Work dilemma

ant043

Currently working in a allied healthcare role in a public hospital. i love working here but it's only temporary with 3 months to go in my contract. Prospects of being extended rely on people leaving or taking annual leave because of the recruitment ban. I was offered a permanent job in a private hospital but i don't want to leave this job. Would i be mad to turn down a permanent job in this economic climate ?

QuiteInterestin

Depends on how long since you started in your current position. If you've been on temporary fixed term contracts for 4 years you have to be made permanent. How long until you reach the 4 year mark? Do you think you could last out until then? Has anyone started after you? How many people would need to be let go before they'd get to you? What are the chances of maternity leaves, retirements etc in your area? If they were renew your contract, how long would it be for? 1month? 1 year?

If you want to be sure of a job, well then the private job is the way to go, if you're willing to take the chance that you'll be kept on at the end of this contract, well then stay put. How often do jobs come up in private healthcare in your area? If you are let go, how long/difficult would it be to get another?

I think at the end of it all, you'll just have to go with what you think is best. Personally, I'm in this position, and I can tell you, 4 years is a long time to be on temporary contracts, especially if they are very short term ones.

Delancey

Given the further derioration in public service employment prospects that is to be expected I have to say that I think you should grasp the offer of a permanent position with both hands.

leeroybrown

We're very short of information here but based on what you've put up I'd definitely say that you should take the permanent job.

ant043

Ok im a radiographer working nearly 12 months at this stage. There does seem to be alot of temporary stuff at the minute but very little jobs which are permanent. Prospects of it being extended rely on other people so I'd say it's 50 50 really. I will probably be offered a permanent job in the hospital which I'm working in now in the next 12 - 18 months I hope. I'm on a panel which is going to be kept until all vacancies are filled. Thanks for advice guys :-).

whydoibother?

I wonder what would happen if you explained your situation to your current employer. I'm not advising you to do that necessarily, I don't know if it might create difficulties. But I'm just teasing out the possibility of saying that you've got this other offer, you can't throw away a permanent position to keep a temporary one, will they offer you a permanent contract now? My instinct would be that if they were going to offer you a permanent contract doing it a couple of months earlier wouldn't make much difference to them (but then again I don't know the procedures), so therefore you would have a fairly clear idea from their response whether you should go to the private hospital or not. Just an idea.

ant043

Hi. That's not possible unfortunately. I have to wait until my name comes around. There's people ahead of me and procedures have to be followed.

Delancey

Juast be aware Ant that Brendan Howlin only today said the recruitment moratorium is '' here to stay '' , I think the public sector offers very few prospects for the next several years.

dan_d

Take the permanent job.
If nothing else, it's experience that can count towards you possibly reapplying to your current position/workplace in the future.

ant043

Thanks for all the advice guys. Just one more question. I'm actually commuting from Dundalk to northside at the moment which i find quite doable about an hour each way. Traffic is light cause i don't have to head into city. I'm guessing it would be absolute madness to commute from dundalk to sandyford everyday. Is the m50 traffic just terrible in the morning ? Alternatively i'd prefer to live in drumcondra/beaumont. What's the commute like in car from there ?

Stheno

I used commute from Swords to Newbridge every day until this year, took about an hour each way, no major hassle.

Sandyford exit is busy but not mad in the mornings.

ant043

Ok so if it's an hour to get there from swords I'm guessing I'd be mental to even consider commuting from Dundalk. I'm estimating that we're talking a 3 + hour commute a day.

whydoibother?

Like every one else said, I'd take the permanent job.

On the Drumcondra/Sandyford commute, I've never done it, but I've a friend who did something similar and said it wasn't too bad because you're going against the traffic. Most traffic is into town in the morning and out in the evening. You're doing the opposite. Don't know exactly how long though.