Help!!! Offered Second Job What Do I Do?

Morpheus

OK,

Im a programmer.

9 months ago earning 28K p.a.

8 months ago made unemployed due to dreaded "downsizing"

7 months ago became a factory and warehouse lackey, learned how much i could carry up and down a ladder, became an expert CD counter and packager, and learned how to wrap a pallet full of stationary and send it to cork!!!

3 months ago did 2 interviews for 2 companys.

2 months ago got job offer with company A for 24K pa

7 weeks ago i started with company A in the financial industry doing software development and made permanent

3 weeks ago got phonecall from company B offering me 1 year contract at 31,500K for the year but after that theres a chance that

1. im kept on or
2. im let go, this is not based on your performance, simply on whether the company decides to retain you for more projects but ive been warned that they are scarce on the ground.

today, i must let company B know what im doing.

do i stay secure in my permanent job, or do i take the extra 7.5K and take the risk of being a factory worker again next year????

im really stressing over this, i like where i am, i get on well and im just settling down now, but still 31K come on!!! I fancy the quite lucrative offer, but i feel unsure, what if im unemployed again, it nearly destroyed me emotionally last year as well as my family, partner and close mates, i was a sh*t to everyone fightin cos i was always broke.

advice please???

could i use this second offer to my advantage to get a payrise??? even though im only here a few weeks and have signed the attypical 6 month contract? i dont know what happens after the 6 months i know il be made perm but will i get a significant payrise???

BuffyBot

The grass is always greener..

2001 I was working a pretty ok job with brilliant salary, conditions and perks...I left for another job which I loved..January 2002 redundancies announced..and how I kicked myself about that one.

<devils advocate>Apart from that, your current employer has given you a chance and you've escaped the factory floor - and your going to jump ship so soon?</devils advocate>

yop

Was in the same boat about 2 weeks ago. Working in a perm job, got offered a contract for 6 months that was 80% of the amount of the perm salary I am now on.
I decided to stick with the permanent job because the way the market is it is way too volitile at the moment and at least you can plan further ahead as regards finance etc, but in saying that the perm jobs are not always safe either!
A rock and a hard place situation .

Morpheus

its not that i want to leave, its that am i making the correct decision by staying or (in the cold light of day) am i being a fool for turning down the cash.

i like my job, the people, the location, but im still thinking what if...

twice this morning ive typed out the email to company B turning down the offer, but ive failed to send it, id click on send hold the mouse button down and then pull the pointer off the send button.... im TEASING myself FFS. so i decided to seek final advice on what you would do in this situation.

WhiteWashMan

i think its important to look at the long term gains as opposed to the quick fix pay rise.

so what can you look at?

well, you say you like where you are. plus.
youre getting paid more than a factory worker (been there, its sucks). plus.
you will get a pay review and pay rise (hopefully). plus.
there is not the threat of being let go in a years time. plus.

ok. new job.
7k pay rise. big plus.
you may or may not be let go. instability and stressful. minus.
dont know if you will like it or not. uncertainty. minus.

i think its a no brainer. if you think you can get on in your current job, learn new skills and climb the ladder, then i wouldnt move.
if it was a brain dead job with no prospects and it was only the pay keeping you there, i would move. i wouldnt leave my job for 7k more, because i really love where i work (most of the time!)

with regards to levering the position to get more money. i wouldnt. what i would do is meet up with your manager, if you havea good relationship and say that you have been offered a job that you went for at the same time as this one, but that you have turned it down becasue you love where you are. tell them the plus points about the job (the money) but not the negative (the uncertainty) and reassure them that you are not looking for a job, and you just wanted to talk about it and let them know what is happening in case a roumer started that you were job hunting.
tell them before you tell someone about it and they tell someone, and they tell someone (and cue waynes world)

alwys go for the job that gives you satisfaction over everything. after all, you know what its like to be in a job you really fúcking hate. just because you get paid more for it, doesnt mean you like it better....

Morpheus

OH MY GOD!!!!

WHAT HAVE I DONE????

I decided to take the new job......

only joking, I decided to go with my gut feeling and stay where im happiest for now, see what pans out in the future.

I thank you all for your advice. decision made, case closed. I knew what i wanted i just needed re-assurance,

cheers lads.

daveg

You made the right choice me friend. Money is "def" not everything. These days job security is more important.

ciano

Originally posted by daveg
You made the right choice me friend. Money is "def" not everything. These days job security is more important.

Yup, I'd go along with that. Security is very important these days!

DapperGent

Look at it this way a good bit of your payrise would have been taxed at 42% making it not that much more money in the final analysis.

Good decision I reckon.

RicardoSmith

Have to say I would stay, in the current enviroment. I would need a better offer to move.