Thinking about switching jobs...advice please.

[della89]

So this is very hard for me to write this on here, but I am feeling very confused/down/and in just a general state of "I don't know what to do." I am considering switching jobs, but I feel a tremendous amount of guilt if I were to do so. I have asked for advice from family and friends, but want to see what you all think. Here goes:

I was offered a corporate job right out of college last year. I have been with this company for more than 6 months but less than a year. Let me start out by saying that I know that I am VERY lucky to have a job, and I am very thankful for the opportunity. However, I am not 100% happy with this position and I have toyed with looking elsewhere. This job is in a high-stress, high production environment. I work very long hours, and about 60 hours a week, and even at home sometimes. The hours were fine at first, but I can't work these hours forever. They really wear on me, and I come home feeling tired and irritable. Forget doing anything during the week, and I do not have a work-life balance that I would like. However, I love the people I work with. They are all great people and the working culture is great.

I have recently been contacted by a friend of a friend to take another position. However, this is with a competitor. There has been no formal offer made and I still have to go through the interview process of course. This job pays a little better and also has normal working hours that I wish I had. I also heard that this employer is much more flexible with time off (It is pretty difficult to get time off for me now, even for legitimate reasons. It is never said but it is implied that days are not to be taken off. I have not taken ONE day off since I've been here, but it would be nice to know that I can take a rare day off and not have to feel guilty.).

So, here's my dilemma. I honestly don't know what to do. I feel extremely guilty about even THINKING about leaving. I know I would leave my colleagues in a mess if I left. My supervisor would be extremely unhappy with me. I can't even IMAGINE how that conversation will go... I am a loyal person and very dedicated to everything I do, so I have no idea what I would even say. I don't want to burn bridges. I don't want to be disloyal. I am so thankful for this opportunity that I have now, but I don't know if it is the best path for me long term. I feel that this other opportunity has a better path for the career growth that I am looking for. I feel like I'm putting my company's needs in front of the needs of my own. I feel so stuck and trapped and even a little depressed over this.

I need to make a decision what to do soon, I don't have much time.. I don't know if I should go ahead and phone interview with this other company and give it a try. I need to let the other company know if I want to do a phone screen asap.

I know you can't tell me what to do, but I appreciate any feedback or opinions for me. Any pros/cons, anything at all. Thank you for letting me vent. I needed it!

 

[OhMari]

You answered your own questions. I think you just want permission to go.
Go for it, but did you sign anything when you were hired about working for a certain amount of time? Or sign anything that said you won't quit to work for a competitor?

You may be leaving them in a bind, but you should give them a 2 week notice, and that gives your current employer ample time to find a replacement.

 

[JoiseyMom]

As long as you didn't sign a non-compete, go for it! You owe NOTHING to a company. Especially today. You go to work, you do your job, you do the hours and you give them 100%. That is it.

This new job is all PRO's. GO for the interview, and if you get it then take it! You have to do what is best for you!! Put yourself first!!

If you get the new position, give you old job minimum 2 weeks written notice. Thank them for the wonderful opportunity and the great learning experience.

Good Luck!

 

[msmayor]

My first thought here is that if this other company is a direct competitor, what really makes you believe the hours will be better?

Ask yourself WHY this would be a better company to work for. Are you only going off the information provided by this "friend of a friend", or have you yourself done the legwork to find out what the work situation is there?

You 'hear' they are better at giving time off. From who? In all honesty, only being at a job six months and not being able to take time off is not unusual at all. Many folks don't earn the right to take a day with pay until they've been there a full year.

I also wonder about this time pressure. Why? What is making this so urgent?

There are many types of jobs out of college that will indeed ask you to work long hours. It can be a way to 'pay your dues', so to speak, and demonstrate your commitment to the company. Its often easier to put that time in when you ARE young and out of college, without the stress and commitment of a young family to raise.

If you are thinking that you can get a regular everyday 9-5 never need to work late and get to take time off when you want, then this other employer better be the government. There are few private employers out there that really stick to that kind of work atmosphere anymore. Most will not only want but expect you to put forth some extra effort, especially in the early years.

 

[Luv Bunnies]

I would definitely do the phone interview. Find out more about the position and see if your skills would be a good fit. If it works out great! If it doesn't, at least you will have tried and won't be left wondering what might have been.

Another piece of advice - There's nothing wrong with quitting to work for a competitor. People do it all the time. Sometimes it's the only way to advance your career. You have to think about yourself first and do what makes you happy and helps you to be successful. My husband was loyal to the same company for 22 years. But when sales started dropping, they had no problem laying him off (and hundreds of others) without a second thought. Loyalty is a great attribute, but it's ultimately your time, your skills and your knowledge, and you should use those things for your own benefit.

 

[QVCshopper]

Do the phone interview and don't feel guilty. My sister is stuck at a company like yours--long hours, not happy--etc. and it just doesn't get better. It was also her first job out of college. Meanwhile my DH works at a direct competitor and they run themselves so differently. It's a completely different culture (I used to work there as well). So, give it a try. What do you have to lose?

 

[della89]

My first thought here is that if this other company is a direct competitor, what really makes you believe the hours will be better?

Ask yourself WHY this would be a better company to work for. Are you only going off the information provided by this "friend of a friend", or have you yourself done the legwork to find out what the work situation is there?

You 'hear' they are better at giving time off. From who? In all honesty, only being at a job six months and not being able to take time off is not unusual at all. Many folks don't earn the right to take a day with pay until they've been there a full year.

I also wonder about this time pressure. Why? What is making this so urgent?

There are many types of jobs out of college that will indeed ask you to work long hours. It can be a way to 'pay your dues', so to speak, and demonstrate your commitment to the company. Its often easier to put that time in when you ARE young and out of college, without the stress and commitment of a young family to raise.

