So. Where to begin? Two weeks ago, I was at about the low point of my life. I'd pretty much wiped out my cash reserve and at the end of the month, I wouldn't have enough to pay the bills. I was going to have to carry a balance on the credit cards and in February I'd be a very unhappy camper if I hadn't lined something up. A professional friend of mine back in Wisconsin was optomistic. "It's the start of the year--and the fiscal year--for a lot of firms. Things will start opening up." Easy for HIM to say. He's GOT a paycheck. I resolved myself to get a basic temp job--just to make ends meet while I continued the search. Imagine my surprise when every temp firm in town that I researched had no contract clerical work available. I always just figured you just had to head down to the office, fill out the form and get a $12 an hour filing job. But here all there was was temp-to-perm. And who is going to hire an MBA for a temp-to-perm clerical job? No one. Oh, I had a couple irons in the fire, but I had no illusions about the future. From my experience, it took at LEAST 3 months for a gig to pan out. So even if one of them held promise, it would be too little too late. So I was ecstatic when one lead I'd written off emailed me, wanting me to come do some contract work for them. In Hawaii. Now this was a mixed blessing. On the plus side, it was work. The pay would be good and I'd have a chance to rebuild my cash reserve. And I'd be able to get in some primo surfing on the weekends--something I haven't done regularly in six years. And I've NEVER surfed Hawaii. On the downside, I was just starting to get traction on the job hunt. Being stuck in the middle of the Pacific at this juncture could cause me to lose crucial momentum. On top of that, my point of contact was...aloof, to put it mildly. Getting any information out of him was like pulling teeth. As I write this, some 8 days later, I still don't know how long they'd want me or when I'd start. But the paperwork is making its way through the system... So when I heard about the gig, I was ecstatic. Then, the very next day, I heard about another interesting local opportunity. And last Friday I heard about another opportunity I'd be on the short track for. Finally, today--after I've set the wheels in motion--I got a great opportunity that is developing quickly. Yeah it's up in Seattle, but I'd rather move to Seattle for a full-time job than move to Hawaii for something that could run as short as three months. Oh, and to put another fly in the ointment, a friend of mine put in a good word for me for the Hawaii gig. So not only do I burn this bridge for myself if I back out, I make him look like a tool to one of his contacts. The other side of the coin is "You snooze, you lose." If the fuckers in Hawaii wanted me that bad, they shouldn't have jerked me around the past week and a half. So there I am. I gotta decide if I'm going to "dance with who brung you" or go after everything in front of me.
Real jobs. [I know the answer already. I'm just not happy with it. If someone else tells me the answer it'll help steel my resolve.]
Congrats on inching closer to the finish line in the job search. I'm in the thick of it myself. A few thoughts: 1. Seattle isn't bad at all. It's gloomy, but the people there are really cool and it's beautiful. 2. I think, all things being equal, I'd go for the full-time gig, if for no other reason that you don't have to go through all this shit again in three months. 3. Hopefully your friend won't hold it against you if you take a different gig. After all, you've got to take care of yourself and do what you think is in your own best interests.
Well, if it were me, I'd know what I'd like to do, and what I should do. Not to mention gun laws are absolutely draconian in Hawaii.
Don't worry about your friend. Any professional will understand that if they keep a guy waiting, he may go somewhere else. If the Hawaii people don't appreciate that, then they're not worth worrying about, anyway.
I don;t really know why but when I saw the title of this thread I thought 'That'll be Volpone'. Not sure why but I was positive...
Hehe I was thinking it was a Stallion thread about girls... Simple Volpone take the job that gives you the best compensation with the best benefits and the best work/living environment. Nobody should expect you to do otherwise. If you're worried about burning that Hawaii bridge, just let them know you've got an offer for a long term position with better pay - who knows, maybe they'll jump and offer you something better themselves.
Is this really a difficult choice? You had no way of knowing you would recieve a long-term permanent position when considering temp work. Once you tell your friend, and them, they should understand. No one rational who needs a job would choose a temp position over a permanent one. I doubt any bridges will be burned either. There is no reason for your friend to feel like a tool either. This is what happens in the job market. Oh, and congratulations...I was starting to worry about you and your situation. It's great news that soon your financial troubles should be behind you!
I tell you, I'm going to pop over to your networking thread and zap my resume off to everyone out there that expressed interest. Yes, my "secret identity" will be revealed ( ) but from the stuff I've said here it wouldn't even take Tamar to figure out who I am.
I'd recommend not having too much personal info on it- if someone is genuinely interested you could PM or email them your vital stats.
Make damn sure you're going to get the job before backing out of the Hawaii job. As in, have the offer letter signed before backing out, time permitting.
Oh, absolutely. But the other side of the coin is that I still don't have anything in writing on the Hawaii job either. So if, for some unlikely reason, it doesn't pan out, I'll have passed on opportunities. The relevant maxim running through my head right now is "It's nothing personal. It's just business." First person to put a piece of paper in my hand with dates and salary gets my services. And if need be, I'll tell Mr. Hawaii "I'm sorry, I've had another offer. I'm no longer available.
Just curious.....you have an MBA, but what is the nature of the degree? I'm not a college grad, so I have no idea what MBA stands for, other than it's some type of degree. Wish I could help you. I hate to see good, responsible, smart people struggle to get a decent job. It makes me feel guilty.
Cover your own ass first. Business is buisness. If your friend is a friend and not just an aquaintence, then he'll back any decision you make. Let him know the score either way so he can cover his. It's hard to squeeze companies for expedition unless they're in a bind for a hand, but use your judgement on who to let know there are other offers being considered. Good luck with it all man.
Your friend is irrelevant in this. And anyway, if he put in a good word he'll have said something like: he's a hard worker, knows his stuff, etc, etc. And not: 'he's going to accept whatever you offer even if another company offers him a fulltime job'. If they're convinced you're good, they know they must have competition. But even if they do offer you stuff in writing - drag it out till you're certain about the other job too. They keep you waiting, but you can keep them waiting as well. What irritates me most about some employers and employees, is that many employers seem to think the employees should be grateful to have a job at their firm - and leave it at that. But that's just half the picture. The employer can be glad if he can get you and keep you as an employee as well. If that's not the feeling I take home from an interview, I won't take the job.
