How I don't understand the market today

I know this post might anger some of my American friends, or even other people affected by today's economy and job market and stuff. But holy crap people.

Every week I get about 2 or 3 emails or phone calls from headhunting companies looking for me - by NAME - to work for some other company. It's funny though because a lot of them aren't really applicable to me (I don't have 7 years experience and am not a senior engineer etc). But some really do just want me. I've always turned them down instantly, to me it's like telemarketers. But this last girl that just called for some reason got my mind whirrling. Maybe I should just hear what they've got to say? See what kind of offer they've got. I know I'm currently being under paid for the market I'm in (only in Saskatchewan folks. Seriously, if you're looking for a hot ecomony, even fast food drive through positions are paying $15/hour, maybe more, AND we're one of the most affordable places to live. enough advertising?) I know that come Christmas and performance reviews the company is going to go retroactive with raises for the full year (hmm, that's gonna be a nice fat cheque won't it? Treadmill? nah) But still, I don't know if it's really going to be up there. I think maybe after Christmas, if I'm still lower than market average I'll answer one of these emails...

I'm in a really nice profession that every 2 years does a salary survey and sorts it by all sorts of things, industry worked in, position wrt management etc, year graduated university, advanced degrees etc. So you can basically find yourself on that list and see what the average and upper and lower ranges etc. Well I'm in a strange place a bit because I'm between Bachelor and Master degree, plus I'm only an Engineer-in-training (yes we have to call ourselves that for 4 years until we're designated Professional engineers) whereas most people who graduated in 2004 have several years experience and I don't etc. Anyway, I'm guessing that if I want to be paid AVERAGE for where I am, I'm getting shorted about $5-8K a year. If I get that paid back for the last year in one big chunk that would be sweet. But I hope they don't count that as my Christmas bonus, it should be on top of. anyway, whatever.

But I do make plenty of money, so I'm not sure if that would really swing me to work at a different job. I am pretty comfortable here, the hours are good, I basically know what I'm doing now. Getting more responsibilities and challenges constantly right now. I dunno. More money would be nice too, be more comfortable, do things sooner than we were going to otherwise. But at the same time, it would be gone instantly right? You know how you never see the money, it just goes into more things and then you're at the same place.

Anyway, I like money talk and stuff like that so I'm sorry if I bored you with it.