1 Job, 2 Choices...

[Anonymous]

Hey folks,

I have been offered 2 jobs, and am currently weighing up the pros and cons from each job.  The deciding factor stems around my 'new' MR2.

Job 1
- Nice countryside computer job
- Will get to travel places for job
- Nice drive to/from work
- Car is fairly safe in car park
- Nice carpark spaces (so no idiots open their doors on the MR2)
- ~£17k salary

Job 2[/b]
- In the heart of a busy town
- Tedious drive every morning (~40mins to travel 4miles)
- Office-bound job; no travelling
- Car park is tightly spaced and Uni students walk through it
- ~£25k salary
- Nicer job role/title

As my MR2 is determining much of my thinking here, I think its about time to ask advice from the MR2 experts (you guys)!

Whats the likelihood of getting the car deliberately damaged, stolen, hood ripped open, vandalised etc?

[northernalex]

take job 2.. buy old cheapo micra for 500 quid. Use that for rat run.

Actully.. I'd probably prefer job 1, as the travelling is a good thing (I think). What are the job prospects like in each?

[Anonymous]

Prospect wise...

Job 1
- Trainee entry level
- No guaranteed promotion until someone else quits/leaves

Job 2[/u]
- Senior position level
- Promotions subject to people leaving, as above.

[Jaik]

I'd base it on which job you think you'll be happier at. I turned down a few jobs offering a good salary and relatively good career prospects when I was on about £8k less, purely because I would have got bored there. I held out and am now about 3 weeks into a much more enjoyable one on the best salary I've ever been offered. You spend a lot of your time at work, so you may as well have some fun there if you can!

A boring commute will make those weekend blats all the more fun, remember  s;) s;)

[Liz]

Your very brave with joining the forum yesterday and then asking for our opinions on your future career!!  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

I think that you are worrying unduly about the car, it may be the apple of your eye but there are many people around (including vandals) who won't take a scrap of notice of it - I used to get paranoid when I had my boxster about when and where I parked it but it came to no harm.

My advice would be take the job with the higher salary - if you hang around on here you are going to need all the money you can get to pay for all the mods that you will be wanting!

Enjoy!  s:D s:D

[Wabbitkilla]

Welcome to the club by the way.

Job2, at 4 miles you can walk it, take the bus, or cycle. The keep the 2 for weekend fun and like Liz says if you stick around here you will need the money   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:    s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Anonymous]

Your very brave with joining the forum yesterday and then asking for our opinions on your future career!!  s:shock: :shock: s:shock:  

I've tried to decide myself, but in the end, every little insight helps   s8) s8)  

Would it matter if I said that my MR would be in Middlesbrough Centre (UK's worst town®) for the higher paid job?

[Wabbitkilla]

That does make a difference.

Example - I work in Leeds, 60 miles round trip on some fun roads and some dire city queues. However i use public transport (unless i get a company car) because if i take the car, they'll expect me to use it for business occasionally. Yes i have a virtually garaunteed parking space and fairly safe, but i refuse to add mileage to the car for work when (perosnal gripe here) the majority of my peers have company cars.

Couldn't you use public transport for getting to the better paid job? After all there are some great roads and scenery on your doorstep for weekend blats. It is a significant difference in pay and i'd hate it myself to miss out on something like that for the sake of a bus pass.

Both have little prospect of pregroession, but that's more bearable if the position is more enior and better paid - believe me it makes some difference!

[Two's Company]

I'd go with option 2 and buy a bike.  Would halve the commute time and you wouldn't worry about the car being damaged.

You also need to consider work life balance of the two jobs.  I have been in a similar situation and took the money   s:wink: :wink: s:wink:  , however I spend much more time at work than I would have at the ones with less money.

Also consider what you want in the future.  Another employer recruiting someone who has been on 17k will think the person would be happy with say 20k to move on.  Somone applying for a job who is on 25k isn't likely to accept 20k...

Have you tried renegotiating with the 1st employer if that is the job you want?  You seem to have a case for more money if you're not really a trainee.  Speak to them, you might be surprised what they will do to recruit you.

[Anonymous]

Yea good points there guys.

One  is a restricted IT dept in which promotion is limited to salary grades available, with a set amount of grades per dept.

