New Job: What would you do in the following situation?

[basicchannel]

Hi,

 

I just wanted to hear what people would do if they were faced with the following scenario:

 

So you're an IT technician in a school and it's all fine apart from the salary. Things just aren't adding up, and increasing living costs mean that you're skint a lot of the time. You look for something else which pays better on the downlow. You find something, apply, get an interview and although you haven't yet heard back you're pretty confident. The potential new job pays a lot more (lets say for the sake of argument it pays approx 1/3 more than your current gross annual salary) but there are downsides.

 

1. It's a temp, year-long contract. Although you may get a premanant job at the end of it.

2. You're currently in a permanant position which is pretty safe; something that's rare these days

3. Your potential new job is pretty different to your current one. You might hate every second of it.

4. There MAY be a chance of you getting a small pay-rise in your current position in the next few months. This is not guaranteed however, and if you were successful the resulting pay would still be significantly less than the potential new position.

 

Now lets say you get a phonecall and are offered the job. Bearing all the above factors in mind, what would you guys do?

 

Any opinions would be a great help

[gotenks1321]

If the money was that much of an issue then I would go for it personally. There is always a balance between being happy in a job and being able to afford to live but how happy can you be if you can't afford to keep a roof over your head and eat? A bit extreme I know but gets the point across I think

[GREED]

Any new job has the chance you hate it, or love it totally.

 

I think the year long contract thing is something only you will feel comfortable with, personally I never used to like the idea... but the way the job market is these days I will always take a look.

[aerospacemango]

Depends on how much I like my current job, tbh.

 

Ok, so.........

 

1) It's a year-long contract with a possible permanent at the end.....that means that it's probably gonna go permanent, but there's an opt-out for either side after a year............. I'd say go for it!

 

2) Pretty safe at the mo, which IS rare.............. I'd say stay where you are if job security is that important (i.e. family, bills etc etc)

 

3) Different job to what you currently do.........I'd say go for it! Never pass up the chance to learn new stuff!

 

4) May be a chance of a pay-rise..............May is a pretty BIG word in that sentence. If you're looking for more money (and that is why you went to the interview in the first place) I'd say go for it!

 

In short......

 

If I was in that position............

 

I would TAKE THE JOB! What is there to lose???

 

(That is only MY opinion, and all opinions shared should be taken with a healthy pinch of salt!!!)

[nicholab]

Alvin Hall said you should have the value of 3months salary saved for a rainy day? Can you do this so you are ready for a years time? Edited January 5, 2011 by nicholab

[aerospacemango]

Or.....

 

You could call them back and say you don't want it.

 

They re-advertise it.....

 

I see it (Being in East Anglia, myself)

 

I apply.....

 

But, I DON'T get offered it!!!!!

 

LOL!!!!

 

I think that if you have a wife/partner/family/kids/etc then you would be best off discussing it with them. At least you'd be making a decision based on what is right for you ALL.

[GREED]

Alvin Hall said you should have the value of 3months salary saved for a rainy day? Can you do this so you are ready for a years time?

 

Hahaha! I wish!

[andyturpie]

Go for it.

[basicchannel]

i've come to a point where I don't want to be in IT any more, and I guess that even if this job does finish in 12 months, it'll be a chance for me to go on to pastures new. At the moment I just need more money.

[jamesfed]

I ended up being in a similar situation - got head hunted to a job in corp IT support (out of Education), they were very enthusiastic about me and I got offered the job on the same day as the interview.

Pay was significantly higher than my educational job and like you said the world is getting tough for us on low income so I said yes.

Two weeks later I called up my old school and asked if my job was still going and if so could I have it back – out of extreme kindness they said yes.

My reason for leaving the high pay, fancy suits and 100s of servers – Educational IT is more fun, working in a small team means you get more of your own projects to manage and while the pay is bad it keeps me living at a reasonable standard.

[john]

Educational IT is more fun, working in a small team means you get more of your own projects to manage and while the pay is bad it keeps me living at a reasonable standard.

 

I agree on this, I was head hunted for a job, dare I say it, being a IT Consulting Engineer for BSF around the Manchester Areas (they didn't expand the firm to exactly which area) the JD was great, lots of designing new LANs for all the new BSF schools, central services, design them all up etc. Pay fantastic, they were giving you anything you wanted, they said pay was £x per year, I said I'd need to relocate to nearer tbh as I didn't want a 150 mile round trip to the office, they said oh right (I wasn't using it as a bad thing against them), they then came back and offered me more money and a cash incentive to take the job and move to the area. They also said a company car if I want one, expenses account was available etc... I can see why BSF IT has cost so much if all people were on that style setup as anything they could throw to get people they were throwing.

