My first proper career choice...

May 22, 2009 2:31 AM

Careerfilter: My first proper career choice...

Right now, I work for a very successful multinational company as a temp on wicked money (21k). My job has its highs and lows; I really liked it when I started but since it’s started to drag. I seem to have to support my whole team with me as they are not very technically savvy or quick minded, in a job where these two prerequisites are key. Therefore I spend a lot of my time fighting pointless, avoidable fires. I am not their supervisor.
I’ve been here six months and my immediate boss as well as her boss has had nothing but praise for me, my boss is aware that I’m supporting the team. The latter boss had a chat with me at Xmas and said he would like to help me become a manager within said company and would find a perm position for me as soon as possible. My immediate boss is always letting me know "she has plans for me" and they have mentioned putting me on the graduate programme several times. Unfortunately you have to be a card-carrying perm employee rather than a temp to be eligible...
So this perm position came up, one of the team is leaving, and of course they have begged me to apply.
My concern is, they have told me that I will have to take a pay cut from my cushy temp money, I haven’t had the figure yet but I know that some of my colleagues are getting 17-18k. I understand I get some nice benefits if I work for this company as a perm, but I don’t know how long I can take it in this role. I would love to learn to be a manager and think its a great opportunity for me at such a young age (23) and in such promising company. However, they have also given me no indication of how long I will have to stay in this role i'm applying for before I can start training. Are they blowing smoke? Id likes to think not as the company has good values and my managers are great. I really like my bosses, the people and would rather stay at this job, but I can see the money being a sticking point.
I guess my question is what to do? Or how can I negotiate the best deal from my company within a workable time frame? Do I get the job and then negotiate? Or do I start applying for other jobs?
Which is more worthwhile in your opinion?

posted by Neonshock to work & money (9 comments total)

Working for a multi-national definitely has it's perks. The opportunities for career advancement and diversity are far greater than those in a small to medium sized company, and the possibly of overseas experience (I know it's not explicit, but it is always implicit in a multi-national) is definitely a huge incentive. Taking this position as a permanent employee, albiet on a lower salary, will give you more opportunities, more benifits and more security than you currently have as a temp. Given the current economic situation, the last point is perhaps the most important...

By the sounds of it you already have a great reputation with line management which will give you a good footing for negotiating a comparable salary/benefits to that which you are on as a temp. If you are rocking it as hard as it sounds you should be able to ask for more than your colleagues are on without getting laughed out of the room, especially given your recognised role as a defacto team-leader/manager.

As someone who took a bit too long to get into any sort of career path, this sounds like a great opportunity. You may have to suck it up for a year or two in a job you are not thrilled about with a salary that doesn't let you get quite as drunk on a Friday, but you will be better placed to reach out and grab something incredible when it does comes along. Hey, even if it doesn't get you where you want, experience with a large, recognised employer always looks good on your resume when you move on to greener pastures.
posted by ihunui at 3:05 AM on May 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

It seems to me that you have three choices here:

1. Stay in the temp position with better money now, but no chance of things getting better
2. Chase the permanent position, with a pay cut in the short term but good prospects for things to get much better
3. Leave the company for something else.

Only you can answer which of these is most attractive to you (hint - the only wrong answer is one which makes you unhappy).
posted by dg at 3:48 AM on May 22

I think it'd be easier to answer your specific questions if we knew a bit more about you and your situation.

For instance, is your temp position ending anytime soon? Are there realistically attainable positions at this company that are classed to be more commensurate with what you'd like your pay-scale to be? If so, would your skills, background, and present experience make you an eligible applicant for these other positions that may open up down the line, or would they require that you have more experience first? I guess what I'm saying is, will your company likely require that you start at the most entry-level of positions, or is a kind of hopscotch path possible?

What about your current lifestyle and budget, i.e. do you have student loans, debts, etc., that you've got to begin paying off, such that a cut in salary would make life markedly less comfortable or even significantly difficult for you right now? Or is it more that a cut in pay just plain sucks (aye, it does), and you're not at all hyped about this aspect of the opportunity?

