Do I take this help desk job?

So I am now working at a large printer company on a project migrating their computers from XP to 7 and the project ends in March. Figuring I'd cover my behind, I started applying for a bunch of jobs this week just in case it takes a while to find another job. They don't look to be hiring here for any PC Tech jobs (or similar positions) at the moment either.

I have an Associate's degree in IT and I'm going to WGU in March to get my Bachelor's. I don't have any certs yet as I was going to go through WGU for that.

I have about half of a year at a help desk, a year doing remote tickets (volunteering online, but they are trackable tickets), and this PC Technician job doing imaging, laptop repair, troubleshooting, some AD stuff, etc. Right now I make $16 an hour, but again it is going to end soon.

The job that called me is in Denver and is offering $14 an hour for a help desk position. It's contract to hire and after 3 months I get a small raise (the recruiter wasn't sure how much), but then said after putting in a few more months there I should be able to get promoted to a higher level of tech support there and make "45k-50k".

What do you think? I still have around two months. Should I hold out for something a little better or not? If the latter is true, then I'd be inclined to go there. I have a phone interview with the company next week and I'm pretty confident it's mine if I want it. I was going to ask them some of the same questions and see what kind of vibes I get.

EDIT: Update post #10

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Comments

ande0255

I believe you should, but continue looking internally and externally, though most steps up the IT ladder come from internal opportunities.

Good luck!

bub9001

Would you have to moving, or just commuting?

Also the pay is about right for held desk tier 1 (entry level), considering its help desk contract to hire. $45 to $50 grand for Tier 2 or 3 isn't horrible for Denver. But it's a good start to getting your foot in the door.

I wouldn't turn it down right now. See how the phone interview goes, you can learn a lot about a company by their hiring process.

Fidelity

I agree with the above. $14 an hour is fair for experienced tier 1 work. I think it would be worth it if what the recruiter says is true. It might be a launching pad to get you into administration.

markulous

bub9001 wrote: »

Would you have to moving, or just commuting?

Also the pay is about right for held desk tier 1 (entry level), considering its help desk contract to hire. $45 to $50 grand for Tier 2 or 3 isn't horrible for Denver. But it's a good start to getting your foot in the door.

I wouldn't turn it down right now. See how the phone interview goes, you can learn a lot about a company by their hiring process.

Right now I commute about an hour one way to this job I'm at now. I'm planning on moving right next to Denver. It would be around the same commute until I actually did.

scaredoftests

Yes, go for it.

coreyb80

Definitely go for it and put in work so you can move up the IT ladder.

bub9001

markulous wrote: »

Right now I commute about an hour one way to this job I'm at now. I'm planning on moving right next to Denver. It would be around the same commute until I actually did.

If it feels right when you do the phone interview then it might be a great job or launching pad. Remember don't be overly eager, listen to what they have to say and be open to cons of the job. It's a career your seeking not a job, keep that in mind.

markulous

bub9001 wrote: »

If it feels right when you do the phone interview then it might be a great job or launching pad. Remember don't be overly eager, listen to what they have to say and be open to cons of the job. It's a career your seeking not a job, keep that in mind.

I think I may consider it then.

I told my wife the same thing. I feel confident I can get plenty more interviews, so I don't feel that I have to have this job no matter what. If I truly can be making 45-50k here by the end of the year and it's an overall good company, it's hard to say no, even if I have to take a paycut for a few months.

I will try to push back the start date for as long as I can since I want to to fulfill my job here as much as I can and it gives me more time to see if anyone can make a better offer.

markulous

I had the phone interview yesterday and I must say it was a little odd but went well. They grilled me on a ton of different topics that I had no experience on. They asked about SQL, Citrix, DNS, DHCP, and a ton of other things. This is just an entry level help desk position too. They had an opening for their level 2 desk also though, so I'm thinking they were just seeing if I could potentially fit into that (maybe?). I answered everything the best I could and kept having to say, "Well I do have a little experience from school..." or "No, I don't have much yet, but it is something I'm looking forward to doing and will learn with my Bachelor's degree from WGU..."

Anyway, they want me for a face to face tomorrow. And it's $17 an hour instead of $14! So that's a huge bonus too. I really hope I get it. Getting here and then getting to that level 2 making 50k is a dream come true.

Thanks for the encouragement!

Snow.bros

markulous wrote: »

Anyway, they want me for a face to face tomorrow. And it's $17 an hour instead of $14! So that's a huge bonus too. I really hope I get it. Getting here and then getting to that level 2 making 50k is a dream come true.

Thanks for the encouragement!

All the best of luck with the face to face interview!!!