Starting A Career

Sometimes it worries me that I can't keep up with some things that I mean to. Like this blog for example. I just knew that I would be updating it twice a week and was going to really stay on top of it. I just knew it.

We have all seen how that's been working out.

But really, to my own defense, I have been stretched extremely thin lately. I have so many things going on that I just don't have enough hours in the day to keep up with it. However, I am almost to the point in my life where there is a clear dilemma that I will soon face.

My new salary.

Let me explain - because I am asking for help. So, I have a new job and currently I am on a contract position for the first 30 days. This is the first position where I can clearly see growth potential and not being stuck in a dead end job that I hate. I actually like my job. I like that there is enough work to keep me busy. I like the 50-60 hour work weeks that feel as if they are only 30. I really like it. But my dilemma comes in knowing what to ask for when I go on salary.

I have done some research, but it's hard to do that because I don't really have a job title. I do a little of everything, so it's difficult to classify myself in one specific area. This makes doing salary research.. errr... trying to say the least. Without knowing what I am, how can I accurately research what I am worth?

So, here's what I do: a little advertising, a bit of account management (no financials involved) and a little of a gopher. I have a Bachelor's degree in Information Technology so I do have education to go along with my work ethic. I am in the office a minimum of 50 hours a week. This is not including the 10 or so hours I spend working on work from home. When I was brought on, I was told that working hours are 'until it gets done'. I get that, and I have no issue with that.

So, how do I calculate what I want to ask for in salary? Do I just throw a random number out? It's a lot of work, what I do. It's not that it's difficult - just a lot. It's taking me away from my family more and more and I want to be compensated for that. I rarely take lunch - and when I do I am NEVER gone for an hour (like most). I am just stuck on how to calculate what I want to ask for. What about getting all the job titles for everything I do and then averaging out the salaries? I tried that but the average for what I do was $70,000!

Sometimes I have an issue of underselling myself. Like now. That average number seems extremely high to me. I mean, I just graduated, this is my first career job and I just don't know. Any thoughts? How would you calculate salary?