Which job to pick?

[geeman]

I am in a bit of a pickle. I applied for 2 jobs and have heard back from Job 1, here is what they offered me.

Job 1:
Education Company
$59,000 with 10% bonus a year
20 min driving commute
Layed back atmosphere
on call 24/7
wake up at 6:30

Job 2 is currently calling refrences and it looks like they may also offer me a position.

Job 2:
US Government
$54,000 (It till be $63,000 after a year of service)
1 hour train from Baltimore --> DC
More serious atmosphere
More prestigious on a resume
can move to different govt agencies after a year's service
wake up at 5:00


The pickle is that job 1 wants an answer soon, and I have not yet heard back from job 2 yet. I need to somehow hold off job 1 until Friday, but they want a decision on Thurssay morning. Job 2 is going to give me an answer on Thursday afternoon. What would you guys do in this situtation? Which job would you pick?

Thanks,

D

 

[VoyT]

Retirement? Benefits?
What's your gut feeling about these places? Think you'd fit in with the culture?

 

[Nords]

Considering the Baltimore-Washington train commute, I'd take job #1...

 

[Aaron]

I used to work with several people that lived in Baltimore and commuted in to DC everyday, and from what I could tell it got very old real quick.  I think most of them either moved to the DC area or found another job in Baltimore after a year or so doing the commute, either by train or car.  If you have to take the metro (subway) after riding the train, that can also add a lot of extra time and hassle.  

I like the 10% bonus with job #1 (puts you at $64,900 after one year.  Is there also an annual raise on top of the bonus?).  Being on call 24/7 could make things rough though.  Is it an exempt position or do you get OT for the on call work?  How does the 401K and vacation package compare?  

 

[Lazarus]

I would not consider a job that required 24/7 on call. Your life will never be your own. I quit one of those about 20 years ago. I stood it for five years.

 

[Outtahere]

1 hour commute vs 20 min? That right there would be the decision maker. I commute an hour + each way and after 13 yrs it's getting very old. But it depends on where you will be happier working.

 

[geeman]

The government does give me $100 a month for travel expenses. I currently drive from Balt --> DC and don't really mind it. What if we took commuting out of the picture?

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Take job #2. It sounds like it will open many more doors than job #1, and the money is essentially equal (e.g., #1 gives you a 10% annual bonus (guaranteed?), bringing you to $65k after a year, whereas job #2 puts you at $63k after a year, plus $1,200 travel benefit = $64,200).

I would consider letting job #1 know that you'll be hearing back from job #2 Thursday afternoon, and therefore you would appreciate letting them know Friday morning (although I wouldn't bet that job #2 will let you know Thursday afternoon, since it is the Federal Government we're talking about). If job #1 won't budge on the timetable, then accept the offer from job #1. If you hear from job #2 within a week, rescind your acceptance from job #1. I know doing so sounds a bit disingenuous, but job #1 sounds like the kind of company that would do it to you (especially if it can't be flexible on the acceptance timetable). This happens all the time in business, and you shouldn't care about possibly burning a bridge with job #1.

 

[justin]

What Jay said. Accept Job 1 if they can't wait another day or two. Then if you get (and want) job 2, call up job 1 and say "sorry" (or up the pay and I'll reconsider).

 

[Rustic23]

Take job 1, wait till Thurs and see if job 2 comes in. Then decide. Decitful... yes... but they are the one putting the preasure on.

 

[geeman]

Jay,

I like your thinking. I think job #2 would give me more options, not to mention a better pension and a great Thrift Savings Plan. How bad is it to rescind my acceptance of job #1?

D

 

[SteveR]

Jay,

I like your thinking.  I think job #2 would give me more options, not to mention a better pension and a great Thrift Savings Plan.  How bad is it to rescind my acceptance of job #1?

D

Having been on the other end of these deals, the potential issue you would have is if you ever wanted a job with company #1 in the future. If so, then play it safe with them otherwise they can have a very long memory. I have had it happen to me several times and the HR people here were very negative about it. It takes a lot of time and effort to put together an offer and taking it one day only to drop it a week later gives a very negative impression and could kill any chances for a future job. Other companies may be more flexible with this but mine is not.

An option might be to ask company #1 for a couple more days to think about it. They will say either yes or no. If they want you bad enough they will give you another couple of day unless they have another offer waiting on your response. If they do, they will want to get you out of the way so they can make the second offer or give you the job.

 

[brewer12345]

I'd have no compunctions about accepting offer #1 and then walking away if job #2 comes through, provided you don't care if you burn the bridge. Most employers care about as much about their employees as they do about the toilet paper they buy. That should go both ways.

 

[wildcat]

I know work is work but have you given any thought as to which job you might enjoy more? It may helpful to consider that aspect of the job and you will be less miserable every Mon-Fri.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Jay,

I like your thinking.  I think job #2 would give me more options, not to mention a better pension and a great Thrift Savings Plan.  How bad is it to rescind my acceptance of job #1?

