On the fence between two jobs....

In the middle of my two week notice leaving my first IT Job, to move on. I received an interview for another potential job and received an offer before the week was over. Now I’m on the fence, looking for all input, keep in mind, still looking for experience, and only have a Comptia A+. I have a four year degree, but it is in Criminal Justice ….career change.

Job 1 Pros: (Private Medical Company)
Negotiated Higher Hourly Rate at $21
Company Match 3% - 401K
Stated they will reimburse for certifications
One day a week can work from home
The experience will open the doors to other avenues, as I will be doing things I’ve never done, and the manager is the building the IT department from the ground up. He’s been there for two years and is making progress.

Cons:
1 Hour and 10 Minute Drive One Way
Service Desk Calls for the Clinics across the region – on the phone all day
Feel bad having them already pay for background and drug screen

Job 2: (Government County Job)

Pro:
Cheaper and Better Insurance
Closer to Home – 10 minutes down the road
May also open doors as I talking to staff and they had to deal with out of country attacks being a government entity.

Cons:
Really won’t learn anything new, as it mostly deployments and break/fix
Salary at $41K
Have to talk to current job to letting me stay an extra week due to orientation not until the 23rd…

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Comments

LordQarlyn

Aside from the 1 hour and 10 minute commute, Job 1 would have been my dream job when I was first trying to break in IT. The paying for certs is icing on the cake. For me the biggest difference is with Job 2 you'd update your resume with the roles and responsibilities, with Job 1, you would update with bullet points. I'm kind of surprised even a county job doesn't offer a nominal cert reimbursement though, but maybe they just don't have the budget.

If it were me, I would go with Job 1, and try to look for a closer place to live. As we all know in IT we constantly need to be expanding our skills, pushing ourselves, leaving our comfort zones, and in life in general, take risks and make short term sacrifices in attempts to get greater rewards. Between learning new stuff, having the chance to build an IT department (and all the experience you will gain from that), and have certs reimbursed, I could almost tolerate an long commute like that (and still look for a closer place even if it's a cheapo room on AirBnB lol).

EnderWiggin

I'd go with the second job, mainly based on the commute. That's two hours a day of your life you get back. And the insurance being cheaper would lessen the already minimal difference in pay. I also would not want to be answering phone calls, at all...

Daneil3144

EnderWiggin wrote: »

I'd go with the second job, mainly based on the commute. That's two hours a day of your life you get back.

Yea - I've had to make a similar commute in the same direction, 45 minutes when I did it. Yet, that 45 minutes easily doubled if it was an accident on the interstate.

Danielm7

Commute is a huge deal for me, and the money is at least equal considering insurance. You'll be losing a quarter of a work day+ just sitting in the car. I'd go with the gov job and use the downtime to study. Certs are not THAT expensive most of the time, I doubt the first job is reimbursing you for SANS level stuff, probably like the net+/sec+ which are a couple hundred dollars, hardly worth picking one job over another.

Maybe there was another thread on this, but you gave 2 weeks to your current job without having another one secured already?

Daneil3144

Danielm7 wrote: »

Maybe there was another thread on this, but you gave 2 weeks to your current job without having another one secured already?

Maybe my wording is off. Yet, I got the job offer for Job 1 and gave my notice to my current employer. Got called for an interview for Job 2, from submitting an application weeks prior, and was given the job offer during the same 'two week notice' time frame, from going to Job 1.

MalwareMike

Like most people have said, the commute for job #1 would be too much for me. You can spend that additional time you would be driving on studying or doing something productive towards your career.

paul78

It all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice and commit for your career. Given that this is your first few years of your career, you may have to be more flexible if you want to move up.

For me - given that choice - I wouldn't hesitate to take the job at the private medical company. I've commuted much longer than 70 minutes. One of my early jobs was a 90 minute commute. And I once left a job with a 10 minute commute for a job with a 2 hour commute.

Ultimately, it's a personal choice. But if you have a plan for your career, I wouldn't consider a commute as a deciding factor since it's temporary unless you think this will be the last job you will ever have.

josephandre

time and gas brother. no thank you

DatabaseHead

My vote is for number 2

LordQarlyn

paul78 wrote: »

It all depends on what you are willing to sacrifice and commit for your career. Given that this is your first few years of your career, you may have to be more flexible if you want to move up.

For me - given that choice - I wouldn't hesitate to take the job at the private medical company. I've commuted much longer than 70 minutes. One of my early jobs was a 90 minute commute. And I once left a job with a 10 minute commute for a job with a 2 hour commute.

Ultimately, it's a personal choice. But if you have a plan for your career, I wouldn't consider a commute as a deciding factor since it's temporary unless you think this will be the last job you will ever have.

Ha I was beginning to think I was the weird one! I am in agreement, I have like a five minute walk to and from my office, but if a job came up that had the potential for me to get hands one experience in new technology and systems or had a path for advancement but came with a long commute, I would take it. Been at jobs where I wasn't learning much or anything new, felt like the world was passing me by.

MeanDrunkR2D2

While the commute sucks, stick with the job you already accepted. It's the better role and you don't have to stay there for more than a year if you can't deal with the commute. Take the challenge and improve your skills. There is a reason why you decided to leave your current job and doing the same thing essentially will make you hate work and look to leave again in 6 months or less.

volfkhat

How can you really ask people to weigh in on your two job offers... when you didn't give actual details on what you will be doing?
:]

All i really gathered was

Job 1:
"...Service Desk Calls for the Clinics across the region – on the phone all day"

Job 2:
"...Really won’t learn anything new"

Yeah.... if that's all i had to go on.... i would PASS on both.
lol

scaredoftests

Job #2. I don't think your current job will let you stay another week. Why should they?

greg9891

scaredoftests wrote: »

Job #2. I don't think your current job will let you stay another week. Why should they?

