Should I take a lower paying job with better opportunity to advance??

Just want your guys thoughts on this one. So I used to work at a tech shop as a lead technician. Now I currently work at a small business firm handling all their IT issues for about only 8 users.

I recently started looking for another job and got an offer at a bigger company with lots of more room to advance but the pay is less. Pay is around 35k as Help Desk Tech.

Well considering if I remove the money equation...it looks to be a smarter move, however I don't really want to take a step back in pay. I'm about 40k now which really isn't that much less considering the position. Also I'm not hurting financially so I think this would be the best time to try it out!?!

I mean, help desk is an entry level position and recently I've been doing mostly hands on hardware/software work. This was the only position offered at the time and out of about 40/people I was chosen. I still have time to accept the job offer and was just thinking about it.

Haha...seems like I've already made my mind up but I just wanna know your guys similar thoughts on this one, or even similar experiences.

So in the end:

1) Small business firm with no more room to advance - Pays slightly more
2) Bigger corporate company with more room to advance - Pays less

Forgive my ranting...I just wanna vent somewhere and this seems like the most appropriate place to do so

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Comments

stuh84

The 40k job pays now, the 35k job could pay much more later.

I took a slightly lower paid job (VERY slight) for the opportunities it would give me, and if you can afford it and you aren't going to miss the extra money, I don't see a single reason why you would want to stay if it can get you much further in the long run.

chmorin

stuh84 wrote: »

The 40k job pays now, the 35k job could pay much more later.

I took a slightly lower paid job (VERY slight) for the opportunities it would give me, and if you can afford it and you aren't going to miss the extra money, I don't see a single reason why you would want to stay if it can get you much further in the long run.

Agreed. Opportunities are worth more than 5k.

gateway

I would certainly take a drop in salary for the right opportunities. At the end of the day when you come to move on, the more experience you have the more you have to sell yourself with; it's what its all about.

Michael.J.Palmer

Look at it this way, you may lose that 5K this first year or two but after that you'll probably make more money once you do start to advance. Look at it this way...

1st year 35K
2nd year 35K
Let's say the third year you get a raise but in the same position...
3rd year: 40K
4th year: 40K
Now you've been there for four years and you have newly earned certs and qualifications that make you qualified for an in-house promotion.
5th year: 60K
etc.

After five years you would have turned a profit of 10K overall with those numbers, then if you were to stay at the same job that paid 40K over the next five years. Now this is speculation of course based on whatever your company pays and whatever the promotion you get pays, but you get my drift, take it!

MentholMoose

What type of position do you see yourself advancing to?

blargoe

I would always recommend considering a slight reduction in base salary if it is a position that will benefit you down the road.

However, I'm not sure THIS position is that position that will automatically do that for you. (I don't have enough information for one thing). I'd have to consider more closely what exactly you're doing today (Is it all hands on desktop support type work and are you staying busy with it), what does "Help Desk" entail at the new company, and where it is that you actually want to be as the "potential step up" that you may or may not get.

To me it looks like you're taking a reduction in the "level" of work you're doing AND a reduction in pay. I don't know that I'd be willing to take both. And "Big company" doesn't mean there's a probability that you will advance from help desk to hands-on hardware/software work (what you're doing today), it just means there's room to do so. I have to qualify that with the fact that i don't know what "Help Desk" is at the potential new company though... sometimes there is hands on work involved there too.

Best of luck to you, whatever you decide to do. And consider yourself blessed that you actually HAVE a decision to make!

nel

i would definately take a pay cut for a better job. im in the situation now where im in a pretty good paying job but the work is utter sh*t to be quite frank.

One thing to note - be careful, loads of companies give the whole talk of progression etc but it doesnt necessarily work out that way so be prepared to slog it out. ask them lots of questions about the role etc to make sure it is definately the right move before dropping down 5k. besides, whats to say that another job wont become available for your current wage or possibly higher?

Unknown27

Thanks for all your helpful replies guys. I'm in vegas so I'm Working for one of the citY's largest hotel aNd casiNos.

The help desk there handles all the IT support for all their properties, night clubs, guests, employees etc. From what I know it stays very busy. Currently this dept is managed by only 7 help desk workers around a 24hr shift period. They deal with tons of issues which is think is vital to my experience. Lots of active directory, troubleshooting, resetting passwords, and all the other normal help desk duties.

Like I mentioned before I work at a business firm, and now that everything is running I don't do much troubleshooting or anything else except for the occasional hiccups and normal duties such as preventative maintenance, daily backups, etc.

I just feel that this job will give me more experience and place me in a position to advance within the huge IT department and get into higher level IT.

I think chmorin hit the nail on the head with his statement!

blargoe

Sounds like a pretty good opportunity

[Deleted User]

Unknown27 wrote: »

Thanks for all your helpful replies guys. I'm in vegas so I'm Working for one of the citY's largest hotel aNd casiNos.

The help desk there handles all the IT support for all their properties, night clubs, guests, employees etc. From what I know it stays very busy. Currently this dept is managed by only 7 help desk workers around a 24hr shift period. They deal with tons of issues which is think is vital to my experience. Lots of active directory, troubleshooting, resetting passwords, and all the other normal help desk duties.

Like I mentioned before I work at a business firm, and now that everything is running I don't do much troubleshooting or anything else except for the occasional hiccups and normal duties such as preventative maintenance, daily backups, etc.

I just feel that this job will give me more experience and place me in a position to advance within the huge IT department and get into higher level IT.

I think chmorin hit the nail on the head with his statement!

I see what you did there! I think this sounds like a pretty good opportunity. I'd go for it especially if you think there is potential to move up. I'll be in Vegas for my honeymoon in October!

stlsmoore

I went through this exact same scenario last year and it finally paid off this month. I was making quite a bit at a contract job but what I was doing had no advancement oppourtunities. So I went towards my favorite thing in IT (networking), obtained my CCNA, and took a tier 1 position in a NOC. One year later almost to the day I received an offer for a bigger role and increasing my income by 100%. It's def. worth it but you have to think about long term growth not just at that company, but within the field of IT you plan on specializing in.

Unknown27

Yeah I'm not sure of which field I am most fit for yet, but I feel like being around and working in the industry I will find out which IT path to pursue.