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Original poster

Help me decide between 2 jobs! Need to make up my mind by Tuesday...

27 replies

WideWebWitch · 27/08/2004 19:21

Hi, I hope someone can help me order my thoughts on this. I am a contractor and work on projects, too boring to tell you more about here but I have a dilemma and would appreciate some views on it.

Ideally I'd like a permanent job (I think, although I do like contracting) but the right thing hasn't come up yet so I've been contracting since March. You may remember my thread on Tosser McToss - I had a very bad experience with a bad boss but it's all over now, thankfully.

JOB A is the current one - it's a 3 month contract with a smallish co who are part of a much bigger group. I'm happy with the money and with my boss, who I like and respect. It's based in the city where I live. Tatty offices, unglam product, OK people so far. There may be a perm job at some point.

JOB B - I've been for an interview today and have been offered the job. It's also a contract, but will last until June next year. It's slightly more money but is an hours drive away. There are benefits, not sure of detail yet. There may also be a perm job at some point. It's a global corp with glossy glam offices in a nice town. People seemed OK, though I didn't meet my direct boss.

The agency I work for have called my boss at Job A today to say that they suspect I'll be put up for job B and that he should be aware of it. He's said he will guarantee work until the middle of next year too and that he wants to keep me.

What would you do? The pros of Job A are:
it's a known quantity (although I have no fear of new companies and situations so it doesn't really bother me); I have a great boss; it's near home; I'm back by 5.45pm every night

BUT the lure of job B is that it's for a well known brand name company. They have glam offices (shallow, I know). My cv will def look better for it and it will make me more marketable in the future. But I'm not sure how happy (or not, who knows?) it'll make me in the short term.

I have considered going to job A and using the offer of Job B to get an increased rate and the promise of a contract until June next year, which will probably work, given the conversation the agency had with him today. But the lure of a bigger co and my improved CV is tempting.

What would you do?

OP posts:
SueW · 27/08/2004 19:35

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

SueW · 27/08/2004 19:36

This reply has been withdrawn

This has been withdrawn by MNHQ at OP's request.

whizzz · 27/08/2004 19:36

Thats a tough one - I suppose it depends on what your priorities are :- staying where you are & getting home early OR a later finish but with more money & better prospects. Long term - Job B sounds better for you but would it be better for your family ? Could you / they manage with the extra time you're away ?

MeanBean · 27/08/2004 20:35

I think if you are concentrating on building up your career, job B sounds better. But if you are trying to achieve a good work/ life balance, then Job A sounds better.

Would Job A make your CV distinctly less marketable in the future, or just a bit less?

How secure and marketable in your career are you at the moment, and would Job B make you considerably more marketable, or just a little bit, which might not be worth it for the potential hassle?

Will A or B give you more transferable skills?

Given that the contract at Job B is still only a year (it's not permanent, albeit with the potential to be) and given that Job A might now give you the same permanence, will Job B give you a level of extra cash and skills and marketability to make it worth while moving from Job A?

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 28/08/2004 07:13

Thanks all of you. Meanbean, job B will make me quite a bit more marketable but I'm not sure whether the commute is worth it tbh. I'm still fairly marketable even if I stay at job A for a year and I suppose, if I'm honest, I don't give a stuff about my 'career', I just want to earn the maximum amount of money doing the most enjoyable work I can get for the next few years. I don't say this in interviews btw! Both jobs will be OK from a doing them pov but Job B will have more benefits and trappings. Woke up thinking about this and need to do some more research on company B I think. They seem to have good work/life balance policies and talk the talk about the value they place on employees. But job A will make life easier I think and the company's expectations are lower (not saying I can't meet high expectations, just that I probably won't have to work as hard at job A!) Hmm. If I could get a train to job B maybe it's a better proposition. Any other views welcome, thanks.

OP posts:
toddlerbob · 28/08/2004 07:24

A glam office and trappings can't tuck your kids into bed at night. Take the job offer as a huge compliment and stay where you are (hopefully with a longer contract and a better pay rate).

moomina · 28/08/2004 07:33

I think you've pretty much answered your own question, www. If you 'don't give a stuff' about your career then I'd stick where you are, I think. Glam offices are nice but they're not going to make much difference in the end, and companies that offer a lot of 'benefits' usually expect a lot more in return (not that I'm implying you wouldn't work hard anyway, of course, but YKWIM!) And even if they say all the right things about work/life balance, lots of companies still do only really pay lip service to it.

Personally, I reckon your idea of trying to negotiate upwards with job A is a good one as they're obviously keen to keep you. Another 'job B' may well come along again in a year anyhow - I doubt this is your last chance

tigermoth · 28/08/2004 08:34

www, reading your messages, I'd keep looking for other jobs, but for the moment stay in Job A. Better the devil you know. And you know you are very employable and your present job will not be a blight on your CV.