 

Needless to say I said thanks but no thanks as I was happy in my job at the time. I also was offered a job at an IT Firm, who actually now are quite big in the Schools IT in parts of Cumbira I found out the other day!! Great firm but was worried about the fact that every day could be very similar to the last day, in a school everything is different many times, today I was filling a few holes I made removing an old network cable, upgrading the TimeTable software on a PC, fixing an SQL bug in some SEN Software and then running a CCTV Camera Cable. Tomorrow, who knows what it will bring (well I do already but you get the picture). Education IT is very special and unique in my view and that is why I enjoy it, plus I enjoy the contact with the students, its nice to help them and chat to them about the latest film, or the someone's new album etc or point out why PC World really isn't the best value and perhaps try Dabs or someone online!

[zag]

I would take it in a second. Best thing I ever did was give up my old secure job and move to a risky new one.

 

It turned out to be a great job and one of the best decisions I ever made.

 

Oh and my old job offered me a 10k pay rise when I handed in my resignation letter that mentioned my low pay as a reason for leaving. I still ended up leaving when weighing up the 2 opportunities and very glad I did.

 

You don't get anywhere in life being scared to move up in the world.

Edited January 6, 2011 by zag

[witch]

If you are young with no real responsibilities such as a family etc then the main concern is whether you will actually like the job or not.

Ignore everything else for a minute - the money, the 'getting out of your current job', ALL of it. Just focus on the job - do you think you will like it?

If so, then take it

[SpuffMonkey]

If you get the call - ask to think it over and go to your head and say that you'd like to stay - but have been offered a job and need a pay rise - if they agree - get it in writing!!

[mthomas08]

must admit, an easy one for me. I would stay in the current job and mention it to the boss that I am currently looking for other jobs due to finances. Is there extra responsibility that you can take on to help you get promoted? paid more?

 

Some times its best to keep a technician along who knows the system and is able to grow, then it is to get some one who doesnt know much for a low pay.

 

Are you able to get promoted at all? It happened here to me, I was just a techy and the previous NM left so I had to learn. One year later the System Officer left and we got a new guy in.

 

Between me and this New guy we really have made this system in to something special, not only does it work but we got computers, equipment every where and it works well. So I guess in a way, make your self worth keeping perhaps?

 

Or just simply stay there until you find something safer and better? try and learn more?

[BarryE]

look I started a job on a years contract and I,M STILL there 6 years later , if your good at what you do even in this job market youll be kept if not you will be on a bigger wage package when you apply for another job

Good Luck hope you do whats right for you

[Sarconia]

must admit, an easy one for me. I would stay in the current job and mention it to the boss that I am currently looking for other jobs due to finances.

 

I have learnt from experience that it is never a wise move to tell your current employer that you are looking for another job. If they actually value you as an employee in the first place then they wouldn't pay you a wage which is a joke.

 

Personally I'd leave the low paid job and take the other job for sure, money isn't everything and at least it's for a year, if it doesn't work out you also know when you'll be out of work and can plan for it.

[mthomas08]

I have learnt from experience that it is never a wise move to tell your current employer that you are looking for another job. If they actually value you as an employee in the first place then they wouldn't pay you a wage which is a joke.

 

Personally I'd leave the low paid job and take the other job for sure, money isn't everything and at least it's for a year, if it doesn't work out you also know when you'll be out of work and can plan for it.

 

Worked for me

[basicchannel]

I just wanted to thank you all for the advice, and let you know that I was offered the job for real today; I think i'm going to take it too. Once again thanks to all, and I'm gonna certainly be sticking 'round here (even if I won't be an Edugeek anymore).

[kernewek-sam]

Good luck with the new job!

[sonofsanta]

Just to chip in: the best things in life often turn out to be the riskiest. I know when I was offered this job I had to ask them for five minutes to consider because I had talked myself out of wanting it, having convinced myself that one of the other applicants would be offered the position. Luckily I went with the "fsck it" approach, figuring no risk no gain, and it's all worked out pretty damn well for me - and by all accounts, I got out my last job at the right time (academification).

 

So if you're still not sure, and with me not knowing the specifics of your situation - I'd say go for it, generally.

[zag]

Good luck in your new role

[CAM]

Go for the job. If you get it and you hand your notice in, you will either get "Oh, goodbye" or "How about we give you this much instead...?" Either way, it isn't an opportunity lost!