Author Topic: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want  (Read 6277 times)

SisterX

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I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« on: September 03, 2015, 12:48:52 PM »
This will be lengthy, so I apologize in advance.  Here's the deal: my husband and I moved to a new state in the Lower 48 about 3 months ago for better job opportunities.  Unfortunately, no one seems to be hiring.  Or if they are, it's at a snail's pace.  My husband has applied for roughly 100 jobs and had exactly 1 interview (with a group he didn't want to work for even if they did offer him a job, so he mostly used it as interview practice).  My field is a bit trickier, so I've now applied for four jobs: three full-time, and one part-time which I applied to out of desperation in between the first and second/third full-time jobs I found.

I did not expect to hear back from the first job I applied to, since I sent my application in mid-July and didn't get asked for an interview until last Friday.  I had my interview yesterday, and I think it went pretty well.  However, just before getting the call from them I'd found two other jobs in my field which I think I'd like much better for a variety of reasons.  I can do job A, but jobs B and C would be what I was doing in my previous job, which I really enjoyed.  Jobs B and C also pay better.

In addition to all of these other factors, where we're staying is temporary, with family.  We're in an area outside of Big City, but most of our friends are in Big City and whatever job my husband (finally) gets will probably be inside Big City as well so we were going to move there once we get the job situation settled.  That would mean, for me, at least an hour's commute out to our current location if I took job A.  By car or by bus + bike, it would probably be about the same.  Jobs B and C are both in Big City, so while I'd have to commute a fair distance initially, it would be easier once we move into the city.  There's also a bus that goes from my location to jobs B and C, so in the meantime I wouldn't be driving the commute.

Lastly, there's childcare to be thought of, after we move.  (It wouldn't be a concern until then.)  Jobs B and C have childcare available on-site, but I'd have to pay for it and it's somewhat pricey.  If I took the job here, my parents could probably help out with childcare 2 days a week, so we'd only have to pay for childcare 3 days a week.  However, my mother has early onset Alzheimer's so I don't think the childcare situation would last more than another year or two.  At some point, it will become much more than she and my dad could handle.  If my husband and I have a second kid at some point, forget it.  There's no way they could handle that.

So, if I do get offered this job, what should I do?  Should I turn it down in the hope of getting an interview with either (or both) job B or C?  Should I take the job because having a job faster is better than taking a risk?  I can't be a douche and take the job, then quit two months later if I get a better job offer.  That's just not me, so if I take this job I'll be backing away from the other two.

The breakdown:

Job A: pays a bit less than my last position (stated in the job post as a definite number), but is very close to where I currently am.  Parents could take care of some childcare for a while after we move into Big City, at which point my commute would be well over an hour each way, but mostly by bus and bicycle (I assume--we'd try to limit driving because I freaking hate driving in heavy traffic).  However, I'd be starting work sooner if I took this job, as I haven't even heard back from the others yet.

Jobs B and C: pay more, even potentially more than my last position (gave a range going from about what my last position paid to quite a bit higher, DOE).  The commute would be longer initially, definitely by bus and bike, but we will be moving closer to that job soon enough.  I haven't heard back from them yet (I applied about a week and a half ago, the same day the jobs opened) so there's no guarantee they'll like me enough to call me back.  I do have a lot of experience, however, so I know I'd be a good candidate and would be very surprised if they didn't call me back for an interview. 

We're mustachian, so we haven't been spending much (mostly groceries to help out the family while we stay with them) and we've got quite a bit of savings so we're not hurting for money.  Still, it would be nice to have some positive cashflow soon.  What would you do?

I'm a red panda

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #1 on: September 03, 2015, 01:45:28 PM »
What would I do?

I'd wait to see what happens and decide based on the situation at hand. Some companies take a very long time to decide and you might know about company B or C by the time company A offers.

Is the pay at Job A set in stone? Can you negotiate for enough to make it worth taking?  If you have only been out of work for a short time, I would not take a job I wouldn't be happy with.   Do you have any contact with people at Job B and C? If you get an offer from Job A, it is possible you could ask their hiring time frames and put off Job A until you have a better idea...

lbmustache

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #2 on: September 03, 2015, 01:46:51 PM »
A sounds like a not-great option. Unless you are desperate for money/work, I would not take it. You seem to have very few positive things to say about it other than the fact it's an offer.

