Deciding between 2 job offers. Which one is better?
February 6, 2018 7:17 AM Subscribe
I'm having a good problem right now but it's been the hardest decision thus far. I've gotten offered 2 job positions and I'm trying to decide between the two:
1) This is with a small insurance company I've been doing internship at so I know all of the people and the job. The position is full-time, work-at-home, laid back, archaic technology, but allows me to be challenged every day. Pay, competitive bonus, and benefits are great. Not many opportunities for advancement since the office is 4 hours away and I can't get into the office for other jobs.
2) This is with a large insurance company with great name. Job is for full-time variable staffing pool which means there will be weeks I get full time, and other weeks I get part time. Also work at home, tough metrics, more stressful. Pay varies based on needs, bonus. No health benefits, only 5 days of vacation. Lots of opportunities for advancement. Most people start out in this position and move up to other positions. The location is in my hometown so I have a lot of options.
I appreciate any inputs you have to help me make my decision.
I would ask where you are in your life stage right now? Married with kids, or no LTR/no kids/just starting out?
Health benefits are super important. Salary history is super important when you are trying to get your next job. Low stress is super important for life overall. If you were to take job A, maybe you could use some of your down time for professional development.
Has job B made it clear in no uncertain terms that there is room for growth, or are you making that assumption? What is their timeline to help you make that happen? What is your timeline? At what point would you be willing to say "job B isn't fulfilling their promises / My needs for advancement" and start your job search again?
Imo anything over a year in a variable-pay, high-stress job with no end in sight is too long. Are you up for a job search again in a year? If so, where will you take your year's worth of experience with job B, and what will it get you?
You can see where I'm leaning, but you know your industry better. If job B will get you good networking connections and marketable skills it would be worth it. But only if it were short-term. As a long-term option, it doesn't sound like they value their employees very much, and see them more as a means to an end.
posted by vignettist at 7:42 AM on February 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
Health benefits are super important. Salary history is super important when you are trying to get your next job. Low stress is super important for life overall. If you were to take job A, maybe you could use some of your down time for professional development.
Has job B made it clear in no uncertain terms that there is room for growth, or are you making that assumption? What is their timeline to help you make that happen? What is your timeline? At what point would you be willing to say "job B isn't fulfilling their promises / My needs for advancement" and start your job search again?
Imo anything over a year in a variable-pay, high-stress job with no end in sight is too long. Are you up for a job search again in a year? If so, where will you take your year's worth of experience with job B, and what will it get you?
You can see where I'm leaning, but you know your industry better. If job B will get you good networking connections and marketable skills it would be worth it. But only if it were short-term. As a long-term option, it doesn't sound like they value their employees very much, and see them more as a means to an end.
posted by vignettist at 7:42 AM on February 6, 2018 [5 favorites]
Job 1 sounds like something you could do for 3 or 4 years and then start looking for advancement. You'll be in a much better position once you have several years of solid work. And it's possible that you can get company A to make some changes and you will find room to advance there. Take the first job.
posted by mareli at 7:44 AM on February 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
posted by mareli at 7:44 AM on February 6, 2018 [9 favorites]
Job #2 is a scam. It will suck you dry and set you up for a lifetime of mistreatment in the workplace. It's not the career you want. Also, it's essentially another internernship.
Take the REAL job, job #1.
posted by jbenben at 7:53 AM on February 6, 2018 [13 favorites]
Take the REAL job, job #1.
posted by jbenben at 7:53 AM on February 6, 2018 [13 favorites]
I'd go with Job 1 in a heartbeat, but I strongly value predictability of hours/paychecks, work-life balance, benefits, and a pleasant working environment with people I like. Advancement is very low on my hierarchy of workplace needs/wants. Your hierarchy might vary.
posted by Stacey at 7:54 AM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Stacey at 7:54 AM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
I would consider Big Name Company not offering health insurance a red flag. And not giving people solid, predictable hours seems really shitty. I'd go with job 1, but I'd caution you against staying there too long if there's not much opportunity for advancement. Having the same job title for a super long time makes it hard to move on, even if the reason is that the company is small and doesn't really have room to promote people. And no room for advancement can be demoralizing over time, even if the job is otherwise fine.
