WWYD (Job Hunt)

[sam_gordon]

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am now looking for work. I have had one hiring manager tell me during the phone interview that he wants to hire me. Great, right? I don't know if I want the job though. I am definitely qualified and can do the job in my sleep. Hours aren't great, but not terrible. I don't have a final salary offer, but I've heard through the grapevine he's asked his boss to give me more money than what the job normally pays (but would still be a 20-30% pay cut, but most jobs I'm seeing would probably be about the same). There are other jobs I applied for that I'm more excited about, some of which I have an "in" through an existing employee. My best friend says I should take this job and if I get an offer from one of the jobs I really want (whether it's a day after I get hired, a month, six months, whenever), then quit.

I don't know why, I just have a problem with that. It's something about taking a job knowing if something better comes along, I leave, even if my paperwork hasn't even gone all the way through. Am I just weird? And yes, I know companies don't care about loyalty (says the guy who's position was eliminated after nearly 32 years with the same company).

I am getting a severance package, so I'm not desperate for work (yet), but "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" makes want to snag the first offer that comes along. The new job would mean me relocating about 90 minutes away during the "work week" (or making a 3 hour RT commute). I have applied for jobs that would allow me to stay "home" unless travelling for work, but I've gotten no response from them as of yet (they just opened last week, so they may not even be at the hiring point).

Ugh.

 

[soccerdad72]

It's easy for me to say, not being in your situation, but I would probably hold out for an offer that you're more excited about at this point. If those other jobs that you're waiting on don't pan out and you get closer to the end of your severance, maybe you settle at this point. But jumping at the first offer can often be a bad decision. I've done that one time and nearly instantly regretted it once I started the new job (which I left a year later).

 

[jdb in AZ]

My grandfather thought I was taking too long to get a job (during a recession.) He told me, "Half a loaf is better than none." I replied, "Even if it's moldy?" Fortunately I got an offer for a great job right after that.

 

[barkley]

I am getting a severance package, so I'm not desperate for work (yet), but "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" makes want to snag the first offer that comes along. The new job would mean me relocating about 90 minutes away during the "work week" (or making a 3 hour RT commute). I have applied for jobs that would allow me to stay "home" unless travelling for work, but I've gotten no response from them as of yet (they just opened last week, so they may not even be at the hiring point).

i was in the 'bird in the hand' camp with you until you mentioned the 3 hour r/t commute. the cost of work week housing OR commuting is going to make a huge financial impact so what initially is a 20-30% wage loss will be much higher. unless you can get free or very low cost housing/commute option i would be tempted to pass in favor of even a lower paying local to you job.

 

[sam_gordon]

i was in the 'bird in the hand' camp with you until you mentioned the 3 hour r/t commute. the cost of work week housing OR commuting is going to make a huge financial impact so what initially is a 20-30% wage loss will be much higher. unless you can get free or very low cost housing/commute option i would be tempted to pass in favor of even a lower paying local to you job.

It's very possible any job I find would require relocation. Since our youngest is a junior in HS, we don't want to take her out until at least this year is finished, AND we don't want to have her miss her senior year. Yes, we know it's been done by others, but something we really want to avoid (she's been in the same school system her entire life, many of her friends go back to grade school).

Just adding information.

 

[kymom99]

I couldn’t handle that commute. I know how you feel though. It’s hard to feel like you have integrity when you go into something knowing you may quit soon.

 

[kymom99]

It's very possible any job I find would require relocation. Since our youngest is a junior in HS, we don't want to take her out until at least this year is finished, AND we don't want to have her miss her senior year. Yes, we know it's been done by others, but something we really want to avoid (she's been in the same school system her entire life, many of her friends go back to grade school).

Just adding information.

I wouldn’t move her either. I have a friend whose husband has to relocate during his busy season. They have made it work. It would be short term for you I’m guessing. Does your spouse work? Able to relocate?

 

[_19disnA]

Until the company actually makes a job offer, I wouldn't read too much into what someone said during a phone interview. They may not have the authority to offer you a job and/or they might be interviewing others as well. You may be their 'top' candidate until they interview someone else they are more impressed with. Even if they make a job offer, it is reasonable to say you need a couple of weeks to consider it.

Relocating and/or having a lengthy daily commute wouldn't be my first choice for a job offer. Friends can offer you a lot of bad advice since it is easy for them to tell you what YOU should do which wouldn't necessarily be what THEY would do. Constantly jumping to a new job every month/6 months is a bad idea particularly if these are the type of industries where people know who others are and you could get a reputation as someone constantly jumping around they may not have any interest in hiring.

 

[sam_gordon]

I wouldn’t move her either. I have a friend whose husband has to relocate during his busy season. They have made it work. It would be short term for you I’m guessing. Does your spouse work? Able to relocate?

