Coin flip?

September 22, 2011 2:00 PM

Possible new job question: should I stay with my current job or take this new one?

I have an interview on Friday for a job with a different company, and the recruiter expects that if the interview goes well that I will get an offer on the spot, with little time to decide. Here are my options.

Company A is my current job. I am on an open-ended contract (W-2). I have been at my job for 1.5 years. The pay is decent, but below market average for my field, location, etc. My worry in staying here is due to the project I am working on being terminated by my employer. Nothing has been said, but the writing is on the wall. My best estimates are that there is roughly 5 months before the plug gets pulled. There is an outside chance of getting put on another project, I'd say 10 percent. Company A has also indicated that a recommendation has been put in for me to be hired full-time, but that recommendation is 5 months old and going nowhere.

Company B I will interview with on Friday. The company will also put me on contract W-2. The good parts are that it will be slightly more geared to my career goals, $5000 more per year, and a significantly easier commute of 8 miles instead of 20 one way, saving 20-30 minutes each way. The disadvantage will be that it will be only a 2 month contract to start with, at which point they may extend or hire full... or let me go.

I can't figure out which option I should take if they extend an offer. Neither offer benefits that I want such as health insurance or vacation. My current job might end soonish and the possible new one could as well. In choosing the lesser of two evils, which do you go with?

posted by anonymous to work & money (4 answers total)

Change is good.
posted by jeffamaphone at 2:19 PM on September 22, 2011

Obviously, don't do anything until you have an offer in hand from Company B.

If Company B makes an offer, use it as leverage to get Company A to bring you on full-time and pay you at or above market average. If Company A doesn't fight to keep you with them, that's a pretty clear message about your future at the company...
posted by BobbyVan at 2:22 PM on September 22, 2011 [1 favorite]

Company A has also indicated that a recommendation has been put in for me to be hired full-time, but that recommendation is 5 months old and going nowhere.

The good parts are that it will be slightly more geared to my career goals, $5000 more per year, and a significantly easier commute of 8 miles instead of 20 one way, saving 20-30 minutes each way.

Neither offer benefits that I want such as health insurance or vacation.

Company B
posted by BuffaloChickenWing at 5:49 PM on September 22, 2011

Company B, definitely, and for so many reasons: more money, better commute, possibly better job fit. But more importantly, Company A has had a lot of time to realize that you are a valuable employee and to act on it, but they haven't. A good boss or manager will do a lot to ensure retention of someone they want to keep.
posted by lulu68 at 6:19 AM on September 23, 2011 [1 favorite]