If you imagine yourself starting at square one at another firm, what do you feel in your gut?

Salary negotiations are a freaky necessity, but far less scary when the job, to you, is more or less easy-come easy-go. In a similar situation, I had good luck telling my future employers that I needed to be making X amount of money, minimum, in order to meet my obligations. They had wanted to start me at the most entry-level (lowest paying) rung of the position classification, but after they considered their situation, I was lucky they agreed to the highest income bracket for that position's class. I wasn't worried when having the salary discussion with them, because I knew I'd take the job if they'd agree or that I'd simply continue my search if they did not; I was incredibly lucky because my back wasn't against the wall financially, at that point in time. Turns out that it was the worst job of my life, so I'm doubly glad that I didn't settle for the salary that would have made living my life even harder than it ended up being throughout my tenure there.

Ultimately, although it's not exactly viable to do in shaky economic times, I believe taking a position where your excellent handling of the workload, tasks, and responsibilities is not reasonably compensated by your employers is rarely a good move in the long term. Unless you're in a tight financial situation, experience just hasn't shown me that it's necessary to suck it up and pay your dues, hoping to be treated fairly in the future. That rhetoric has kept me unhappy and effectively broke much longer than continuing my job searches ever has. Of course, YMMV.
posted by blisskite triplicate at 3:48 AM on May 22 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks for the quick replies. To answer some questions, Im not in a tight finantial position (paid off the overdrafts i accrued in uni, so now my only debt is student loan which (if you didnt know) is a percentage of what you make over 15k so in reality the repayments might be a little less with the paycut) and Im saving money. Im just used to the money now I guess, and wouldnt like to be paid more than 19k say...which I dont think is unreasonable, but I dont know what their budget is like obviously.

I guess alot of this is "wait and see untill you see the payscale".
posted by Neonshock at 4:17 AM on May 22

I would take the job, because the benefits probably outweigh the (hopefully temporary) pay cut. It sounds like your management would look out for you and help you move up the ladder quickly. Maybe find out from them when they expect you could transition to a different role.

You'd also have access to other opportunities, like the graduate program you mentioned. Also, I don't know what the rules are like in the UK, but (from a US point of view) if your position were eliminated you'd probably get severance from the company as a permanent employee, which you wouldn't if you were in a temp position.
posted by LolaGeek at 4:41 AM on May 22

If you generally like the job and think you have a future at the company, then apply for the job and be ready to negotiate hard on salary. Also be ready to accept less than you were making as a temp.

I think it is too early to tell whether the managment is sincere about moving you up. You have only been at the job six months. Expect to put in at least a year before moving up in the company, and possible a couple of years. I'm not saying you can't move up faster than that, but a year or two "in the trenches" would be a reasonable expectation.

The interview for the perm position gives you an opportunity to ask how long someone is generally in your position before moving up or entering a graduate programme. Don't ask them to commit to a timeframe for you - just ask generally how long it takes.

Good Luck!
posted by jeoc at 7:46 AM on May 22

You're thinking very short term, immediate gratification here. You should take the job, and here's why:

1/ Temping as a career has little opportunity for advancement. Temping is probably not what you what to do for the rest of your life.

2/ The temping money is great now, at 23. The temping money is not going to be great at 30.

3/ The paycut to move from temp to perm is short term. Over the long term, you'll make more in the future in a career position than you will as a temp.

4/ Being perm gives you a TON more options. You'll find it way easier to get another job with more upward mobility and better pay as a perm than as a temp.

Basically, saying no is a short term investment in your bank account. Saying yes is a long term investment in that and more.
posted by DarlingBri at 11:01 AM on May 22

If you like the company and the people and they think you are the bees knees - Do it. The short term pay cut and possible staleness of the position will more than be repaid by the future opportunity. You gotta play the game to win it.
posted by jopreacher at 12:22 PM on May 22

Thanks everyone, I think you have made me see what was pretty clear cut decision. Sent my CV off today.
posted by Neonshock at 6:37 AM on May 23