Which road to take?
March 26, 2013 7:10 PM Subscribe
I'm at the final round of interviews for two very different jobs, and if I'm offered both, I'm not sure what I should do.
One's at a nonprofit, the other's at an advertising agency.
I'm 25, and in the NYC area. I currently work at a 150-person nonprofit in a support capacity, and it is my first professional job. I have been here for a year and a half and am beginning to feel unchallenged. It was a good first job but I am ready to move on. It pays 40K/year (which for NYC is not as great as it might sound).
I am in the running for two jobs right now. So far I have had one phone and one in-person interview for each company. Both in-person interviews went very well, and I have been asked back for third and final interviews at both companies.
Of course there is a very good chance I will get only one offer, or neither! But if I get both...
I have been applying for jobs in my current field of nonprofit administration on and off, and I finally got a bite- an associate-level communications/fundraising/exec assistant jack-of-all trades job at a very small nonprofit. The main office only has 5 or 6 people, but there are overseas offices too. It's more responsibility, a wider variety of stuff to do, more writing, due to the small size it sounds like an environment with a lot of room for individual contribution and growth, and I believe in the cause. I have no idea what it pays, but I would guess anywhere from 40K to 50K.
So right after I applied for that job, my friend asked me to send her my resume because she'd heard of a cool job at her company I might qualify for. She works for an ad agency. The job is an entry-level position in innovation/strategy- basically, it involves a great deal of research and brainstorming and generating new ways of doing things, all of which I really love to do. It sounds challenging and fun. The company is gigantic, and I think I would have the opportunity to advance. It will also probably pay no more than I currently make (40K), will probably involve heinous hours (like 50-60 hour weeks as opposed to my current 40), and... I'm ambivalent about working in advertising. I don't think it's inherently bad, but I do think there are problems with it, and I've enjoyed working at a nonprofit where I felt I might actually be helping the world a bit.
I am leaning towards the ad job, but I really don't know much about the industry and I'm worried I will really hate it, quit, and then find myself having to look for YET ANOTHER entry-level job at almost 30. My resume is already an insane mishmash, and I don't want to find myself totally unemployable because I look like a dilettante. And I DO know that I really liked my current job at the start, before I learned everything and it became unchallenging.
So guys- what should I do? What would you do? What will I regret NOT doing more?
I'm 25, and in the NYC area. I currently work at a 150-person nonprofit in a support capacity, and it is my first professional job. I have been here for a year and a half and am beginning to feel unchallenged. It was a good first job but I am ready to move on. It pays 40K/year (which for NYC is not as great as it might sound).
I am in the running for two jobs right now. So far I have had one phone and one in-person interview for each company. Both in-person interviews went very well, and I have been asked back for third and final interviews at both companies.
Of course there is a very good chance I will get only one offer, or neither! But if I get both...
I have been applying for jobs in my current field of nonprofit administration on and off, and I finally got a bite- an associate-level communications/fundraising/exec assistant jack-of-all trades job at a very small nonprofit. The main office only has 5 or 6 people, but there are overseas offices too. It's more responsibility, a wider variety of stuff to do, more writing, due to the small size it sounds like an environment with a lot of room for individual contribution and growth, and I believe in the cause. I have no idea what it pays, but I would guess anywhere from 40K to 50K.
So right after I applied for that job, my friend asked me to send her my resume because she'd heard of a cool job at her company I might qualify for. She works for an ad agency. The job is an entry-level position in innovation/strategy- basically, it involves a great deal of research and brainstorming and generating new ways of doing things, all of which I really love to do. It sounds challenging and fun. The company is gigantic, and I think I would have the opportunity to advance. It will also probably pay no more than I currently make (40K), will probably involve heinous hours (like 50-60 hour weeks as opposed to my current 40), and... I'm ambivalent about working in advertising. I don't think it's inherently bad, but I do think there are problems with it, and I've enjoyed working at a nonprofit where I felt I might actually be helping the world a bit.
