View Full Version : A matter of risk...
OneSickPsycho
12-10-2009, 01:53 PM
I may have a line one a new job, but there is a certain amount of risk involved in the position.
Long story short I may have an opportunity to work for a local newspaper, a subsidiary of The Chicago Tribune. Essentially I would be in the same call center game but with considerably less responsibility and potentially a bit more money.... Like an extra $600 or so take home per month (which I could certainly use). Its more of a technical role and would be less hours and far less stress...
But...
Its in what I know to be a failing industry. This particular department is growing significantly to increase circulation and has been successful. I'm thinking that it could be an OK move from the standpoint that it seems secure for the interim but I have no illusions that I will be there forever. I would be leaving a high stress long hour but stable position which has me contemplating if it would be a good move. I cite the quality of life improvements as my main factor for consideration but stability is a huge concern.
Thoughts?
marko138
12-10-2009, 01:57 PM
I may have a line one a new job, but there is a certain amount of risk involved in the position.
Long story short I may have an opportunity to work for a local newspaper, a subsidiary of The Chicago Tribune. Essentially I would be in the same call center game but with considerably less responsibility and potentially a bit more money.... Like an extra $600 or so take home per month (which I could certainly use). Its more of a technical role and would be less hours and far less stress...
But...
Its in what I know to be a failing industry. This particular department is growing significantly to increase circulation and has been successful. I'm thinking that it could be an OK move from the standpoint that it seems secure for the interim but I have no illusions that I will be there forever. I would be leaving a high stress long hour but stable position which has me contemplating if it would be a good move. I cite the quality of life improvements as my main factor for consideration but stability is a huge concern.
Thoughts?
I'd pass, personally. I worked in media, tv news specifically. The only area of media worse off than TV is print. I'd be willing to put money on the fact that that job isn't stable for very long.
CasterTroy
12-10-2009, 01:59 PM
Can you go back?
I left a small, go nowhere career-wise, but UBER stable firm, to pursue a career in a large engineering firm out of DC with VAST promotion potential, but high turnover rate.
Long story short I did really well and was quickly promoted and received numerous raises.....BUT..I wouldn't move to DC and the market went to shit so they closed the NC office.
I ended up making a huge jump in pay...HUGE...but was still in good standing with the small, go nowhere, firm. I negotiated a midpoint of salary and didn't lose much, but gained leaps and bounds over if I'd stayed. But I'm back at the stable small firm.
I agree, that's too dangerous of an industry to get into, I would keep looking.
marko138
12-10-2009, 02:01 PM
Noticed I said "worked"...there's a reason I got out. I was a lot more lucky than some of my co-workers.
t-homo
12-10-2009, 04:02 PM
Or you could just say fuck it, take the job for a few years, and see what life brings you next.
askmrjesus
12-10-2009, 04:09 PM
What's a "newspaper"?
JC
marko138
12-10-2009, 04:10 PM
What's a "newspaper"?
JC
That pretty much sums it up.
Who cares about the industry? You didn't really say what you do but role is far more important: newspaper editors are screwed, yes, but good IT people (for instance) can work anywhere. It's not unusual to see IT people with a new job every 1-2 years, especially if they worked at smaller firms.
Fleck750
12-10-2009, 05:42 PM
It's not unusual to see IT people with a new job every 1-2 years, especially if they worked at smaller firms.
OK, real question.
Why is OK for IT to change jobs every few years, but any other field you look like a loser who can't/won't keep a job?
Labswine
12-10-2009, 09:56 PM
In this economy, a job in hand is worth two in the paper...stability is a good thing.
This coming from someone who just started a new job a month ago, after 18 months of unemployment...and this job is a 2 year contract at only 56% of what I was making at my last job...
the chi
12-11-2009, 10:21 AM
Im a big proponent of quality of life tho stability is good. If you can do this and are pretty sure you can get back into the same type thing you do now without a problem, Id say take a few years to have a better quality of life. The time and energy you are losing to your job instead of giving it to loved ones, etc you can never get back.
OneSickPsycho
12-11-2009, 06:40 PM
Ok... Interesting development.
I talked to the contact I have for the job - a former coworker. She put me in touch with her boss, the guy actually doing the hiring. He said it's more of a technical position, but he's really looking for someone with the call center background. I inform him that my background is somewhat technical (I have two tech degrees, but barely any tech experience) and he said someone with a tech background could learn on the job.
Soooo...
This could, in the least, be an opportunity for me to expand on my resume. I have 10 years of sales and operations management experience... this could open the door to more technical stuff, which is always good to have. Plus, from what he described it could be much more money than I originally thought. He also mentioned that they had plans to continue expanding because their department was bringing in considerable revenue which somewhat validated what I was originally thinking.
Now I'm off to put together my resume and gear it more towards the tech side. Worst case scenario - I get to practice my interviewing skills once again...
Adeptus_Minor
12-11-2009, 06:59 PM
OK, real question.
Why is OK for IT to change jobs every few years, but any other field you look like a loser who can't/won't keep a job?
It has a lot to do with the rapid change of technology and the fact that an IT person's skill set (if they're ambitious and upwardly mobile, not a chairfiller like me :whistle:) is constantly growing and going different directions.
You can choose to just take root in a position, but then your skill set gets either too specialized or outdated, and you run the risk of being replaced or shuffled off into a middle management position when your company migrates to newer hardware or software.
CasterTroy
12-17-2009, 12:29 PM
I agree, that's too dangerous of an industry to get into, I would keep looking.
Saw this pic and thought of this thread
http://inapcache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/2009_3_12_16/921_18134921.jpg
A section of the Rocky Mountain News newsroom sits empty on February 27, 2009 in Denver, Colorado. The edition on Friday the 27th was the last one for the nearly 150-year-old daily, Colorado's oldest newspaper. The owner E.W. Scripps Co. announced the day before that the paper was closing down after efforts to sell the money-losing newspaper failed. (John Moore/Getty Images) #
Well, in my profession (software development), 5 years is ancient history. I've seen people go from junior developer to lead developer in less time. Technologies change all the time and you must constantly be learning and trying new things. Staying at the same job for 5+ years can mean your skill set is out of date. Working at a new job every 2 years means you are learning a new set of things every 2 years. You do that 4-5 times and you likely have a lot of experience in a lot of technologies and are considered a seasoned software/IT guy. Generally you can get a 20% pay raise with every jump too, up to a certain ceiling.
Why is OK for IT to change jobs every few years, but any other field you look like a loser who can't/won't keep a job?
vBulletin® v3.8.11, Copyright ©2000-2025, vBulletin Solutions Inc.