I was thinking the same thing.......unless it benefits them I don't see why they would let you stay. I would use that time for vacation until the next job starts.

snokerpoker

I'd go for job #2. Better commute and county jobs tend to be good long term in regards to promotions, etc. Seems like once you get it, you're in. I know my local county has pension plans and a real retirement plan in place.

EANx

I agree with #2. You left out some data or didn't ask some questions to make the comparison equivalent though. For instance, does the county also have a 401k or equivalent they provide matching for? In addition, are you already contributing to a 401k where you currently work? Matching is nice when people use it and sometimes it's touted as a benefit but when it's not used, you don't get it.

The county probably also has a pension, something far better than matching in the long-run. The county is also far less likely to let people go so you would have greater job stability. Then you also probably have first-crack at jobs as they come open. What else are they doing? Those are the positions you'll have available.

I'm also a fan of a short commute. Unless you're willing to move to get close to the new job, job #2 wins here.And if you are willing to move, how much is that time and effort worth, compared to the financial difference of salary offset by insurance?

So #1 might have a marginal financial increase, #2 has the commute, job stability and a pension. If your plan is to deliberately become a job-hopper, go with #1, otherwise my advise is #2.

Daneil3144

So, option 1 just became more unappealing this morning. Just saw a vacacny for the exact same title/position this morning.

Which explains why they offered the position before the interview was over. They either have a huge turnover or fast growth(not likely),

greg9891 wrote: »

I was thinking the same thing.......unless it benefits them I don't see why they would let you stay. I would use that time for vacation until the next job starts.

scaredoftests wrote: »

Job #2. I don't think your current job will let you stay another week. Why should they?

I work at a for-profit college. The president and HR are extremely friendly, and it is family orientated. They haven't even started interviewing.

HR just asked me this past Friday, in a non-professional setting, when my last day was. It just seems things aren't set in stone.

DatabaseHead

@Daneil3144 - That sounds like a red flag to me...... I've had the displeasure of stepping into those positions who try to power you through the process to get a body in the doors. Usually doesn't end well.

LordQarlyn

Daneil3144 wrote: »

So, option 1 just became more unappealing this morning. Just saw a vacacny for the exact same title/position this morning.

Which explains why they offered the position before the interview was over. They either have a huge turnover or fast growth(not likely),

Yeah that doesn't look good at all.

paul78

Daneil3144 wrote: »

So, option 1 just became more unappealing this morning. Just saw a vacacny for the exact same title/position this morning.

Which explains why they offered the position before the interview was over. They either have a huge turnover or fast growth(not likely),

That's a pretty broad assumption to make. Normally, if I had such a concern, I would simply ask them. You had mentioned that the manager is building a team from ground up. Why? Did they just decide to bring IT in-house and now they are staffing up? Maybe they need multiple people with that job role?

As for getting an offer during the interview - I don't particularly find that unusual for the role that you briefly described. Also - that's a tell-tale that the manager is likely someone that' decisive and also has the right level of authority which seems like a positive.

If you think that turnover is high - did you ask them? Check out out glassdoor - what do people say?

MeanDrunkR2D2

It's hard to say what the root cause of the new opening is. Often times I've seen when one person leaves a co-worker in the same/similar role will jump to the same company as their friend. I wouldn't see that as a red flag immediately. Healthcare is a great place to be and a person can really find ways to skyrocket into the next higher level role. I work for a healthcare IT company and see people very frequently jumping companies and having g a good friend tag along with them to the new company shortly after getting there. There is nothing wrong with the company I work for and a person can really take their career to new heights if they put in the work. However often you can jump to a new company doing that next level role for a considerable pay raise after a year or two.

TechGromit

EnderWiggin wrote: »

I'd go with the second job, mainly based on the commute. That's two hours a day of your life you get back. And the insurance being cheaper would lessen the already minimal difference in pay. I also would not want to be answering phone calls, at all...

While a county job is the safer bet, it's also someplace your career dies. Before you know it you'll be 50 year old, with having learned no new skills other than when you need to know to do your job. Your job will be secure, but you'll never be able to leave, no one will want to pay you what your earning with you knowing nothing.

LordQarlyn

TechGromit wrote: »

While a county job is the safer bet, it's also someplace your career dies. Before you know it you'll be 50 year old, with having learned no new skills other than when you need to know to do your job. Your job will be secure, but you'll never be able to leave, no one will want to pay you what your earning with you knowing nothing.

LOL you know, that's how I viewed state and county jobs, for the twilight of your career just before you retire.

paul78

@OP - so I'm curious - what did you decide on?

Daneil3144

paul78 wrote: »

@OP - so I'm curious - what did you decide on?

Even though I felt bad for Job 1; since they already paid for and I completed the Drug Screen and background - I went with the government job - job 2.

Because it is essentially more money given that insurance is cheaper, covers a lot more, and I'm not paying $20 every other day in gas. That's 3 hours of driving daily I won't get back. That's if there are no accidents on the way to or from there. (Work/Life Balance)

I can also see myself getting burnt out spending hours all day on the phone...

Also, my current job let me stay a few days longer past my current two week notice.

Someone on a different forum, suggested I look into getting my CISSP, since that will look great with my criminal justice degree – but is down the road…