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Old 03-02-2017, 09:04 PM
 
Location: 1000 miles from nowhere
551 posts, read 579,807 times
Reputation: 983

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I live in City A. Currently I work in City B which is a 30 minute commute. The job (Job X) is my first professional job, and the pay is okay, but certainly not stellar- good for fresh-out-of-college entry level. Benefits are disappointing. Overall I really like the environment and my coworkers but do not enjoy the work itself. I have only been doing Job X for 10 months. I intended to wait until I was there for at least one year before seeking other opportunities.

Recently an internal opportunity was posted for another department (Job Z). I've been considering this job for a long time. The work would be more interesting and is more aligned with my education & experience. The pay would be a level higher (around $5K more), but of course I'd still have the same benefits. I had an idea the opening for Job Z would come about due to some retirements, but surmised it might not be until later in the year. There will likely (not definitely) be at least one other opening this year for Job Z.

I could apply for Job Z, but I am concerned if I do not get it I have to contend with the fact the manager of the other department will possibly (probably?) discuss the fact I've applied with my current manager. My current manager is wonderful, but has struggled with staffing issues due to the somewhat-high-turnover nature of Job X. This would obviously not be welcome news.

The other wrinkle is that I am REALLY wanting to ultimately find a position in City A. There is a larger company here which is frequently hiring for Job X (again, relatively high turnover), and, much less frequently, Job Z. The pay for either job would be a couple levels higher (around $10K more) than current company. And the benefits are much, much better. I am not inclined to laterally move into Job X in City A just because I dislike the work so much. However...I know it could potentially get my foot in the door for Job Z openings in the future.

The long and short of it: Job Z is the type of position people tend to stay in for their careers. It's pretty competitive, so I would hate to waste a potential opportunity. All companies are different as far as preferences (would they prefer someone who is already doing the exact role, or hiring someone from within the company?). I am hoping for some personal anecdotes and opinions - how would you handle this? Would you go for it and apply (even taking the risk managers talk?) or wait it out for the job you want in the city you'd prefer?
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Old 03-03-2017, 02:32 AM
 
13,011 posts, read 12,979,574 times
Reputation: 21912
I would apply for job Z at both companies. If you get it at your current employer you show upward mobility and gain $5k. If you get it at your desired employer you gain the job, the location, and the pay.

Job Z at your current location will ultimately give you experience as well, which will make you a better candidate for your preferred location.

All of this is win, win, win.

I see only two possible negatives in your situatiin, and both are so minor that I would disregard them.the first is your current manager getting upset that you are applying for an internal transfer. It could happen, but as your manager oversees a lot of X positions which have high turnover, s/he is probably used to it and won't be surprised.

The other is whether an X position at the new company gives you any sort of preference for a Z position later. It probably doesn't, so you can discard this risk.

This seems like a simple, no-brainer decision to me. Apply to antipyretic Z that comes up, at ant location you see it.
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:20 AM
 
1,454 posts, read 1,932,769 times
Reputation: 1254
i would apply for the job X at Company A (since they are currently recruiting); you'll get more pay and no commute- along with the ability to prove yourself at Company A and get the job Z (hopefully) when it opens. What type of works is this anyway?
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Old 03-03-2017, 08:20 PM
 
789 posts, read 1,986,572 times
Reputation: 1077
I agree that you should aim for Job Z at both companies. At your current company, you should tell your manager that you applied for Job Z before s/he hears about it through the grapevine. Make it clear that you really enjoy working for him/her but you're hoping to move up. If you get the internal interview, make sure to be very complimentary about your current manager. I wouldn't bother with Job X at the other company, especially if it's a high turnover position. It doesn't sound like they promote from within. Meanwhile you're gaining valuable experience and tenure at your current job, and may even be able to secure the promotion that will help you be more qualified for Job Z at the other company.
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Old 03-04-2017, 09:38 AM
 
461 posts, read 505,198 times
Reputation: 877
I agree, apply for job Z at your company and then when it comes up at the other Company. Don't waste your time with job X which you don't like.
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