Job offer - Need an outside perspective

chappys4life

I am torn between two positions and looking to get an outside perspective.

Job 1 - I have been here 4 months so far as a systems engineer for a smaller SaS logistics company of 70 people with 3 in the IT dept. I do infrastructure support but also have to do some desktop support and helpdesk support as our only level 1 guy is very new to IT. I have been involved in a wireless AP upgrade, O365 migration (tail end more user migration), and will be part of a vmware 5.0 to 5.5 upgrade as well as switching out 2 ASA’s for Palo Alto’s. We currently have 2 sites with VMware 5.0 7 hosts and about 70 VM’s. My main concern is after a year and all the upgrades are done what experience will I get?

Job 2 – I received a job offer as a system engineer at a major hospital as I was unsure if I wanted to stay at my current job. We had some personality conflicts but think we have worked them out but have a boss who was just promoted and is learning how to manage not just doing the work himself. They want me primarily as a VMware role but another major role would be desktop deployments as I have experience and they are setting up SCCM. This is a huge hospital and they have something like 500 server all virtualized. I would be part of a team of 10.

I am torn as I have been a sys admin before and have a solid understanding of Windows Server but my VMware experience has only been the past year. I am catching up knowledge wise (in May for Stanley and working in a home lab) and have installed hosts, troubleshot performance issues, and day to day activities. I want to evolve my virtualization knowledge as that is where I want my career to grow.

Job 1 has been getting better it started rough but we have worked through the kinks personality wise I think. My biggest fear is the smaller environment but at the same time I could learn on my own to get my VCP.

Job 2 is offering a 10k a year pay increase but my commute would be a pain as I would have to take two trains and maybe a bus or walk and additional mile. I may end up relocating but love where I live now and have 11 months left on my lease. I will admit the 1 hour commute one way really is a huge bummer as I can bicycle into work now.

Any thoughts would be welcomed.

10Linefigure

It is really up to you. Being close to your current job while enjoying where you live is a rare thing, so consider yourself lucky. 10k is a good raise, but you have to make a pretty epic commute. I would stay at your current Job 1 for the rest of this year to finish learning and get to the end of your lease. Then maybe start hunting again? Just make sure you pick something that makes you happy mate.

N2IT

Personally for me I like Job 1

Sounds like your personality conflicts are normal. Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing - From MindTools.com

10 k is a lot but I can't stand large commutes. I love biking as well so that's a double edge sword, but edges bad if you were stop biking and start riding two trains. I love SCCM it's a great tool or at least it used to be when I was working with it, but I can't justify. Don't lose sight you have only been there 4 months, hopping is not a good thing, I know this from previous experience and I am paying dearly to repair my reputation.

Make sure to help the level 1 guy out and build him up, he will soon be able to handle all of the tier 1 task and that will no longer be your headache and he will appreciate the mentoring.

"My main concern is after a year and all the upgrades are done what experience will I get"?

You are only at month 4, one day at a time and one month at a time. Have patience I bet you'll have work to do in a year.

You are in a really good spot in role 1 IMO

NetworkNewb

Sounds like a good opportunity to get your foot in a larger company where your ceiling would be higher as on far you can go. Also the ability to focus and specialize in one area could greatly benefit your career. That commute sounds horrible and I probably wouldn't do it unless you moved though. I absolutely hate long commutes. Did it for a few years, no way I would do one again. Sounds like extra 10k would probably not be much (if any increase) when you consider the pay for transportation and the extra hours your going to put in traveling.

My last job I worked was an hour drive both ways, my current drive is 15 minutes. That extra hour and a half each day adds up!!

If you are down for moving, Job 2 sounds like a good opportunity to me.

AnthonyG

Tread carefully working for a major hospital, these facilities are 24/7/365 hence the pay increase. I work for a hospital and we do not get holidays off, they are built-in to our PTO and you have to submit to have them off just like any other vacation. I would ask questions about on-call especially with an hour long commute, not everything can be fixed remotely.

scaredoftests

Long commutes suck the life of you.

TLeTourneau

I work for a larger healthcare system and the non patient care staff get holidays off. We have to use PTO for them (because everything comes out of the PTO bank) but they are automatic holidays. So not all hospitals require non patient care staff to be available 24/7/365, it is something that you should ask about though. As far as the position, I've been in healthcare IT for a long time and like the idea that the work I do in some small way helps people.

kiki162

Sounds like you should stay where you are at for now. Getting experience with VMWare and all of the HW you are using will be valuable to you down the road. Considering a $10K raise isn't much and all the travel and pain you would have to do just to get there isn't worth it.

Give yourself a good few years before you make the move again. Try to get some experience under your belt, and maybe get them to spring for your VCP class if you haven't already, along with whatever else you can get out of them. You will know once you have peaked there, as the projects will turn into maintenance, and you will get bored over time. You need to also look at where you wanna be in the next few years, like do you want to get more into vmware, or something else?

Mike-Mike

scaredoftests wrote: »

Long commutes suck the life of you.

Agreed, my current commute is literally 7 minutes. It has really spoiled me. I'd need big money to make a long commute again.

eansdad

After the 1st year those projects might be done but others will come along. I'd say stay as 10K isn't worth the problems that a troublesome commute can have.

chappys4life

Thank you everyone for the input. I think I am going to stay at my current job then just focus on work and studying.