Yes, DW works. We don't have family in the school boundaries so the plan would be I relocate until DD graduates HS, then worry about DW moving. However, if we do that, DW would then be 10 months away from qualifying for retirement from her employer. So it's POSSIBLE we keep two "homes" for 2 1/2 years. Now, that's thinking WAY down the road. Step 1 is for me to find a new job.

 

[sam_gordon]

Until the company actually makes a job offer, I wouldn't read too much into what someone said during a phone interview. They may not have the authority to offer you a job and/or they might be interviewing others as well. You may be their 'top' candidate until they interview someone else they are more impressed with. Even if they make a job offer, it is reasonable to say you need a couple of weeks to consider it.

Relocating and/or having a lengthy daily commute wouldn't be my first choice for a job offer. Friends can offer you a lot of bad advice since it is easy for them to tell you what YOU should do which wouldn't necessarily be what THEY would do. Constantly jumping to a new job every month/6 months is a bad idea particularly if these are the type of industries where people know who others are and you could get a reputation as someone constantly jumping around they may not have any interest in hiring.

The bolded jumped at me. A couple of WEEKS to consider it? I've been a hiring manager and would allow MAYBE a week, more than likely a weekend to get back to me. If you need weeks, then you're not interested.

More information...
The job I'm talking about A) has been open since January and B) I'm going on site on Wednesday to meet people/see the facility. The fact the job has been open since January worries me a little because if they've been able to go 10 months without hiring, what does that mean? I would think by that point, you've learned how to handle the job/duties without that body.

 

[kymom99]

Yes, DW works. We don't have family in the school boundaries so the plan would be I relocate until DD graduates HS, then worry about DW moving. However, if we do that, DW would then be 10 months away from qualifying for retirement from her employer. So it's POSSIBLE we keep two "homes" for 2 1/2 years. Now, that's thinking WAY down the road. Step 1 is for me to find a new job.

At least you have thought through possible scenarios. I hope the right job comes along. It’s not easy after so much time.

My son is job hunting too. It’s stressful and way more involved than when I was younger. At least he still lives with us and doesn’t have major bills. I wouldn’t advise him to settle, but he’s at the beginning if his career and just needs relevant experience.

 

[barkley]

It's very possible any job I find would require relocation. Since our youngest is a junior in HS, we don't want to take her out until at least this year is finished, AND we don't want to have her miss her senior year. Yes, we know it's been done by others, but something we really want to avoid (she's been in the same school system her entire life, many of her friends go back to grade school).

Just adding information.

got it-totally understandable. just as a possibility you might not have considered-have you looked into any civil service jobs in your region (or within a much shorter commute)? i don't know what your line of work has been but in my experience hiring for civil service there are few skills that don't transfer to some division or another. an initial job might not be the perfect one but it generally comes with health and dental insurance within 30 days of hire and opens the door to much better jobs only available to active non probationary employees (our probation period was 90 days after which you could apply for any internal only openings but you were free to apply during that period to any openings that were available to the general public-but you had an edge b/c hr had already done the background work to get you in the door). again, pay might not be great but i don't know if/for how long your severance package provides insurance which was always a big consideration for us esp. when our kids were under our coverage. it's not something that would happen overnight but you could look into it and if those other jobs don't materialize at least you could be in the application process (it can take months between a job announcement and actual offer what with testing, interviews and background checks).

best of luck to you.

 

[soccerdad72]

More information...
The job I'm talking about A) has been open since January and B) I'm going on site on Wednesday to meet people/see the facility. The fact the job has been open since January worries me a little because if they've been able to go 10 months without hiring, what does that mean? I would think by that point, you've learned how to handle the job/duties without that body.

For what it's worth, I've had an open position I've been trying to hire someone into for over a year. The job market (as employers) had just been really rough. We've had two offers turned down due to the salary and one offer accepted, only to get turned down once they went to put in their two week notice at their current employer (we assume they ended up getting a huge raise that they couldn't turn down). We've also had 3-4 applicants that we were interested in decline interviews once HR did an initial screening (again, probably salary).

While we're managing during this time without that employee, it's literally just keeping the lights on at this point - we're really not able to do any other projects that we'd like to be doing because we're barely able to do the day to day work with our staffing level.

 

[_19disnA]

It is difficult to provide very specific recommendations since much depends on: 1) job market, 2) type of industry this is, 3) your qualifications/etc. In a public forum you probably shouldn't get too specific about yourself and/or the job/industry, that is why I provide general suggestions. If the job has been open since January, could mean a lot of things. Maybe they aren't paying enough so qualified people take a job at some other company. Perhaps a job that isn't desirable so hard to fill the opening (too much travel, too many hours, job not structured right, etc.) Job might be related to how busy they are and things might have slowed down so no immediate need to fill the opening.............could be a lot of reasons.

Since you are going for a follow-up visit it sounds like they have not officially made you an offer yet. To me the clock doesn't start until there is actually an offer presented to you. If the job has been open for 9 months, I don't think it unreasonable for you to not provide an instant answer to any job offer they may make.

