I'm a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it. ~ Thomas Jefferson

June 8, 2007 7:36 PM

Should I stay with a sure-thing job, or move to greener grass?

I work in IT, mainly network/hardware/software support. I'm currently with a company that consists of just three people - the boss/owner, me, and a co-worker. I have the potential to jump to another job, but there's a few things that have me vacillating.

Current Job Pros:

* great working relationship with both boss and co-worker
* flexibility - if I need to run an errand/get time off, no problem
* more than one major client, so I never get bored
* occasional bonuses up to $500
* boss is very loyal - hired me back after I went overseas for six months

Current Job Cons:

* sporadic hours, never full-time (usually around 25-30 hours per week)
* no health insurance
* lack of organization = lots of miscommunication/frustration


New Job Pros:

* slightly higher pay, full-time
* full benefits
* same job duties

New Job Cons:

* 3rd shift Thursday-Monday (10pm-7am)
* unknown working environment
* 5 month contract, only "potential" for permanent hire

I'm also going back to school in September for a 2nd Bachelor's degree, so I'd like to have a job that

A: Doesn't interfere with a daytime school schedule
B: Will get me a little bit more money, hopefully allowing me to pay more of the tuition up front, instead of loans.

I'd happily stay working for my current employer for the foreseeable future, but I'm to the point where I'm tired of just squeaking by - this new job would result in a net salary increase of about 60%. My reservations are mainly the 3rd shift hours (I've never worked that shift before), and hesitation of leaving a situation where I enjoy working with both my boss and co-worker.

If anyone has any advice/anecdotes, they would be greatly appreciated.

posted by Liosliath to Work & Money (6 answers total)

Consider negotiating with your current boss for a raise. You can use this job offer as leverage. If your boss won't consider it, then the current job is probably a dead end, so you will maximize your opportunity by moving on.
posted by Osmanthus at 8:14 PM on June 8, 2007

you need to talk to your current boss and what you wrote above is exactly the kind of conversation you two need to have. over drinks or dinner, perhaps. you obviously like working there and it's time to grow. you have to see whether this is the place to do it. I actually think you owe him that considering the loyality. be nice, be fair, be open, be honest. you will find out very quickly whether this is a dead-end position or if you have a future there. (future being 'if you can influence this place to be more to your liking and facilitate changes' ...)
posted by krautland at 8:16 PM on June 8, 2007

no health insurance

That would be a deal breaker for me at this point in my life (only 25). Its a gamble... but a friend has $400k in medical debt. In a world where the uninsured are the lower class, I wouldn't take that gamble again.
posted by SirStan at 9:31 PM on June 8, 2007

Take the new job. Full time + benefits + new challenges at a new job will be worth it.
posted by AaronRaphael at 4:30 PM on June 9, 2007

Thanks, everyone...your suggestions provided a lot of food for thought when I discussed this with my husband this weekend - I think I'm going to take the new job if it's offered, and simply work both for a couple of months and see how it goes. I'll also have a talk with my current boss.
posted by Liosliath at 7:10 PM on June 9, 2007

The hours in the new job would be a deal-breaker for me. Do some research into the difficulties people have adjusting to working nights - we're not nocturnal animals and it can be tough going from what people who've done it have told me. My brother-in-law sunk into major depression while on night-shift, for example.
posted by hazyjane at 12:28 AM on June 12, 2007