posted by FencingGal at 7:54 AM on February 6, 2018
posted by FencingGal at 7:54 AM on February 6, 2018
Response by poster: I forgot to add, I'm in my mid-20s, this will be the first real job I have after completing my Master's degree. Job #2 does offer great pay and benefits once I advance into their full-time positions, not variable staffing. My only hesitation with not going to job #1 is the job advancement part due to the fact that it's so far away from where I live and I don't want to relocate. So my only options are work-from-home positions, which are limited.
posted by missybitsy at 7:59 AM on February 6, 2018
posted by missybitsy at 7:59 AM on February 6, 2018
Take Job #1 and apply for a more solid position with the company in #2 after you have that experience to point to, maybe?
posted by salvia at 8:14 AM on February 6, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by salvia at 8:14 AM on February 6, 2018 [10 favorites]
Job #2 does offer great pay and benefits once I advance into their full-time positions, not variable staffing. My only hesitation with not going to job #1 is the job advancement part due to the fact that it's so far away from where I live and I don't want to relocate. So my only options are work-from-home positions, which are limited.
You don't have to work at the same place forever - presumably, if there are cross-overs between company 1 and company 2 such that they both want to hire you today, you can almost assuredly parlay 1-2 years of experience doing the better job at company #1 into one of the more advanced and stable jobs at company #2.
posted by notorious medium at 8:15 AM on February 6, 2018 [6 favorites]
You don't have to work at the same place forever - presumably, if there are cross-overs between company 1 and company 2 such that they both want to hire you today, you can almost assuredly parlay 1-2 years of experience doing the better job at company #1 into one of the more advanced and stable jobs at company #2.
posted by notorious medium at 8:15 AM on February 6, 2018 [6 favorites]
this will be the first real job I have after completing my Master's degree
In that case Job 1 sounds PERFECT - plan to do it until you are ready to advance. Then, either they will want to keep you so bad they will create a position for you where you can work from home (citation: me), or you will have a big fat wad of experience that will elevate your CV to the position where you can get better offers than Job 2.
posted by greenish at 8:52 AM on February 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
In that case Job 1 sounds PERFECT - plan to do it until you are ready to advance. Then, either they will want to keep you so bad they will create a position for you where you can work from home (citation: me), or you will have a big fat wad of experience that will elevate your CV to the position where you can get better offers than Job 2.
posted by greenish at 8:52 AM on February 6, 2018 [8 favorites]
Job 2 sounds awful, sorry. I value good coworkers, stability in pay, and as stressless a job as my cost of living will allow. I would take job 1 and never look back. It’s not true of everyone, but a lot of your 20’s and early 30’s will likely be moving around, getting experience and better pay. Just because this job doesn’t have current upward mobility doesn’t mean it won’t in the future, or that you can’t find it elsewhere when the time comes. When you’re starting out, most of the time another company is willing to pay you more than your current company will raise you. It’s weird, but they generally think they can pay inside candidates less, so you can benefit from looking externally.
posted by greermahoney at 8:53 AM on February 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by greermahoney at 8:53 AM on February 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
> this will be the first real job I have after completing my Master's degree
Take Job #1 and enjoy your benefits and lack of stress. Use the psychological room from that lack of stress to improve your skills so you can advance to a different job in a different company entirely when you're ready.
posted by rtha at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Take Job #1 and enjoy your benefits and lack of stress. Use the psychological room from that lack of stress to improve your skills so you can advance to a different job in a different company entirely when you're ready.
posted by rtha at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Job number two sounds like the sort of place that a small percentage of driven and mercenary people thrive at and most people do poorly in and burn out. I have never seen a company that treated their lowest workers poorly like that actually have a healthy culture, even when you reach higher positions.
Get a year or two at job number one and then figure out what you want to do next.
posted by Candleman at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
Get a year or two at job number one and then figure out what you want to do next.
posted by Candleman at 8:57 AM on February 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
I think you are being somewhat short sighted by not seeing how much better Job 1 is for you both short term and long term. You have the opportunity to build up work history in a job where you already know the work environment. In a few years, you can assess whether or not there's actually no room for advancement, and if that's true, you will have the work history to not be in the entry level job pool with company 2.
posted by Nimmie Amee at 8:58 AM on February 6, 2018 [10 favorites]
posted by Nimmie Amee at 8:58 AM on February 6, 2018 [10 favorites]
Nthing that advancement is overrated when there has been so much info on the fact that strategically changing companies is a much better plan to keep increasing your earning power than trying to move up through 1 company. Job 1 for a few years then either see if they like you enough to give you more options or what else is out there now that you have experience under your belt.
posted by brilliantine at 9:56 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
posted by brilliantine at 9:56 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Pay varies based on needs, bonus. No health benefits, only 5 days of vacation.
