Help!
Job Interview One on Wednesday – new team doing interesting, worthwhile things. As a new team, I’d be there from the start, with a chance to shape things to how I think they should be done. Vibe of the people from the interview was fun (but businesslike), excited, vibrant. A good job. Not too stretching but decent(ish) salary.
Job Interview Two on Thursday – two established teams with set ways of doing things (they were interviewing for two posts at the same time), but again doing worthwhile work. As an established team, have to come in from the outside, take over supervision of people who have been doing the job for a while (have to ask yourself why they didn’t promote from within when they created the role?). Vibe of the people from the interview a bit more businesslike, slightly less youthful and fun, but still nice people. A good job. Will definitely stretch me, look good on a CV (I won’t have just been marking time), but the same (ever so slightly less) salary than Job One. Possibly room to negotiate this up a little bit though.
Now I was semi-confident after Interview One that they would offer me the job but Interview Two left me feeling that no one would ever employ me. Interview One said they’d let me know by the end of the week, Interview Two said in about a week’s time. As I was coming out of Interview Two I got a call from Interview One saying they’d like to offer me the job…
At the time it seemed like a good idea to say “yes”, especially the way I felt Interview Two had gone. My Da’ didn’t raise no pre-emptive chicken-counters – if I wasn’t going to hear about Two for a week, would it be a good idea to make One wait and potentially loose it?
Then Two ring me this morning and offer me THAT job as well.
Bollocks, bugger, shit, and other expletives.
I would have put money on Two not wanting me, but it turns out not only did they want me, they BOTH wanted me and so had a little fight over who would get me. As I said, the pay isn’t initially so good but after I said I’d have to think about it as I’d been offered another job yesterday, they started to backtrack and mentioned negotiating it up a little bit.
Poo! What do I do?! All logic says Two is the better job – more prospects, it would stretch me to develop my skills, and keep me fully occupied whilst I worked on the move into publishing. But at the same time, more stress means I’m more likely to bring the work home with me, and I want to be able to focus on my A-Level and writing as well. Job One would (probably) have slightly less of an impact on my life.
Add to that, I have technically already said ‘Yes’ to Job One. If I took Two, I’d have to go back to One and say ‘sorry’… and that would mean one department in the organization where my name would be mud.
Oh… Bugger… Life is easier as a temp – you don’t have to make these decisions. It’s nice that everyone seems to want me, but what should I do?! It’s not exactly like I can challenge them to an Ultimate Showdown, with the winner taking my admin skills…
Do you feel that the prospects and development opportunities offered by job two would be helpful or relevant to your planned move into publishing?
Glad your wrist is better.
This is a classic case of a ‘nice problem to have.’ Enjoy it – it doesn’t happen often. Not sure why you seem to think that being the subject of a bidding war is a bad thing.
Firstly, think about what’s important to you. Enjoyment of job; challenge of job; prospects; your A-level; your writing; pay. Then put them in order of priority. Then pick the job which is closest.
You will spend more time at work than at home (inevitably) so you should definitely put job satisfaction very high on that list. What do you enjoy about work? Which one is closest? You have to enjoy what you do.
Money shouldn’t come into this because it sounds like both departments will match eachother’s offer. I really don’t think that either of these jobs is going to have much of an impact on your personal life either – unless you really let them.
You have accepted one but only verbally. You haven’t signed anything yet. You can diplomatically back out of this but it’s not great. Never accept the first offer in future! Look at http://www.i-resign.com for some advice.
So do all that, then go for two.
Job one. That’s the one I’d take. I have to ask (about Job 2) the question you already asked- why are they not promoting from within? You can bet the people who have been working there will be asking it too, and resentment comes hand-in-hand with that question. I’d hate to go into a new job surpervising people who are resentful of me. (OH WAIT I already DID that…and it SUCKED)
I think the possibilities with a new team are endless, and the possibilties with the established one are already set- and by the not-promoting-from-within you already know there are glass ceilings in the company. Plus- the chance to set things the way you want them from the get-go, now that’s priceless in ANY job.
Plus, consider how the interviews made you feel- as a person, your self-worth, etc. The first interview pumped you UP, made you feel good, the second did not, right? I have generally found that the initial vibe of the interview carres over into the job as well, especially if you’re working with the people who interview you.
My two pennies.
After I had my hair cut & coloured I was ready to say “Job 2″… Now I’ve thought on it some more I am swinging back to Job 1. I think I’d enjoy it more. But supervising people – that’s experience which is transferable wherever I go after.
Meep 🙁 I can’t decide. At least I have the weekend to think on it. Keep throwing ideas at me – I need as many takes on this as I can get (and yes I know how lucky I am to have TWO job offers). I know I’m complaining that I am in a dilemma, but it is a good dilemma. Still would be nice if someone would make the decision for me. Being grown-up sucks.
But ooh look! My brother knows where the blog is! Welcome to Bright Meadow, Bro 🙂
I don’t envy your choices Cas. Job 1 sounds the one that will give you more enjoyment, whereas 2 will be more demanding and challenging. Do you know anyone who works for the company?
Given your A-level, I’d plump for option 1, but that’s only because it would give you more free time.
I’d go with Job One, because you, as in yourself, your real self, seemed to like that one, judging by your words. There wasn’t as much passion in what you had to say about the second interview and job.
I don’t know if you’ve ever worked in an establishment that is similar but not necessarily what you’re looking for–just for the sake of your CV/resume–but, let me tell you, it’s not good. That is what led me to work at a newspaper for nine months. I enjoy writing and working with computers. I needed a job, but I wanted something that would benefit me, as I saw it. So I started as a typesetter, ended as a lifestyles editor. I didn’t figure I would enjoy journalism (I was right!), but, like you pointed out on Job Two, I felt it would look good on my resume. It does. But, for me, it was NOT worth it. I hated the job with passion usually only seen in horny teenagers. (For the record, this didn’t have to do with my coworkers, but with the type of people my section of the paper dealt with quite often.)
Before I made my move to Australia, I got a good-paying temp job to make a little extra cash. I love telling people this, because I had the funniest job. I inspected baseball bats with a hydraulics machine. (This is an especially funny thought if you’ve ever seen pictures of me.) Why am I saying this? Because the people I worked with, especially my supervisor, were awesome. I could cut up and laugh and talk about serious issues at any given time, and it was always met with equal fervour. This job won’t matter at all on my resume, but it actually means a lot to me personally and a sure hell of a lot more than the more “prestigious” job of working at the newspaper.
Believe me, if the people in Job One seemed more along your type, even in the least little bit, it’ll make a huge difference to you in the long run. The rest can and will fall into place.
Think about it. You’re more likely to make a good, lasting impression among a whole group of people in a place where you like it the most. While you might make an impression in the more prestigious/challenging job, it may not be as strong, simply because you may not like it as much. My dad learned this the hard way. He’s a mechanical engineer. He didn’t really like the field; he went into it, because it was something he could do, it was what was making money and producing jobs at the time, and it seemed to lead to other opportunities. He’s in his 50s now, and if there’s been one thing he’s preached to me my whole life, it’s that I would be a lot better off going with what I feel I would want to do, rather than what I think would be best. We often over-analyze, forgetting our emotional feelings in many an issue.
Life is too short.
Job one seems to be the one from over here. It’s a nice place to be in if frustrating – all your hard work is paying off in everyone wanting you. Enjoy and I am sure whatever choice you make will be a good one.