Which job should i choose?
I have recently been offered 2 different positions in very different fields and im not too sure what to choose. Most of the people i have asked have said “Take the one who gives the most hours” while others have said “Take the one with higher pay”. So i guess ill have to explain both positions a little.
IT Assistant for Financial Learning Center – Small financial school that trains people to get certified in various things. Its a small place, about 15 employees (when i took tour) which i think is a cool environment to work in. As an IT Assistant id basically set up the classrooms with cameras and laptops and make sure the instructor is being recorded for later posting these classes online. Other responsibilities are converting all the videos into the correct format and loading them onto the servers and general office help. Employer said it can be anywhere from 20–60 hours a week depending on how busy they get, also if they have presentations around the country they will fly me out and pay for all accommodations to help set up. I think that is the really cool part of this job, besides being able to do a lot of hands on work (which i enjoy). The hours would only be from 4pm-9/10pm and the number of days depend on how much work.
Traffic Operator for a company subcontracted through the Department of Transportation – I did this position in Orlando, FL and Miami, FL, i was a Traffic Operator which basically means i watched a video wall full of monitors which displayed different sections of various highways throughout the cities. If anything like an accident, flat tire, spot a disabled vehicle, i had to report all those things, sometimes dispatch Road Rangers and make recordings. This job has 3 shifts (morning 5am, afternoon 2pm, overnight 10pm) which i could be stuck doing any of them, from where i live in the city that might be a problem because of distance from the job. This job also hasnt promised a solid amount of hours, they said they would just stick me where they need me, yet they are paying about $3 more then the other position. This position could be a high stress job or could be extremely laid back depending on the day.
Sorry for writing so much but at the age of 22 ive never really had such a “good” problem that im picking between 2 jobs, i want to make something into a career and im leaning towards the IT Assistant position more, even though it pays less the employer told me within a month of good performance i could expect a pay raise, with the Traffic Operator position id be going against people with seniority if i ever wanted to move up. What do you seasoned flutherites think?
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12 Answers
According to the latest Newsweek Magazine, any jobs associated with finance are on the way out or at a standstill. i would not consider this job. the other job sounds more promising and you already have experience in this field, so why not this one? if you were happy with watching monitors, then go for it.
I am in IT – and I know that down the road there is probably more growth with the experience you would gain there. That IT job is somewhere you would stay for one, naybe two years. Then, get a huge raise in going somewhere else. The good thing about IT is that pretty much every company uses the same stuff. That is before you get into specifics on software and stuff. My vote is for the IT position, but I am probably biased.
Traffic operator.
I don’t like the hours for the other job. they aren’t even guaranteeing the days.
I get this feeling, only from your telling us about the two jobs that you are leaning towards the IT one. I truly think you should go for your ‘gut’ feeling. You can hardly ever go wrong if you do. Good Luck in which ever one you choose. Im sure you’ll do Great!
The IT job i believe is 4 days during the week then 1 or 2 weekends. I should have got more specifics on that but it was hard taking down all this information he was giving me.
@mowens Thats exactly what my friend said who does IT, growth potential and the ability to move to other companies. Also who knows if i perform that well they might make me a main IT person instead of assistant.
Definitely take the IT job! It will allow you to work in a technical field that will give you experience with current IT technology and that will always be in demand. Plus you could travel which is a bonus. The evening hours could allow you to go to school during the day and further you education which could open more doors for you. Also the IT position could expose you to more networking opportunities which I have found is the best way to find more employment opportunities.
@Cruiser Another thing i forgot to mention (go figure in that long post) but i am currently going to school to finish my CCNA (Cisco networking) and my A+ Certification, since i moved to the city i stopped but i really want to get back into it. That is another very good point. Im sure the traffic center (which is headed by the Department of Transportation) wouldnt be as flexible as the IT position.
@JesusWasAJewbot I am probably going to offend someone that has one, but don’t bother to get the A+ if you get a CCNA. A+ is a different level entirely, and a lot of managers I know actually steer clear of it because it has a kind of bad stigma. The Cisco certifications however, are awesome.
I think you already sold yourself on the first job. If you already had the second job and it didn’t work out for you than you probably won’t like it the second time.
However, if the first one is something that could probably disappear in a short time then I would go for the more secure job. Traffic isn’t going anywhere. It depends on where your priorities are. Security vs. New and exciting. If you can afford to take risks than go for number one. Especially if you do like instructing.
Take the assistant position, the hours are more predictable (good for education, life outside of work) and it seems like a less stress environment – always a good thing (unless you thrive on that kind of thing). It sounds like your chances for advancement through the assistant position are more likely than the second one (also a plus) though NEVER count on performance based pay raises – if your contract doesn’t explicitly state exact timing/condition of your raise assume you won’t get it. The pay is irrelevant anyway unless it’s so low you can’t pay the bills and still have enough left over to go out every now and then (or unless it’s a significant decrease from a previous position).Also, it seems to be the way you’re leaning anyway, and I’ve always found my instincts to be a pretty good predictor of where I want to go, plus the traffic position sounds like a lateral move, which isn’t necessarily as bad a thing as a lot of people believe but it never hurts to have a little diversity on the resume, especially when you’re young.
The important thing is what you think and from your writing, you are leaning toward the IT position. I say go with your gut feeling.
The traffic job sound like it could be very boring to me; I don’t know how you feel about it. The IT job sounds like more fun and flexibility although you could end up not making much money. Since it is a field you want to pursue, I’d be inclined to go with that one.
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