Without wanting to sound arrogant, i've been in education since I was about 3, and now, 21 years on, I finally left it. Degree, A levels and a few technical qualifications too.  The folks in the department were recruited aged 16 (this is the job I was offered, it only required GCSEs x 4).  I'd be  perhaps the most qualified on paper aside from the manager there.
I asked a pertinent question during the interview which saw the manager get a bit uncomfortable...

"What are the progression opportunities like in this role?"

"Umm, err, well, we have a fixed staff quota, you will only get promoted if you can do everything the person who leaves/left can do.  Usually that can be expected within 2-3years.  The previous trainee was a trainee from 16yrs old to 18yrs old and he will be your supervisor."

*yes, an 18yr old supervising a 24yr old graduate
  s:roll: :roll: s:roll:  *

I have the better paid job being interviewed on Thursday - if I get it, i'll try to contact the manager in the first job (trainee) and inform him that I have secured a more senior role, and see what he can do.

[Wabbitkilla]

Good luck mate, fwiw i hope you get the better paid job.
You've put in the effort and shown commitment to starting a career - you should start that career well.  s:D s:D

[kanujunkie]

go for option 1, stress and long drives just aint worth it.

[roger]

go for option 1, stress and long drives just aint worth it.

There speaks an oldie. Missing out on £8K (a 50% salary rise) in this day of out of reach house prices is something that takes nerve!

Alison (my wife) comes from Middlesbrough, and whilst we very rarely go into the town centre on our yearly visit back, it doesn't appear to have improved much over the lat 35 years!!

There is a member on here who comes from Middlesbrough. If somebody knows who, he might be able to give guidance.

[Anonymous]

Toss a coin, heads or tails, then check what you're secretly hoping for in the moment before the coin lands. Then you'll know.

The 18 year old supervisor will have two years experience more than you, of course. If thats going to be a problem for you I suggest get over it or get promoted quick.   s:lol: :lol: s:lol:

[Two's Company]

Being a graduate means nothing nowadays.  Most employers would prefer 2 years relevant work experience than a degree in IT.

[Anonymous]

Well, Job 2 interview is over.
That was perhaps the hardest interview ever - panel of 5 people, each with 5 questions.
Before that, was a very techinical orientated exam which took 45mins which I think/hope I did well in.

The interview was a bit unfair however, they stated at the start of the interview that they were going to only ask questions geared around the Person Specification (basically relevant to the job). However it turned out much differently to that.

The questions were very random and in no relation to the job at all - for instance,
a Network Manager of the entire University was on the panel, and he was asking me some pretty intense/hardcore network questions even though the position was in no way relevant to the Network nor the technology or processes he uses (there's a totally seperate network set of jobs for that).

Anyhow, the interview summary:
1. 45min Technical Exam
2. No interview questions relevant to me or my experience.
3. Every question was asking about the University infrastructure and technical processes (I don't know how they can ask an outsider to know this).

I didn't get the job - an insider got the promotion, so it was quite clear that the questions asked allowed him to shine and all others to seem illprepared/experienced.

I had the feeling that this was the case with the interview having no 'get to know you' type questions, nor any explanation of the department I would be working within.

A brief ask around showed that every single senior job was an internal candidate who got it, and the only recruitment externally was on an entry-level job.

Also, the Job Description/Person Specification was 'updated' from:
'Applicant must have a Degree in a relevant subject'

to:

'Applicant must have either a Degree in a relevant subject or have appropriate technical experience'.

Fixed. Time-wasted.

[Liz]

Put it down to an interview experience - sounds like it was earmarked - in my experience there are not many jobs that aren't if you have internal and external applicants.
I work for the police (civilian) and there are jobs that I would like to go for but save my time on working on application forms and the stress of interviews by sussing out who has got it already. It goes on all over the place, not just the public sector.  Good luck for the future.

[Jaik]

I wouldn't take it personally. Somewhere like a university is going to have policies and guidelines as to what they can and can't do when filling jobs. I expect like you said, the internal candidate was always going to get the job, but they probably had rules in place set by people higher up the food chain that meant they had to get people in for interviews.

You should have relished the challenge and just done your best to try and shine regardless of the impossibly difficult questions; it's good interview practise that makes a bit of your otherwise wasted (through no fault of your own) time.

[Anonymous]

Yea, it became apparent in the interview that it was already taken - I didn't want to say anything though, incase I was wrong.

I already have a job, but this was better paid - I start the other one on Monday, with a 25mile drive to work every day in my '2 through country roads  s;) s;)