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The last year has been a roller coaster. I graduated from college in May 2009. Spent four months looking for a job, and then found what seemed like a lucrative opportunity at the time. I knew pretty early on that there was something wrong, that I made the wrong choice and that particular firm was not a good match for me. At exactly the 6 month mark I was laid off. I've been unemployed for 3.5 months now, have had a ton of interviews, but no offers. Yet when action happens, things seem to happen all at once.
I just received an astounding job offer, same exact profession but totally different industry, that is 22% higher than the salary I was making before (which was pretty much right at the midpoint market rate), and 45% higher than the lowest minimum salary I was willing to accept. I'm pretty sure this is a much better company than the one I was with before, with a lower turnover rate. But you never really know for sure what it will be like until you actually start the job and have been there for a while, so everything is sort of a gamble.
I know, a lot of people (including myself, just a week ago) would kill to be in my shoes right now. I want to hope for the best, and work towards a successful future. But given the nature of this current economy and all the crap I've put up with in the last year, I think it is necessary to have backup scenarios planned just in case excrement hits the proverbial fan. So two questions:
Question #1: Is it possible this firm has unrealistic expectations of what I'm all about? Now, I think I did a very good job in the interview explaining my situation, going over my background, detailing the areas I have experience and the areas I don't have any experience, and not "overselling" myself. Or, is it more likely they genuinely believe in my abilities and the fact that I'm asking this question means I need to splash a bucket of ice cold water in my face and have some more confidence in myself?
Question #2: If a few years down the road I wanted to leave the profession or make a lateral move or god forbid be laid off and forced to look for work again, would having a salary that is way above the market rate for my degree, level of experience, and geographic location, make me unemployable?
Question #3: I have not yet formally accepted the offer, and still have a few interviews already scheduled for the next few days, for jobs that range from my minimum acceptable salary to possibly a slight increase over what I was making before, but almost certainly less than this offer. And then I have a number of jobs I've interviewed for in the last few weeks but haven't heard back yet. Do I tell them about this new offer and try to use it as "leverage" to see if I get another offer, or am I best keeping quiet about it and see if they come out and present me an offer on their own? (Reason I'm not sure about this is my last job, the one that blew up, was a job I got after I had interviewed with them, then received a job offer from another company, told them about it and they came back with their own offer, which also happened to be 18% higher paying. I felt like I made a mistake and would have been better off had I gone with the first, lower paying offer).
Just want to make known that salary is not the #1 issue here. Sure, who wouldn't like to be paid more? Unfortunately, after the flop of my last job, my risk tolerance has decreased dramatically. My main goal is to select the job which I think will be the most stable, have the greatest chance of being successful on the job, and offer the most number of options once I'm ready to eventually move on.
Question #1: Is it possible this firm has unrealistic expectations of what I'm all about? Now, I think I did a very good job in the interview explaining my situation, going over my background, detailing the areas I have experience and the areas I don't have any experience, and not "overselling" myself. Or, is it more likely they genuinely believe in my abilities and the fact that I'm asking this question means I need to splash a bucket of ice cold water in my face and have some more confidence in myself?
Question #2: If a few years down the road I wanted to leave the profession or make a lateral move or god forbid be laid off and forced to look for work again, would having a salary that is way above the market rate for my degree, level of experience, and geographic location, make me unemployable?
Question #3: I have not yet formally accepted the offer, and still have a few interviews already scheduled for the next few days, for jobs that range from my minimum acceptable salary to possibly a slight increase over what I was making before, but almost certainly less than this offer. And then I have a number of jobs I've interviewed for in the last few weeks but haven't heard back yet. Do I tell them about this new offer and try to use it as "leverage" to see if I get another offer, or am I best keeping quiet about it and see if they come out and present me an offer on their own?
1. You're over analyzing. Obviously they think you're up to the job otherwise they wouldn't have offered it to you. Yes, grab that bucket of ice cold water right now.
2. No. "A few years down the road" is exactly that - you're over-thinking again. You could be hit by a bus tomorrow.
3. Don't try the leverage game. It usually backfires. And remember the old adage about the bird in the hand. If you're going to accept this job offer don't wait until the last minute to do so, get off the fence and do it now. Nobody is indispensable.
If stability is your concern, did you ask the company you are considering accepting an offer from about it?
On the face of it you made a valid point but it's a question that shouldn't be asked with any expectation of a true response. "Is your company/this position stable?" is hardly a question which would be answered negatively, viz:
"Well, gotta be honest, we're pretty new on the block, things are going so-so but the figures aren't looking as hot as we anticipated. We'll just have to wait and see."
"Who knows where this particular position is concerned. It's probably good for at least six months but after that is anybody's guess at this point."
In this rapidly moving day and age no employer assumes that a new employee is going to stay for life and likewise the new employee doesn't look at the new job as being permanent until either death or retirement do the two part.
You can research a company on the internet until the cows come home but unless its name raises a bunch of red flags in many different arenas, there's no telling how stable a company is. Even the perceived biggest and best have been known to topple overnight with no forewarning. Cheers!
Take the job if its something you can be happy doing for what they are paying you. Its tough out there, and if you got a good job offer, take it, barring extreme circumstances
Take the job if its something you can be happy doing for what they are paying you. Its tough out there, and if you got a good job offer, take it, barring extreme circumstances
I would take the job. It sounds like a great offer, and your complaint seems to be that it's too good. And like you've said you've had many interviews, and few offers, you have no guarentees, so I would take it.
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