 

[Starport Seven-Five]

The only thing that concerns me about taking a job and then quitting soon is it sounds like you have contacts within that company. Would you be burning bridges by doing that? Would there be any negative repercussions that could come from that?

Personally, that relocation sounds like a non-starter once you factor in costs of the "relocation" during the work week along with all the things you will miss by not being home 4 nights per week. If it was a remote or hybrid position where you could go in <1 day per week it might be manageable but I would hold out for something that is a better fit. This of course depends on your financial position but it sounds like you're okay in that area for a bit.

 

[SirDuff]

The only thing that concerns me about taking a job and then quitting soon is it sounds like you have contacts within that company. Would you be burning bridges by doing that? Would there be any negative repercussions that could come from that?

Personally, that relocation sounds like a non-starter once you factor in costs of the "relocation" during the work week along with all the things you will miss by not being home 4 nights per week. If it was a remote or hybrid position where you could go in <1 day per week it might be manageable but I would hold out for something that is a better fit. This of course depends on your financial position but it sounds like you're okay in that area for a bit.

Agree that it is hard to answer without knowing all the details (and you really cannot give all the details) but this seems like a reasonable tough.

 

[sam_gordon]

I've intentionally not indicated what industry I'm in. I think I've told two people via PM in all the years I've been here. Would I "burn bridges" if I accept this job and then leave quickly after? Possibly. You never know who knows who.

Again, relocation may not be a choice. Most of my knowledge would only come into play "hands on", so that means going somewhere. I've applied to some jobs that would require being away from "home" (where the family is) a LOT, but at least the company would be paying for that lodging (makes a difference). I'm excited about those jobs, but haven't gotten so much as an interview from them yet. So is that because I'm not qualified, they think I'm over qualified, they think they can't afford me, or they haven't even started the "weeding out" process yet?

 

[Pea-n-Me]

It's very possible any job I find would require relocation. Since our youngest is a junior in HS, we don't want to take her out until at least this year is finished, AND we don't want to have her miss her senior year. Yes, we know it's been done by others, but something we really want to avoid (she's been in the same school system her entire life, many of her friends go back to grade school).

I just want to say I so respect you for this. I was in that position when I was in HS and it was really awful to have it hanging over my head. It caused me a lot of stress at that time.

I have a 90 min commute each way, but it’s more traffic than distance, and I don’t have to do it five days a week. It’s not uncommon where I live. But it’s probably the thing I dislike the most about my job. (And I’ve been doing it since college yrs. )

I feel how you feel about taking the job, and then leaving it for a better one. But I also understand the ‘half a loaf is better than nothing‘, too. (My DH has been in that position before.) I think I’d lean toward waiting if it means you have to separate your family (since a lot of hidden stressors can come with that, so it might not be ‘worth it’ in the long run- jmo).

@barkley has an interesting point about Civil Service jobs. Have you considered something like the post office, which comes with a retirement package (I believe; not sure how many yrs you have to put in or other specifics)? The thought of being close to home driving around in a truck and dropping off mail is something I could see myself enjoying at this point, lol. I know someone who is doing it now and loves it. I also have several friends who did it as second careers and got a nice retirement package. Just a thought.

 

[barkley]

@barkley has an interesting point about Civil Service jobs. Have you considered something like the post office, which comes with a retirement package (I believe; not sure how many yrs you have to put in or other specifics)? The thought of being close to home driving around in a truck and dropping off mail is something I could see myself enjoying at this point, lol. I know someone who is doing it now and loves it. I also have several friends who did it as second careers and got a nice retirement package. Just a thought.

one of the reasons i suggested it was b/c we had so many 'double' and 'triple dippers' working for the government agency i was with. people who had been military w/ enough years for a pension then went into private industry back when pensions were common and put in their time there only to leave and come to us where they could put in (depending on the job classification) as few as 5 years/at most 10 and be fully vested for yet another retirement. you mention the post office-we've had several neighbors who worked there as second careers purely for the benefits and retirement they could have w/in 5 years. as far as balancing out benefits vs. salary on a potential job-i know a handful of people who have purposely taken jobs at both state and private universities entirely b/c the particular institutions provide free or greatly reduced tuition for their kids (so that money they put away for their schooling gets shifted to retirement savings to offset their wage loss).

 

[TwoMisfits]

It's very possible any job I find would require relocation. Since our youngest is a junior in HS, we don't want to take her out until at least this year is finished, AND we don't want to have her miss her senior year. Yes, we know it's been done by others, but something we really want to avoid (she's been in the same school system her entire life, many of her friends go back to grade school).

Just adding information.

Looking at the current trajectory of the economy, knowing you have both a high schooler (and you may have to carry the family health insurance?) and companies like to hire the already employed and not the unemployed, I'd 100% take the job offer.

No doubts.

I would also 100% quit the new job later if I got something spectacular after I took it. But it would have to be worth the double upheaval.