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Ok, i'm in a quagmire, I've been looking for a job all summer and have had about 7 interviews. 2 are for the feds so that process could last well into August before I even get an offer(if I'm chosen, i'm a top 3 candidate though), 2 positions, I wasn't chosen, and 2 positions were cancelled altogether. I got an offer for a consulting position today,
Pros:
Income in this bad economy
could possibly lead to something permanent that i'd like after the contract
Seems like a good company
Cons:
Its only a 1 year contract,
1.5 hours away by subway,
no benefits since its consulting(I won't be an actual employee of the firm), low pay
A step back in my career path(i'm overqualifed and it could possibly be career suicide
I would hate the job and be miserable.
M-F, 9-5 is bad for me because it prevents me from interviewing for PERMANENT jobs in the meantime if I were to take it. My rent now is about $500(sharing a 3 BD unit, sublet) and I have plenty of savings. Also, my wife is out of state but she's working so we have income that way too(she's living rent free with friends until she moves here in the fall). I am NOT hurting for money at all, i've been pretty good at conserving money but I don't want to eat away at my savings either. Obviously, the cons outweigh the Pros but the pro is major, its income.
Now my question is, should I take that position for income in this bad economy or should I decline it? I'm starting to get more interviews now than earlier this summer so maybe things are picking up, a big maybe. If I were to take it, maybe potential future employers would understand that I had to take the position in the bad economy, who knows.
Any feedback would be appreciated,
Thanks
Call me crazy, but I would not take the job. Sign up with a temp agency to keep income coming in and continue to look for a job that is more in line with what you want to do. People take jobs they do not want because they can not afford to be unemployed. You are in an unique position, you can. Don't allow yourself to get stuck. Good luck!
Call me crazy, but I would not take the job. Sign up with a temp agency to keep income coming in and continue to look for a job that is more in line with what you want to do. People take jobs they do not want because they can not afford to be unemployed. You are in an unique position, you can. Don't allow yourself to get stuck. Good luck!
A lot of temp agencies are not hiring that much either. But I agree with your point about avoiding getting stuck in a job you will hate and don't need to take. Good point and something to think about.
Last edited by NooYowkur81; 07-09-2009 at 10:43 AM..
As for me... the only reason why I did not take other jobs is because I would be getting paid more on unemployment!!! You should see the crappy pay people are offering. Only because people are disparate right now. If your not desperate, keep looking.
Thing is, I would not have let it stop me looking elsewhere, and potential employers usually look to a person willing to work as being better than one that doesn't, no matter what the position (granted that the period of unemployment is more than just a few weeks).
The only thing you would hav ehad to do is be courteous about the job search and either call in sick, offer for something like comp time, or even trying to TELL them that you will be in late XX or have to leave early YY. They do not own you. If you are not concerned and this is not life sustaining, treat it like a partner rather than a slave owner.
As for me... the only reason why I did not take other jobs is because I would be getting paid more on unemployment!!! You should see the crappy pay people are offering. Only because people are disparate right now. If your not desperate, keep looking.
Heck yeah....I would ride unemployment out if I couldn't find a job that pays more. All my friends are living it up off of unemployment right now. I'm jealous...I'm the dummy who went to find more work LOL
You should ALWAYS accept a job if the alternative is unemployment, even if you have no intention of staying long. Why? Because it will eliminate that gap in your resume that sticks out like a sore thumb. Gaps in employment, even in a struggling economy, are always frowned upon.
Yeah, I also prefer to make more money. Employment, in most cases, is usually only 40% of what the person was making. That's not a lot.
And yes, also...when a potential employer asks about my gap...what shall my friends say? " Oh, I was soaking up that unemployment and using food stamps to extend my vaca". haha.
You should ALWAYS accept a job if the alternative is unemployment, even if you have no intention of staying long. Why? Because it will eliminate that gap in your resume that sticks out like a sore thumb. Gaps in employment, even in a struggling economy, are always frowned upon.
Not really. Especially in management positions, several months of unemployment are somewhat typical, and in today's economy, hiring managers understand that lots of talented people are out of work for long periods.
In this survey, the average response from hiring managers was that a candidate could be out of work for up to 9 months before it would be viewed negatively. As hiring manager myself, I actually think more negatively of a person who took a job he didn't want with the intention of continuing the hunt and quitting. It smacks of dishonesty and I would be concerned that he was doing the same thing with me. I'd be more impressed with someone who is searching for a good fit and isn't afraid to say no.
To the OP - good choice. I think you were honest and probably gained the respect of the hiring organization. As long as you can afford it, don't settle for a position below your skill level that you will hate. But if another temporary contractor position comes up that you actually want - go for it, but be honest up front and tell them that your goal is permanent employment. I was once hired as a temporary contractor and told the boss that I had to take an afternoon off to go to a job interview. He offered me a permanent position on the spot!
Last edited by UpstaterInBklyn; 07-09-2009 at 11:04 PM..
Reason: Typo
One thing no one is noting here regarding rejecting a job due to unemployment is that in theory you can be in big trouble with unemployment if you are caught doing that. Now there usually are income guidelines that get loosened the longer you are on unemployment (in NY I think you can reject any job that pays <80% of your former income the first 13 weeks of unemployment, then that 80% starts dropping after that).
The Dept. of Labor is probably so overwhelmed right now that being "caught" will probably never happen, but I know of someone who actually lives in Stamford, CT but collects NY unemployment (because he worked on Wall Street) and he worked for ONE DAY as an on-call substitute teacher (in CT yet, not NY), didn't report it (you're supposed to to get "partial unemployment" that week) and they actually caught him somehow. He didn't get in big trouble but did have to attend a hearing.
Not really. Especially in management positions, several months of unemployment are somewhat typical, and in today's economy, hiring managers understand that lots of talented people are out of work for long periods.
In this survey, the average response from hiring managers was that a candidate could be out of work for up to 9 months before it would be viewed negatively. As hiring manager myself, I actually think more negatively of a person who took a job he didn't want with the intention of continuing the hunt and quitting. It smacks of dishonesty and I would be concerned that he was doing the same thing with me. I'd be more impressed with someone who is searching for a good fit and isn't afraid to say no.
To the OP - good choice. I think you were honest and probably gained the respect of the hiring organization. As long as you can afford it, don't settle for a position below your skill level that you will hate. But if another temporary contractor position comes up that you actually want - go for it, but be honest up front and tell them that your goal is permanent employment. I was once hired as a temporary contractor and told the boss that I had to take an afternoon off to go to a job interview. He offered me a permanent position on the spot!
I tend to agree a little more with this. Unfortunately especially when dealing with the private sector, your last place of employment sticks out. If you under-employ yourself it can be very hard to get out of it. You should always whenever possible try to stay on the same spot or move up the career ladder, but of course if you need the money bad, you have to take what you can get.
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