I agree you should use the job B offer to negotiate for a longer term contract/more money.

I have bitter experience of a job involving a 1 hour drive, flashy offices and people talking the talk about family friendly working (not).

The 1 hour drive particularly - ha ha! only with no traffic jams. I could never guanantee at what time I would arrive home. So stressful in terms of childcare pickups, after school activities and social arrangements. It was not unusual for me to leave the office at 5.00 and be stuck in traffic for 3 hours. If job B means you working normal office hours, you will be faced with the unpredectability of rush hour traffic. Don't do it! And 2 hours or more of driving a day is IME really, really tiring.

I see job A is based in the city where you live. Job B is based in a nearby town. Is it more convenient for you to be on hand for your doctor, schools, shops? I worked in a village in another county. It was hell on a practical level.

Any chance of getting Company B to agree to some working from home arrangement for some of your week? if so, this would IMO swing the balance back in their favour. If you feel ok about staying at job A, you have nothing to lose by asking, anyway.

Good luck!

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 28/08/2004 08:47

Tigermoth, you're so right. I didn't even particularly like the drive there yesterday - it's an hour on the motorway, and yes, it could well be hell. I think the job I'm in is the one I should stick with but I'm going to use the other offer as a negotiating tool. Thanks, this has really helped!

OP posts:
tigermoth · 28/08/2004 08:55

Hope it works out for you, www. I really think more offers will soon come your way - August is a slow month I imagine and the fact you have been offered a job bodes will for the future. Really glad BTW that you have a great boss after all that hassle with tosser McToss. I wonder what poor person is doing your old job now?

Tanzie · 28/08/2004 12:17

Stay where you are. I think at the end of the day your personal happiness is more important than money/future prospects etc

serenequeen · 28/08/2004 19:39

just seen this. ooh, how exciting! i agree with tigermoth though. stay where you are ftm, and then you can still look for something more glam closer to home when people start recruiting again in the holiday season. if not, where's the harm? you can stay put happily in job A. if you're really not bothered about career and building up your cv, i'd go for the bird in the hand when it comes to work/life balance. good luck with the decision

serenequeen · 28/08/2004 19:40

after the holiday season

bayleaf · 28/08/2004 20:29

OH - Job A, job A, job A, - need I say more????
There is so much less going for job B in terms of things that will make you happy - you know yourself that the glam offices will be exciting for between a week and a month - and after that it's the PEOPLE who make a job great or crap 9 times out of ten. And I'd hate that commute - esp in bad weather - and being stuck in bad traffic is Sooooooooo stressful - DON'T DO IT!!!!!

Earlybird · 28/08/2004 20:45

Agree with everyone else that job A sounds better for quality of life - especially as moving up the corporate ladder is not your priority at the moment. If job B still tantalises you, I'd insist on meeting the person who would be your direct boss and add that information to the mix before you make a decision. You've already had a bad experience with a horrible boss, so you know how important it is to report to someone who ISN'T a tosser!

Batters · 28/08/2004 21:54

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
WideWebWitch · 28/08/2004 22:35

Earlybird, you're right, I would have to meet my direct boss were I going to consider job B but have just realised I can't be arsed! So I think I've answered my own question, with a little help from my friends. Thank you all (nice to see you Bayleaf btw) for such wise advice. I'll go in to Job A to negotiate on Tuesday and will appear to be prepared to walk when really all I want is to stay where I am for more money and a longer contract. Shouldn't be a problem there from what I gather. Sorted then!

OP posts:
Original poster
WideWebWitch · 31/08/2004 21:41

An update for anyone who's interested: I negotiated a longer contract and a lot more money from Job A, which is the one I'm already in and the one that's nearby, shorter hours, with a great boss and turned down Job B. Thanks so much for all the great advice, I'm really happy with the outcome! It really was worth going for the interview for job B just to strengthen my bargaining position and force Job A into a longer contract and more cash. I'm very happy and my boss has said he's pleased I've agreed to stay

OP posts:
Lisa78 · 31/08/2004 21:42

YES!!! Congratulations Witchy

Hulababy · 31/08/2004 21:42

Great to hear you sorted out your decision and made a good one :)

tigermoth · 01/09/2004 07:45

oh that's wonderful www. Wish I could do the same in my temporary job :(

roisin · 01/09/2004 08:07

Great news WWW - I'm very pleased for you

motherinferior · 01/09/2004 08:51

Oh dear, sorry, missed this, congratulations you sought-after prized commodity you

sis · 01/09/2004 15:57

Well done,I'm glad they realised they needed to up the stakes in order to keep you!

almost40 · 01/09/2004 16:50

Congrats WWW! Sounds like the best choice. I was just advising the same when I realized that you already had taken Job a with more money.