Am I being too picky, especially now?

[Daseal]

Hey Guys,

I have an interview today with a company I interned at for a full-time position. First let me say, it’s a good place to work. It’s a pretty cool work environment, and they’re on Fortunes list of the top 100 companies to work for, so it’s not as if this is a rat hole.

Here’s my issue. First of all, I have no intentions of staying in the position too long because I’m not really interested in this type of work for the long term but I must verbally commit to at least 1 or 1.5 years. Not to mention, I’m not the ‘quitting’ type. I’m starting to learn to do what’s best for me, not the company since companies look out for themselves, but still not good at it. Secondly, the pay isn’t great, it’s not terrible, but a bit lower than most entry level positions. A lot of the salary depends on quarterly bonuses based on the performance of everyone in the branch, so basically one person doing a poor job can affect your salary. There’s also no real hope of getting a security clearance, which in the NOVA area is pretty important. The two big kickers for me though come down to finances. I’m the oldest college graduate ever (just graduated yesterday, yay!) so I need to make up for lost time on the 401K/etc. They do not match any amount you invest. Secondly, I’m starting my M.S. in the Fall – they offer no tuition reimbursement. I’m going to be taking 3 classes a semester so per year we’re looking at 9000 bucks a year (not including books, parking, fees, etc).

I have work lined up that is very, very good money. Roughly 750 a week take home that I can probably find all summer long.

My question is, should I suck it up and accept the position if offered or should I hold out for a better opportunity? Thanks!

[mredskins]

Hmmm...if you see no upward growth there and you don't have the heart for it, I would say pass and do the $750 a week job. I made the mistake of taking a job like that right out of college (one my heart really was not into) and I basically hate my life until I found something new. Save yourself the drama.

[DBUCHANON101]

with this economy id take what i could get. for now anyways, tomorrow isnt a given.

[dmek25]

like you said, do whats best for you. and its always all about the money. take the money

[saden1]

It's all about experience and brand name. If this place gives you the opportunity to fill your resume with quality company name you should do it just for that. Besides, in this economy it's good to have a full time job and if you don't take it someone else will.

[Daseal]

Maybe it's me, but after doing some traveling this spring through this mid-west I saw the down economy. In NOVA I'm not sure if it's even close to that bad. In fact, last numbers I saw jobs were still growing in Northern Virginia, at least in the IT field.

I have another interview with a smaller company but a more interesting position / better benefits. So I'm definitely going to go to the interview before I accept anything.

[redskinjim]

Originally Posted by mredskins

Hmmm...if you see no upward growth there and you don't have the heart for it, I would say pass and do the $750 a week job. I made the mistake of taking a job like that right out of college (one my heart really was not into) and I basically hate my life until I found something new. Save yourself the drama.

dont waste your time if there are no skills that you can learn take the money get the most for every hour you work! i hate my job but it pays pretty good so i have to stay put especially now with things the way they are.

[wolfeskins]

Originally Posted by dmek25

like you said, do whats best for you. and its always all about the money. take the money

i agree that you should do what is best for you but i disagree that it should be all about the money. imo, it's better to be happy at your job and make a little less money than to be misserable at your job making more money.

[MTK]

Gotta do what feels right for you.

Some advice, don't be afraid to take a job even if you know you might only be there for a short time. I did something along the same lines when I was fresh out of school and it helped get my resume looking respectable and it led to a better job after a year in.

So basically, sometimes it pays to get your foot in the door somewhere and it can help lead you to something bigger and better in no time. Especially in this economy, I really feel for you guys just hitting the market right now. It's gotta be tough.

[GMScud]

To me it sounds like the kicker is starting grad school in the fall. Taking 3 graduate classes and working full time is tough, especially when you're looking at all those expenses. Having full-time job obligations, graduate coursework, and possible money problems could be a really stressful recipe. I wouldn't let the 401K matching be a deciding factor. It's something to consider, but if the position you're looking at is only going to be short term, it should bepretty far down the list.

If you weren't about to undertake a master's degree, I would agree with Matty and say take the position, get the experience, build the resume. Especially with this strong company you describe. Considering the MS starting soon, I'm hesitant to offer that advice. Any chance you work for a year, save money, then go back to school? If that's not an option, I would do all the math as far as pay/hours/monetary value of benefits vs. tuition/all other expenses, and pick the job that will put the least amount of stress on your shoulders (I'm assuming the jobs you're exploring are all related to your degree(s)).

What kind of details do you have about this other smaller company you're interviewing with as far as tuition reimbursement?

[Hog1]

Originally Posted by wolfeskins

i agree that you should do what is best for you but i disagree that it should be all about the money. imo, it's better to be happy at your job and make a little less money than to be misserable at your job making more money.

Sound advice!!
I, all to frequently have followed the $$$ and never Really been happy with what I do. Not miserable mind you.........just not like the following:
If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life ...

not sure who said that, but.........actually I think I said that

[Daseal]

The smaller company offers 8000 a year in tuition reimbursement, which isn't much when it comes down to it -- but it's like an 8K hike in salary. The kicker is -- the work seems both more interesting and they'll get my security clearance.

Matty -- the thing about the company I interviewed for was I gave a verbal commitment to my future boss that I'd stay for at least a year/year and a half. It's important to me not to break my word.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by Daseal

The smaller company offers 8000 a year in tuition reimbursement, which isn't much when it comes down to it -- but it's like an 8K hike in salary. The kicker is -- the work seems both more interesting and they'll get my security clearance.

Matty -- the thing about the company I interviewed for was I gave a verbal commitment to my future boss that I'd stay for at least a year/year and a half. It's important to me not to break my word.

Does the commitment go both ways? what if three months from now your boss has to make some changes, would you be immune to that?

[firstdown]

If you decide to take the summer job what happens if you cannot find another job?

[BleedBurgundy]

Originally Posted by Daseal

The smaller company offers 8000 a year in tuition reimbursement, which isn't much when it comes down to it -- but it's like an 8K hike in salary. The kicker is -- the work seems both more interesting and they'll get my security clearance.

Matty -- the thing about the company I interviewed for was I gave a verbal commitment to my future boss that I'd stay for at least a year/year and a half. It's important to me not to break my word.

The security clearance is priceless. Wife and I both work in IT after serving in the navy. If you're looking for a gov contractor job, the clearance will be key. I agree with Saden though, if it's not at least a regionally recognized name, that has to count against it.