First, thank you for the lengthy reply!
I realize that my tone could have been misconstrued as adversarial, when in fact it's really just frustration at the shocking lack of detail available on the pay scale.
I'm just amazed that an organization which requires significant professional credentials for candidates (in at least some categories) would expect applicants of this caliber to invest any time up front without presenting a clear understanding of how they will be rewarded for their efforts over the long term if they are offered the position.
I also suspect this is why the category I am looking at has gone without a guide for a long time.
I don't know that I can say the exact formula or not (it also has variables depending on your own personal site, etc., so I really can't say what your potential site could make for the bonuses even if I wanted to)
I completely understand that there are many variables, but there also
must be a basic formula by which compensation is calculated even if different benchmarks and multipliers are category dependent. A basic understanding of this in practical real world numbers (not dollar figures) is all I am seeking.
I will say that yes, I do know that you would be lower that 4th month. I was erring on the side of caution, but I will say that much.
It makes perfect sense that the bonus should be lower when page views have declined. What I need to understand is whether
all bonus compensation will be lost simply because of a decline or if that bonus would simply go down proportionately.
They have a calculator available that I play around with all the time so I can see how many PV I need to get for my own personal monetary goals. I do understand how my wages are calculated.
Then please illuminate me! I'm not looking for a public posting of your actual dollar figures. I just want a general understanding of what that calculator illustrates!
Over your current PV, how much of an increase would be needed to increase your monthly compensation by 20%, 50%, 100%?
If you can double your PV over the course of a year, how much of an increase in compensation would that translate into (percentage wise not dollars) over your current pay?
I don't get #1 things just by writing lots of articles. I do a lot of research for it all and tweaking of course!
My apologies if my post seemed to imply that you're getting top spots in the SERPS by just writing alone. I was only pointing out that search engine keyword analysis is only a small piece of on site optimization. When it comes to increasing page views, being able to track where users click
off a page is almost as invaluable as knowing how they got there.
I still say just apply and see if you get into Prep (hopefully)
Alas, that's just not going to happen until I get a clearer picture of exactly how compensation works.
Sure, applying takes practically no time at all, but if the topic goes into prep a few days later this is the bare minimum I'd need to know before I invest a single minute more.
It's great to hear that the revised prep is less burdensome than it was years back, but I'm not in the habit of investing (time or money) in any professional endeavor without being able to rationally asses its relative merits.
That's just due diligence 101.