Sticky Situation

Raz

I'm working in a part time job atm, 9:30am to 12:30pm, 3 days a week.I've not signed a contract. It's a start up company and there's only 3 of us in it, 2 who do all the work. I therefore work very closely with the boss (In his home office to be precise!!!)
This is my third week working with him and he's acts like I'm gonna be there for years (he just gave me details of a monthly incentive plan he worked out for me).
Tomorrow I have an interview with Dell (after work) and I'm quite hopeful about getting the job. If I do (fingers crossed) then I'm gonna have to quit on the little guy.

If I do get the job with Dell (which will suit me far better as I can keep going during college) then I'll be starting Monday. Short notice, I know.
I intend to ring the boss that evening if I get the job but I don't want to slap him in the face with it.
I want to break it to him reasonably gently and let him know that I'd have given more notice if I could but that I have to look out for my own best interests.

Any suggestions how I would go about delivering the news to him?
(Once again touch wood that I get the job!)

milltown

Nothing says I don't want to talk to you about this quite like a text!

Raz

Not very professional though

quarryman

well just put Yours sincerely at the end then.

Raz

I'd like to get paid for my last week you know. Plus I want to get that P45 speedily.

quarryman

oh but don't put Raz.

cus that would look unprofessional

dub45

Never burn your boats - you never know when you may need a job from this man in the future.

If you get the job just explain things to him - he will understand and doing so will be good experience for you for the future.

Is there any possibility that if you do get the Dell job that you could give him a bit of a dig out until he can get someone in your place.

Treating someone decently never goes amiss!

quarryman

very true. Basically tell him everything you just mentioned above. After all, it would suit you better working for Dell. I'd imagine he would see this as reasonable. Explain the situation about college etc and it shouldn't be a problem.

Also, i may have read the first post wrong but i don't think you should slap in the face when you leave.

Raz

I was intending on being honest. I'd like to stay on good terms with him. Unfortunately I won't be able to help him out if I get the job. Training starts Monday and it's 9 to 5 sessions for 3 weeks.

Any particular phrases come to mind for anyone? Something that might get my point across concisely without sounding like an ungrateful git. I don't want to sit stuttering on the phone as I try to wing it. I'll straight away sound unconvincing and insincere if I do that.

Oh and no physical slaps will be delivered!

RicardoSmith

Just tell him the hours don't suit you, and that you've found something else more suitable. Sorry that it didn't work out and hope that it goes well for him. Short and sweet. Then ask him that you will need a P45. I expect it might take him a little while to organise it.

Bluehair

I had to do something similar a couple of months ago. Was in a job about 6 weeks when all of a sudden my ideal position came up in another company. Applied on the Thursday, interviews Friday and Tuesday and got the job Wed (we need you to start following Monday!)

Was concerned the Boss would freak esp as it was also a small company and I knew it would make things difficult for them for at least a few weeks.

Don't do it by text or phone if at all possible do it in person. Explain that this wasn't planned and you're a bit torn up about it but have given it serious thought and have to do what's in your own best interests long term. Apologise for the short notice and offer to help out evenings/week-ends(paid obviously) for a short time to help them over the hard patch.

This is exactly what I did and believe me while I dreaded knocking on that door initially I was damn glad of it later on since despite everything I got a good reference and an open-ended offer to return if my new position didn't work out.

Hobbes

Reminds me of a guy in an older job. First day on the job he goes out to lunch then rings back and tells them to stuff their job as he just got a better one.

The following day he called around for a reference.

leeroybrown

Seeing as you havn't signed a contract and you've been there less than 13 weeks you're not legally required to give any notice. As people have mentioned above just do it as nicely as possible and apologise for the inconvenience caused by the short notice.

Raz

Situation avoided.
I didn't get the job
As soon as I think I have a chance ......

damnyanks

There ya go no one gets hurt

jank

where are dell located and are the hiring at the mo

Would be handy to have a job there during college

Also are there any companies hiring doing part time tech support people around the north side of dublin!

Raz

Dell are located in Bray. It took about half and hour or more on the Dart.
Send the HR department your CV by e-mail at Bray_HR(at)Dell.com
The interview I had gave the impression that they were looking for sales people who they would then train in the technology as opposed to tech people who'd they train in sales (which I thought would have been easier).
It was the kind of interview where you'd be fine if you had previous sales training. They asked me a question that had me pretty flumuxed ..... What would you say are the 4 key points of a persons needs when buy something?
That was the worst. I never saw it coming and I struggled to get anykind of answer out. In the end I managed 3 points, their use of the product, their budget and something else I can't remember.
Other than that it's by and large the usual questions, ... Were you ever in a situation wherer ...? 3 messages left, ones irate, one wants to buy and the other wants to change an order. What order would you take the calls in?
Stuff like that.
Thats the first part of the interview. After that you do a sales situation roleplay, either over the phone or face to face, whichever you're more comfortable with. I was trying to sell them an office chair.
After that you have to respond to a mock e-mail from a customer. The one I had was a guy wondering why his system hadn't been delivered since he ordered it 3 days ago.

I found the second 2 parts of the interview fine (even though I didn't sell the chair!) but the first part, the actual interview didn't go along the lines of my preperation at all. I was prepared for the tell me about yourself question which never showed. They just went straight to my previous employment history.

Anyway the interview sucked. I felt crap coming out of it and it wasn't a surprise I didn't get the job. One annoying thing is that I sent in my application almost 2 months ago (through a friend in there I might add who took 3 months to get an interview!!) and then I saw the same job advertised on nixers, so I applied to that and through my friend again (with a newer version of my CV). They contacted me the next day and I went for the interview the day after (last thursday). When I got into the interview they were using the older version of my CV and I had to tell them I was currently in a sales job which I think coloured me from the start ... Why do you want to leave????