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I live in NC and I just received my associate's degree in computer information technology along with a couple of certificates. One month before graduation I've received a job offer as a help desk for HP through a recruitment agency. The job is flexible hours, and close to my house. The process took nearly 2 months since we will be working with the federal government. It's an hourly pay and it's low. Last week I've received a call from another recruitment agency for an Indian company called HCL, but this job is an entry level software developer and pays a salary of $30,000. They seemed very interested in me since I am willing to travel and relocate. They scheduled me for an interview next week. And they're planning to relocate me to Tennessee after training.
First I am extremely grateful for an opportunity to have 2 offers. I like HP but since it's low pay, a recruitment agency, and a very simple and easy helpdesk job makes me not that interested. On the other hand I've heard bad things about Indian companies like they don't pay much, their management and work culture is different, many offers goes to workers come from overseas, and limited promotions. I know little to none about program development, but I like to learn it and I believe it will open more doors in the future.
I am wondering how do I handle this situation? I am technically hired by HP, signed all the papers and just waiting for them to give me a start date next week. If HCL is interested in me, do I tell HP that I am leaving? I am worried if I tell HP too fast but HCL doesn't give me a start date then I end up losing both jobs. When can I tell HP that I am leaving? I just feel bad about it because I would be working them for less than a month. I would love to stay with HP but I am more interested to become a software developer, and I don't know if HP will allow me to move from Help desk to software development in a short period of time.
If you accept the offer from HCL simply tell HP that you got a better offer. They are grown-ups.
Focus on what you can LEARN from employment with HCL. I don't know the firm so have nothing specific to recommend. In the short term you want to make sure they live up to any commitments they make on moving expenses so you don't end up 'buying a job'. Does the community you are moving to have employment opportunities if that job doesn't work out? If they pay moving expenses what are the terms of that arrangement (need to work 6 months, for example)? The devil is in the details. Watch out for a move to a high cost area (Silicon Valley - but then there are lots of other employers there).
Since you're interested in IT, I'm going to tell you what a manager at Cisco told me. Take the emotion out of things when it comes to decisions regarding work. HP can decide to lay off a few thousand help desk workers, including you, about a month after you decide to work there because you thought it was the right thing. It's what's best for their company. You have to do what's best for yourself.
If you want to be a software developer, you have to go where it would make sense for you to go.
Obviously, the entry-level sw dev position has more potential than the helpdesk position but I'd be wary about a company hiring a sw developer who knows next to nothing about programming. If it's a legit position and they are not setting you up to fail, I would focus on picking up much-needed experience for now and jump ship after a year or two.
Read up on HCL on glassdoor.com ... they seem to have a cattle-call approach to hiring. and don't seem to be very stringent in their interviews.
I live in NC and I just received my associate's degree in computer information technology along with a couple of certificates. One month before graduation I've received a job offer as a help desk for HP through a recruitment agency. The job is flexible hours, and close to my house. The process took nearly 2 months since we will be working with the federal government. It's an hourly pay and it's low. Last week I've received a call from another recruitment agency for an Indian company called HCL, but this job is an entry level software developer and pays a salary of $30,000. They seemed very interested in me since I am willing to travel and relocate. They scheduled me for an interview next week. And they're planning to relocate me to Tennessee after training..
So, you got a degree in information technology, got a job offer in that field, then received another offer in software development? And the developer job pays $30k/year, which is very, very low? And they're already planning your relocation, even before the interview? If it was me, I'd be hearing alarm bells.
That being said, I would ask HP a little more time before deciding on their offer, then hear what HCL has to say.
With that being said, what do you want to do? Do you want to do software development? If so, why didn't you get a CS degree? And if that is something you want to move into, maybe HP, being a big company with more resources, is a better place to be.
HCL claims to pay for moving expenses, and honestly this is the least of my worries. I've looked up both companies on glassdoor.com and both ranked about the same. The dilemma I am having is giving up HP for a company that's not as well known. But at HP there wasn't an interview, it was a written interview where me and 20 others had to answer questions on paper, which made me take it less seriously. At the same time HCL is asking for 0+ experience and an associate degree. 30K isn't much for program development so I would imagine the job wouldn't be hard, I am mostly worried that my limited skills in programming would get laid off quickly.
I honestly feel there's more job security at HP since the questions asked were pathetically simple. I am not judging people on their looks, but me and two other were dressed in suits, the other were literally dressed in tshirt and some weren't even tucked in. First thing came to my mind there's no competition, after they called me for the paper work they told I did a really great job at the written test. But at HCL I will feel naive and not knowing anything.
Helpdesk work is thankless, high-attrition work ... not sure if you'll even be employed by HP or some outfit contracted by HP as it's usually is.
But it's as good as a starter job as any if you don't have any other options.
Do you have any programming experience? I majored in IS, and actually had a decent amount of programming and database courses. Although, all school's are different.
You say HCL is paying your relocation expenses, but are they also offering reimbursement for going to their interview? To me, that would only make sense. If they are willing to relocate you why would they not be willing to reimburse for interview expenses? Also, $30,000 does seem pretty low for a software development job. Maybe in Tennessee it is a good rate? When it comes to moving, it may cost a lot more than you had ever anticipated. I feel like a lot of people make this mistake, especially those fresh out of college. Myself included x1000000.
Anyway, if it were me. I'd chose to go with HP. Why? First off, they are a reputable company just about everyone knows. Secondly, you say it's close to home. That means you can continue to live at home, make money & save up. In a few years, you will have experience with a well-known organization and have some money saved up. You can begin to apply elsewhere, and if you get some offers you will be able to move (with any saved up money) if need be, and hopefully be able to make more money. You may even be able to move up through HP...I'm not completely sure how that works with them.
As for what I would do, I would take the HP job and work on my programming skills. Get good enough at scripting and you may be able to move to a higher help desk level at HP (just don't mess around and automate something they're paying you to be there to do regularly). I wouldn't trust a company like HCL to move you out to a strange place to survive on $30,000 a year. Way too much of a risk there.
Just know that what I said up there still stands. Think about what's best for you before anybody else. It's just that, here, you have to pay attention to more than just the type of job. Moving for an entry level position from a company like that for low pay is way to much of a risk in my mind.
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