Tip Your Editors:
tips@valleywag.com
| AIM
Valleywag elsewhere on the Web:
Twitter | Facebook
Managing Editor:
Owen Thomas
Email | AIM
Very Special Correspondent:
Paul Boutin
Email
Associate Editors:
Nicholas Carlson (New York)
Email | AIM
Jackson West (San Francisco)
Email | AIM
Reporter:
Melissa Gira Grant
Email
Contributing Editor:
Evelyn Nussenbaum
Email | AIM
Valleywag Calendar:
Dianne de Guzman
Email
Valleywags Emeriti:
Nick Denton
Nick Douglas
We're on to Round Two in our worst-tech-job contest. We've whittled down 10 terrible gigs down to five:
The last matchup in this round of our worst-job tournament: temporary database administrator for Google, contracted through WorkforceLogic, vs. content acquisition intern, IODA. Given the compensation disparity between these jobs — IODA doesn't pay its interns, while WorkforceLogic reportedly pay database admins as much as $70,000 — it seems like a no-brainer. Remember, though, just because WorkforceLogic will deploy you to the Googleplex, that doesn't mean you'll ever be a real Googler. Not to the Stanford and Harvard grads munching on their Bacon Krispy Kreme burgers. At least at IODA, you'll deserve the scorn heaped on you by the paid wage slaves. Pick the worse fate, below.
More »
He won't sell, but can Mark Zuckerberg successfully carry Facebook through to an IPO? That's what the latest matchup in our tournament to find tech's worst entry-level job comes down to. Otherwise, the key responsibilities for Facebook's user operations analysts and MySpace customer support specialists are very similar. Even the pay is roughly the same. A tipster tells us Facebook pays its customer service reps $34,500 per year — though that number might be higher now that Facebook stopped handing $600/mo. housing subsidies. Readers figure MySpace pays $37,000. So what's it going to be? The slightly lower-paying job at the risky startup with higher upside or a gig at News Corp.'s shiniest Web toy? Vote in our poll below.
More »
The class of 2008 has already begun to realize the tragedy of actually having to work for a living. Cheer up, kiddos; it could be worse. You could be employed, part-time, cutting and pasting Google search results for Jason Calacanis's Mahalo. Or you could serve as Mashable CEO Pete Cashmore's personal assistant — the entry-level gigs facing off in our third matchup to determine the worst job in tech. Vote below.
More »
Its time for the second match in our single-elimination tournament to find the worst entry-level job in tech. In our first poll, the drudgery of working as a Google online sales and operations manager narrowly edged out the perils of being an Amazon.com support engineer, 53 percent to 47 percent. Today's contest: Getting paid by Microsoft to take angry calls from Vista users all day, vs. fetching coffee in Yahoo's finance operations. Making the contest even harder: If Carl Icahn has his way, both might soon find their paychecks signed by Microsoft CFO Chris Liddell. Vote below.
More »
We picked the ten worst entry-level jobs in tech. Now, in a single-elimination tournament, we're going to let you choose which gig is truly the worst. Round one begins with Amazon.com support engineers versus Google online sales and operations account managers. We'll let your fellow readers advise you before you choose:
More »
To come up with the estimated pay for tech's 10 worst entry-level jobs we spoke to former and current employees, HR reps and friends of friends working these jobs. But still, some of our commenters expressed disbelief over the salary estimates. "80 grand for an entry level job? Time to apply and kick those whiney losers out! Let's see how they feel about their new job bagging groceries at the Safeway," wrote mwbeeler. Loakim said:Boo fucking hoo. I clicked through about 4 of those and if they are representative, then getting paid 60-70K right out of college at an "entry" level job is nothing to complain about, regardless of the "tough" working conditions (ceiling too low? CSR work? no windows? cubicle? oh the torture!!). I spent half my life to get a Ph.D. and will barely be making that as an asst professor at a major research university.We like our estimates, but we're willing to bow to the wisdom of the crowd, or the madness thereof. Save for IODA's unpaid internship — no point in guessing there — we've created a poll for each job. Take your best guess. More »
The real Bud Cook illustrates the horrors of Facebook customer service
In describing what's so bad about working customer support for Facebook, one of the 10 worst entry-level jobs in tech, we wrote: "Meet your customer: USC's own Bud Cook, class of 2010. Fratastic!" Cook promptly wrote us:
Soon America's most bright-eyed graduates will enter the workforce and make their workaday homes in cubes at Google, MySpace, or Amazon.com. And they will suffer not just the indignity of having to work for a living, but also the dispiriting realization that a job at a cool company isn't always that hot. These employers, and the others hiring for tech's 10 worst entry-level jobs, listed below, will look spiffy on a resume someday, but for now the only good these jobs promise the world is the pleasant feeling you and I can share knowing we're not the ones stuck in them.
More »
7:00 PM on Tue May 20 2008
By Nicholas Carlson
229,935 views,
64 comments
Latest by zabovo: Ooo Ooo I hope I not to late... Zou forgot working for ValleyRag.... more »
10 worst jobs
- You will process large volumes of email, forwarding them to appropriate department or translating them into action items and priority tasks.
- Provide high level and comprehensive administrative support to the CEO and business development team, including complex calendaring and detailed travel plans and agendas.
- Coordinate meetings, documents and other aspects of multiple project teams.
- Prepare promotional materials for events and business development opportunities.
- Ability to develop, implement, understand general startup business operations, work flows, and procedures as appropriate.
- Effectively handle as much as possible on behalf of the CEO and business development, but exercise good discretion and judgment with regard to involving them as appropriate.
- Ensure budgets, schedules, and performance requirements are met by company vendors related to office management.
- Track leads and forward them on to appropriate departments.
- 5+ years related experience working in a very fast paced Web startup or VC environment.
10 worst jobs
Represent Microsoft and communicate with Microsoft's Strategic OEM partners via telephone, written correspondence, or electronic services regarding technically complex escalated issues. Frequently, these problems will not only be technically complex, but will be politically charged situations requiring the highest level of customer skill and diplomacy both externally and internally.Why so bad? More »
10 worst jobs
General administration on database systems which includes maintaining data stores, schema objects, security and access privileges, software installation and configuration.Why so bad? More »
10 worst jobs
Why so bad? More »
- Moderate or review content (images, video, user postings, and other user generated content) to ensure content adheres to MySpace Terms of Use and guidelines
- Be knowledgeable on the MySpace Terms of Use
- Remove or escalate content that violates Terms of Use
- Meet productivity and quality targets
- Assist on special projects as needed
10 worst jobs
The Content Acquisition Team are the people responsible for reaching out to independent record labels and signing them to IODA so they can make their music available through iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody and dozens of other download services.Why so bad? More »
10 worst jobs
Supporting platform infrastructure and systems architecture, including operating systems, hardware/storage configurations, and performance tuning using Linux, system calls, memory management, and program debugging.Why so bad? More »
10 worst jobs
Why so bad? More »
- Provide outstanding customer service and sales support to Google's advertisers, publishers and/or users.
- Manage customer inquiries by phone, e-mail and/or live chat.
- Collaborate with Specialists, Engineers and Product team members on new feature development.
- Implement creative ways to improve our client relationships and increase revenue by up-selling and promoting other Google products.
- Provide strategic advice and help solve technical issues by working closely in a consultative role with key clients.
10 worst jobs
10 worst jobs
This employee will be a member of the Global Project Management Organization focused on supporting Projects and documentation of systems and processes for multiple projects including customer-centric systems, revenue, accounting and financial systems, operations finance systems and human resources.
Valleywag