D

As SteveR put it, if you don't care about ever working for job #1, then it doesn't matter.  Go for job #2 if it goes through and never look back.  Chances are once you join the Federal government, you'll never have any interest in working for job #1.

The bottom line is that you need to look at things as if you are a business.  Companies have absolutely no problem breaking verbal deals if no paperwork has been signed.  While doing so might create some ill-will, such feelings are ultimately disregarded or forgotten if you have something that the other guy wants.  In your case, the experience or reputation that you gain from job #2 might be something job #1 might want a few years down the line (e.g., if the agency you're joining is the Department of Education, or job #2 is education-related).

 

[geeman]

Both have the same type of work. With job #1 I would get a laptop and cell phone so they can contact me while off and the laptop so I can log on from home when there is an issue... Seem like they may be calling me a lot. What if I sign the job offer for job #1 and then rescind the offer. Could they do anything to me?

 

[brewer12345]

Both have the same type of work.  With job #1 I would get a laptop and cell phone so they can contact me while off and the laptop so I can log on from home when there is an issue... Seem like they may be calling me a lot.  What if I sign the job offer for job #1 and then rescind the offer.  Could they do anything to me?

Generally not, although I'm sure that a lawyer with enough billable hours could come up with a range of possibilities. If they hire you and you don't show up, you get fired anyway, so the end result is the same. I'd be amazed if an emplloyer did anything other than move on to the next candidate.

 

[Jay_Gatsby]

Both have the same type of work.  With job #1 I would get a laptop and cell phone so they can contact me while off and the laptop so I can log on from home when there is an issue... Seem like they may be calling me a lot.  What if I sign the job offer for job #1 and then rescind the offer.  Could they do anything to me?

You probably won't be in a position to sign anything until after you hear from job #2. However, if you are required to sign papers for job #1, it's likely to be a document containing non-compete and non-disclosure provisions (those are the two main components of an employment agreement, with the third being a non-solicitation of company employees after leaving employment). In that case, the Federal Government wouldn't likely be considered a competitor, nor would you likely be in a position to have confidential information.

Mind you, the foregoing is NOT legal advice. If you have to sign something before hearing from job #2, read everything carefully.

 

[Brat]

Employers, including the Fed, rescind offers regularly.  

Were I you I would accept #1, ask for reasonable notice period to exit your current position.  Jay's comment is well taken. If you think any of that could come in to play ask for the legal paperwork in advance. Rarely do staff employees do that, but it is common for executives. If #2 comes along make your decision quickly as employer #1 can go back to the applicant pool for the next-best.  Recruiting costs a lot of time and money.  

Employer #1 will not be happy and you may burn your employment bridges with them for several years.  There will be turnover in both their HR and department management, this incident will not likely stain on your relationship forever - particularly if you gained great experience on job 2.

Know that employer #2 could rescind their offer without notice also.

 

[HFWR]

Most employers care about as much about their employees as they do about the toilet paper they buy.

Apt analogy...

 

[cute fuzzy bunny]

My first reaction was "NEITHER!" because I wouldnt take a job with 24x7 oncall or one that I had to get up at 5am to commute to. Both pretty much shoot your life in the face...err...spray it with bird pellets.

I also wont play ball with companies that put out that 'we have to have an answer by thursday, friday is too late' crap. If they pressure you over stuff that really makes no difference before you take the job, hows that going to work out for you later on?

Maybe take the lesser of the evils (the one with the commute) and look for a third option, or hack the commute for a year and then look for the transfer.

I remember fondly the train commutes into and out of boston 18-19 years ago...the commute was a big demand on my time, but I got in a lot of reading and given cell phones and wide area wireless internet connectivity, a lot of that time can be your own.

I remember very unfondly taking midnight calls from japan and israel and trying to stay awake on the couch while they worked to fix something that could very easily have waited until the next day. Or my favorite, the small little nothing problem at a law firm customers site that could have been resolved in 2 minutes over the phone, but since "we're paying a lot for service to your company!" I got to get in my car at 1:30 in the morning, drive into san francisco, and push a button.

 

[JB]

I also wont play ball with companies that put out that 'we have to have an answer by thursday, friday is too late' crap. If they pressure you over stuff that really makes no difference before you take the job, hows that going to work out for you later on?

Ding. Ding. Set your own timeline and make them adhere.

 

[geeman]

I remember fondly the train commutes into and out of boston 18-19 years ago...the commute was a big demand on my time, but I got in a lot of reading and given cell phones and wide area wireless internet connectivity, a lot of that time can be your own.

That is true. I could use my laptop and get wireless internet service for the train ride. I'm really leaning towards the government job, that is if they send me an offer... Does anyone here contribute to the TSP?

 

[vinhmen]

5 am? #1.

 

[SLC Tortfeasor]

5 am? #1.

Ditto. Unless you're sure the 24/7 call thing is going to be really horrible, #1 sounds like the superior deal. And there's nothing to stop you from still looking around for something even better.