The fuck?
Job 1. This shouldn't even be a question.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:07 AM on February 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
The fuck?
Job 1. This shouldn't even be a question.
posted by It's Never Lurgi at 10:07 AM on February 6, 2018 [7 favorites]
I made a decision like this at the outset of my career, and after 10 years, it remains the best employment and education-related job I've ever made.
To me, Job 2 sounds like it's intentionally set up as a Thunderdome, where everyone is encouraged to stab each other in the face for the fun, exciting opportunity to ingratiate yourself with management. For no benefits. And only 5 paid days off. What the everloving fuck?
posted by joyceanmachine at 10:32 AM on February 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
To me, Job 2 sounds like it's intentionally set up as a Thunderdome, where everyone is encouraged to stab each other in the face for the fun, exciting opportunity to ingratiate yourself with management. For no benefits. And only 5 paid days off. What the everloving fuck?
posted by joyceanmachine at 10:32 AM on February 6, 2018 [3 favorites]
Job 1 is the answer. It's either the answer because it is so clearly better or it is the answer because you've written the question in such a way that reveals your true feelings.
As others have said, assuming that things go well at Job 1, they will either see you as valuable and find a way to advance you or you will have established yourself to such an extent that you can get a good job at Company 2 and not the quarter-assed offer you have currently from them. Just because this is the entry-level job currently available to you at Company 2 doesn't mean that's where everyone starts when they come in to Company 2; give yourself the experience at Company 1 to get a real job at Company 2 somewhere down the line (if that's what you decide you want).
posted by Betelgeuse at 10:41 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
As others have said, assuming that things go well at Job 1, they will either see you as valuable and find a way to advance you or you will have established yourself to such an extent that you can get a good job at Company 2 and not the quarter-assed offer you have currently from them. Just because this is the entry-level job currently available to you at Company 2 doesn't mean that's where everyone starts when they come in to Company 2; give yourself the experience at Company 1 to get a real job at Company 2 somewhere down the line (if that's what you decide you want).
posted by Betelgeuse at 10:41 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Job 1 to job 3 (in the future).
Job 2 sounds pretty bad.
posted by Vaike at 11:08 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
Job 2 sounds pretty bad.
posted by Vaike at 11:08 AM on February 6, 2018 [2 favorites]
My only hesitation with not going to job #1 is the job advancement part due to the fact that it's so far away from where I live and I don't want to relocate.
The idea that you're going to get position and pay bumps working with the same company is kind of antiquated. You should expect to switch companies several times in your career (and indeed, the change careers several times.)
Go with #1.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:07 PM on February 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
The idea that you're going to get position and pay bumps working with the same company is kind of antiquated. You should expect to switch companies several times in your career (and indeed, the change careers several times.)
Go with #1.
posted by DarlingBri at 12:07 PM on February 6, 2018 [4 favorites]
Job #1 sounds like the obvious choice and I am not sure it's even close. Sure, with #1 there are not obvious advancement opportunities within that company long term, but why do you need to stay with that company long term? The days of people just working at the same company for 30 years are slipping away. For someone your age, it is much more likely you will move to several different companies over the course of your life. Go with job #1 and then when you have the experience and leverage to find a better job, look for another opportunity elsewhere.
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:32 PM on February 6, 2018
posted by AppleTurnover at 3:32 PM on February 6, 2018
Job #1 for sure. Who knows what you will want after a couple of years? Moving might not seem so out of the question, or if your company likes you, they night be able to make something happen for you. You might even be able to bypass variable staffing at a place like Job#2 once you have some experience.
Right now, though, Job #2 sounds like exploitation.
posted by rpfields at 4:54 PM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Right now, though, Job #2 sounds like exploitation.
posted by rpfields at 4:54 PM on February 6, 2018 [1 favorite]
Job 1.
Also, these days you will probably get a bigger raise during job advancements if you switch companies than if you advance through on e company.
posted by WeekendJen at 7:33 AM on February 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
Also, these days you will probably get a bigger raise during job advancements if you switch companies than if you advance through on e company.
posted by WeekendJen at 7:33 AM on February 7, 2018 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by papayaninja at 7:33 AM on February 6, 2018 [31 favorites]