If you are thinking that you can get a regular everyday 9-5 never need to work late and get to take time off when you want, then this other employer better be the government. There are few private employers out there that really stick to that kind of work atmosphere anymore. Most will not only want but expect you to put forth some extra effort, especially in the early years.

I see your point about the hours. However, the hours are the same for every individual that works in the company, whether you are in my position or a manager. So, unfortunately with this opportunity, even after you put in your time here the hours are still very long.

I have done some research and have talked to an employee there which confirmed this information about hours and flexibility. I have confirmed that the hours are better. I agree with you about vacation time. I wasn't planning on taking a vacation anytime soon, but I would like to be able to take one once I have earned the time without being frowned upon.

Thanks for your input. It has given me some things to think about.

 

[luvthemouse71]

My dad always taught me that you should leave your emotions out of it when it comes to your job. Workplaces don't have loyalty towards you- if it suited them, your employer would can you in a
heartbeat.

Better pay and better hours? This is a no brainer. Just make sure that this is really the case- getting in in writing is smart if possible.

 

[beansmom]

My dad always taught me that you should leave your emotions out of it when it comes to your job. Workplaces don't have loyalty towards you- if it suited them, your employer would can you in a
heartbeat.

Better pay and better hours? This is a no brainer. Just make sure that this is really the case- getting in in writing is smart if possible.

I have to agree with this. I worked in the same company for over 20 years and you know what happened whenever someone died that worked with us? They send around a card, we signed it and after a few weeks, they filled that spot with a new body. It's just the way of the world.

I also took the biggest gamble of my life---quit...moved halfway across the country to marry the man of my dreams. Best thing I ever did. My point is sometimes you have to jump out there without the safety net. As long as you didn't sign a no compete and you leave on good terms, you should be able to come back if you so choose and there is a position for you.

Life is short and it ain't all about work. Work is what we do so we can have a life. Best of luck!

 

[disneylove69]

Look at the finanacials of the new company and right a pros/cons list. Then pick the best for your situation. Just make sure you leave in good standing (2 weeks notice, work completed, etc.) in case you ever want to come back. Also remember somebody know somebody so don't bad mouth the current company.

 

[ssawka]

As PPs have said, do the interview. In the modern working environment, you need to think of yourself as a free agent. Don't think for a second that your current employer has any loyalty to you. They will keep you around so long as there is need for your position.

As for the leaving after less than a year, this is not a problem provided you do not establish a pattern of leaving positions so quickly. Especially being your first job out of school. Most hiring managers will give you a pass for things like short tenure early in your career.

 

[lucigo]

My first thought when I read your post was of my first husband. He died when he was 36 years old. He worked very hard for our family and was in a management position for a Motorola service center, where he was miserable. About a year before he died he accepted a position 900 miles away, closer to his parents, where he could sit in a cubicle and fix radios all day - for actually a little bit more money, and he loved it. Looking back this was a gift. He worked normal hours, I could meet him for lunch, he got to reconnect with his parents, and was "available" to his kids at night. He could LIVE.

It may sound cliche to say "life is too short", but having been there and witnessed it - I firmly believe in making every day count.

 

[crisi]

Go for it.

As long as you aren't under a non-compete, you owe nothing to your current company. It would be nice if you managed to fill out a year for the sake of not looking flighty on your resume, but that isn't a huge deal and is easily explained in a future job interview - and that assumes you get the job.

 

[manhattan]

I, too, agree do the phone interview at least. Find out all the details, make sure it really is better than where you are now. Yes, it is hard to leave your coworkers, but we have to do what is best for us and you will find if they are true friends, they will continue to be friends when you go to work at the new company. I left my old company last year for more $$, but only because they had cut our salaries close to 40%, so my boss understood that I had to do what was best for me and my family. We are still friends and have lunch at least once a month. You have nothing to lose by talking on the phone

 

[MikeP22]

Just like everyone has said, you owe the company nothing. If it suits their needs they would ditch you in a minute.

In my opinion, a regular 60+ hour-a-week workload with no days off allowed is not normal (and in no way acceptable) for anyone who is not making a rather large amount of money (i.e. executive level and/or 6+ figures).

I understand that there are slightly increased demands when you're new at a company, but what you've described is just ridiculous. To give you X amount of vacation days a year but tell you that you shouldn't ever take them is unethical and a bad business practice. I wouldn't be surprised if your current company has a low employee retention rate.
Quite frankly, when you look at the situation it sounds like they're basically running with the minimum amount of resources possible; below that technically although the concept is a logical fallacy. When employees are overburdened like that the company gets what it deserves when production is impacted because of employee turnover.

 

[MomToOne]

Pursue the other job. No need to even stress about leaving your current company until you have another job offer in hand.

You can always say no.

But my guess is you won't, if it comes through, since it sounds like a better fit for you.

As others have said, most companies have no loyalty to their employees these days, they will toss you aside in a second if it's in their financial interest. So it's fair for you to do the same. It's dog-eat-dog these days I'm afraid.

HOWEVER, one thing to keep in mind is that you don't want to get is a resume with a bunch of short-stint jobs. One hop after 6 months is excusable under the "it just wasn't a good fit" reasoning, but more than that isn't really and could cause your resume to go straight into the trash in the future. You will want to put in a solid multi-year stint at the new job, so MAKE SURE it is a fit this time before you take it.

On a side note - not having any days off in the first 6 months you work at a job is not unusual, and I'm not surprised you got a vibe that it was discouraged. Many companies won't even give you PTO until you've been there six months. I'm not saying there aren't companies that are more open, but that in and of itself doesn't read like a "bad" company to me. But the 60 hour a week thing you have a definite complaint about!