work for the amount of compensation offered, that is the market.  When the worker is not willing to perform the work for the amount of compensation offered, a decision has to be made between increasing the compensation or finding another person to do the work for the same compensation.  At some point the number of candidates willing to work for the offered compensation increases to the point where you have met an agreeable market value.  The fact that institutions complain about having so few applicants indicates we are not there yet.

  We do not "ask" for a salary commensurate with our abilities.  We either accept what is offered or reject it.  If jobs are being accepted by candidates who are desperate for, or greatly desire something that job offers (steady paycheck, health insurance, "prestige", etc.), the compensation will be lower.  If that is commonly the case, it becomes an unattractive option for those who are doing well otherwise, and they do not bother to apply for the positions.  This gives the false perception to the employer that it is offering compensation "commensurate" with the abilities required to do the job.

  Tanner




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