I am leaning towards the ad job, but I really don't know much about the industry and I'm worried I will really hate it, quit, and then find myself having to look for YET ANOTHER entry-level job at almost 30. My resume is already an insane mishmash, and I don't want to find myself totally unemployable because I look like a dilettante. And I DO know that I really liked my current job at the start, before I learned everything and it became unchallenging.
So guys- what should I do? What would you do? What will I regret NOT doing more?
Hmm, why would you take the ad agency job if it pays the same? The whole point of the private sector vs the public/not-for-profit/NGO sector (as someone who has flipped between them several times) is number one that it pays more. And it should pay more: these companies make a lot of money off your work. But I can see why it's tempting.
25 is not to old to take a sideways step. I think you're making this shift out - vocationally speaking - as bigger than it actually is. Neither of these jobs locks you into an industry or especial career at this stage, and you have five years before you're thirty so just don't worry about that at all.
For sure, at the ad agency:
+ there will be more opportunities for advancement, eventually
+ and more options to make different choices.
+ money (program budget) to spend
+ more professional development/mentoring options,
+ I'm speaking from experience here - more exposure to professionalism in general, people more skilled, in the industry, and the latest trends etc.
However, at a large organisation it's likely
- you will have less autonomy,
- less discretion to run/execute programs as you see fit.
- More junior/senior levels of people and more delineation between junior and senior
- less chance to work on high visibility projects and do them your way
- Long working hours
- Lots of mindnumbing shit-kicking (entry level jobs at agencies are not about creative brainstorming, whatever bullshit they've sold you, and are about making people coffees, booking studios for shooting, and brain dead admin stuff, for sure)
- high probability of dealing with assholes either in your agency or as clients
In short: NGO job = More flexibility, not as much work, executing projects fast and probably cheap, less professionalism, limited career advancement (ie you will have to leave after a few years), and responsibility but not pay or titles that necessarily reflect it.
Agency job = advancement through tenure and other people leaving, more learning opportunities, lots of work, intense environment.
Both are good additions to a CV, but I would be wondering why the ad agency is offering the same as the NGO. That ain't right if the roles are equal in seniority, and if they aren't, why are you looking at jobs that are a backwards step in your career? From my POV, salaries should never go down, and because of the NGO-factor, you are effectively taking a pay cut. It should be offering more.
posted by smoke at 8:08 PM on March 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
25 is not to old to take a sideways step. I think you're making this shift out - vocationally speaking - as bigger than it actually is. Neither of these jobs locks you into an industry or especial career at this stage, and you have five years before you're thirty so just don't worry about that at all.
For sure, at the ad agency:
+ there will be more opportunities for advancement, eventually
+ and more options to make different choices.
+ money (program budget) to spend
+ more professional development/mentoring options,
+ I'm speaking from experience here - more exposure to professionalism in general, people more skilled, in the industry, and the latest trends etc.
However, at a large organisation it's likely
- you will have less autonomy,
- less discretion to run/execute programs as you see fit.
- More junior/senior levels of people and more delineation between junior and senior
- less chance to work on high visibility projects and do them your way
- Long working hours
- Lots of mindnumbing shit-kicking (entry level jobs at agencies are not about creative brainstorming, whatever bullshit they've sold you, and are about making people coffees, booking studios for shooting, and brain dead admin stuff, for sure)
- high probability of dealing with assholes either in your agency or as clients
In short: NGO job = More flexibility, not as much work, executing projects fast and probably cheap, less professionalism, limited career advancement (ie you will have to leave after a few years), and responsibility but not pay or titles that necessarily reflect it.
Agency job = advancement through tenure and other people leaving, more learning opportunities, lots of work, intense environment.
Both are good additions to a CV, but I would be wondering why the ad agency is offering the same as the NGO. That ain't right if the roles are equal in seniority, and if they aren't, why are you looking at jobs that are a backwards step in your career? From my POV, salaries should never go down, and because of the NGO-factor, you are effectively taking a pay cut. It should be offering more.
posted by smoke at 8:08 PM on March 26, 2013 [3 favorites]
Before you take a job at a non profit ask if its grant funded! And how long they have funding for currently and how they plan to fund it in the future. Right now I'd be super wary of a non profit job unless it's funded by the Gates Foundation or something, public money is scarce and it's not going to get better for a few years.
posted by fshgrl at 12:06 AM on March 27, 2013
posted by fshgrl at 12:06 AM on March 27, 2013
Both are good additions to a CV, but I would be wondering why the ad agency is offering the same as the NGO. That ain't right if the roles are equal in seniority, and if they aren't, why are you looking at jobs that are a backwards step in your career?
If you have an entry level job in Industry A and switch to a totally different job in Industry B, can you really expect to 1. come into a position above entry level and 2. be paid more than entry level?
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:59 AM on March 27, 2013
If you have an entry level job in Industry A and switch to a totally different job in Industry B, can you really expect to 1. come into a position above entry level and 2. be paid more than entry level?
posted by showbiz_liz at 6:59 AM on March 27, 2013
Given the limited information here, the nonprofit job sounds better.
posted by threeants at 10:02 AM on March 27, 2013
posted by threeants at 10:02 AM on March 27, 2013
You could drive yourself bananas trying to figure out what you'd do if you got both offers at this point. You just don't have enough information on the table yet to do anything that's much more productive than spinning your wheels.
Luckily, it sounds like you're at a similar point in both hiring processes, which gives you the luxury of seeing BOTH of them through and then weighing the offers. You might find that something happens that you're absolutely not comfortable with - the nonprofit job is actually going to offer $30k because that's all their board will ever approve for the job, or your final interview at the ad agency is scheduled for 5 PM and your interviewer is all "Oh boy, halfway through the workday, haha!" or whatever. Or you don't get both offers, as you mentioned - it certainly sounds like you're a strong candidate at both places, but hiring is weird. Wait until you have all the cards on the table.
Even if you do end up getting both offers, you'll be making the decision soon enough - there's no sense in putting yourself through the wringer twice. Take a quiet moment to congratulate yourself for doing so well in the interview process!
posted by superfluousm at 2:02 PM on March 27, 2013
Luckily, it sounds like you're at a similar point in both hiring processes, which gives you the luxury of seeing BOTH of them through and then weighing the offers. You might find that something happens that you're absolutely not comfortable with - the nonprofit job is actually going to offer $30k because that's all their board will ever approve for the job, or your final interview at the ad agency is scheduled for 5 PM and your interviewer is all "Oh boy, halfway through the workday, haha!" or whatever. Or you don't get both offers, as you mentioned - it certainly sounds like you're a strong candidate at both places, but hiring is weird. Wait until you have all the cards on the table.
Even if you do end up getting both offers, you'll be making the decision soon enough - there's no sense in putting yourself through the wringer twice. Take a quiet moment to congratulate yourself for doing so well in the interview process!
posted by superfluousm at 2:02 PM on March 27, 2013
If you have an entry level job in Industry A and switch to a totally different job in Industry B, can you really expect to 1. come into a position above entry level and 2. be paid more than entry level?
Going off the description in the OP, and my own experience in the sector, these are most definitely not totally different jobs. I think the OP feels a bit like they are, but they aren't.
posted by smoke at 4:16 PM on March 27, 2013
Going off the description in the OP, and my own experience in the sector, these are most definitely not totally different jobs. I think the OP feels a bit like they are, but they aren't.
posted by smoke at 4:16 PM on March 27, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
And I DO know that I really liked my current job at the start, before I learned everything and it became unchallenging
Well, that's a good thing to bring up - ask what sorts of opportunities for growth there will be.
Anyway, if you do get both offers, that's great, congratulations. Then you can then compare the actual offers against each other, and give you some room to negotiate.
posted by aubilenon at 7:28 PM on March 26, 2013 [2 favorites]