Sometimes advice is what you ask for when you already know the answer ;)

Retire-Canada

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #3 on: September 03, 2015, 02:08:45 PM »
You can't count on any other jobs being offered to you and it sounds like you don't have a ton of options in your field in the local area. So I wouldn't say no to Job A without considering all the "what ifs" around you not getting a better job offer for a year. If that's no problem than saying no to Job A is fine.

Keep in mind you have no idea what will happen in the future.

- Job A could lead to something unexpected and great
- your husband may not find a job for longer than anticipated

You don't owe Job A a lifetime of devotion. I would suggest 1yr is a reasonable minimum so they get their value out of whatever training you need. If there is no or minimal training involved than 6 months is fine as you will have been making them money from day 1.

As others have noted Job A may not be offered to you or not for long enough to see what happens with the other options. Just keep rolling and don't decide until you have to.

StockBeard

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #4 on: September 03, 2015, 02:54:45 PM »
I'd wait to see what happens and decide based on the situation at hand. Some companies take a very long time to decide and you might know about company B or C by the time company A offers.
This. As long as you don't sign anything, try to get them to wait until you hear from the other companies

Rural

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2015, 05:45:56 PM »
Go to work for them if they offer you a job and keep looking?

Mother Fussbudget

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #6 on: September 03, 2015, 06:10:36 PM »
Go to work for [Job A] if they offer you a job and keep looking[.]
+1 (with slight edits).  ;-)

Axecleaver

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #7 on: September 04, 2015, 10:24:40 AM »
Quote
Unfortunately, no one seems to be hiring.  Or if they are, it's at a snail's pace.  My husband has applied for roughly 100 jobs and had exactly 1 interview
The rule of thumb is that you need to send out ten resumes to get one interview, and do ten interviews to get one offer. The numbers you posted suggest that the application method is faulty, or the resume is faulty. Is he just sending resumes to Monster.com postings? Those are very low percentage; better to take a proactive approach and apply to companies who are in the field he pursues. Make personal contacts with hiring managers and peers through user groups or networking groups. Emailing resumes from home is a very slow and ineffective way to search for a job.

During periods of high unemployment, these rates get much worse. Right now, with about 5.1% unemployment, you should be getting much better response rates than 1%.

Regarding your question about Jobs A-C - You have had one interview with Job A, and so far, no contact from Job B and C. Using the numbers I posted above, you have a 10% chance to get Job A and a 1% chance to get Jobs B and C. Best course of action is to take the job you're offered, and then continue looking for a better job.

I'm a firm believer that you should always be looking for a better job. So even if you get Job B or C, don't let that stop you from continuing to look for better positions. Actively network in your field and talk to as many people as you can.

Chranstronaut

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #8 on: September 04, 2015, 11:10:06 AM »
First of all, good luck to you both!

I can only say what I would do, which is work hard for jobs B and C while carefully and slowly negotiating for Job A.  If you are a desirable candidate, you might be surprised at how willing they are to work with you. 

I switched jobs in February, and I was days away from accepting a great paying offer at Big Company when I got a dream interview at Little Company.  I carefully negotiated a good salary and package with BC (took about a week to process this) and then called them a few days before the final deadline to let them know that I was awaiting another offer (okay, I lied) and asked if I could have one or two more weeks to make the best decision for myself.  They said no problem!  Then, I interviewed at Little Company.  I wrote a nice thank you email to my interviewers the next day, and asked when they expected to make their decision as I had another offer that I needed to respond to (not a lie).  I had the whole thing solved within two business days.

I was super lucky, but asking nicely is the best way to make extra luck for yourself ;)

TomTX

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2015, 08:28:41 AM »
Figure out what it would take for you to actually want to work for Job A. Play hardball (nicely) negotiating. You want $75k? Start off requesting $80k, plus recognized seniority from prior jobs (or whatever)

If you get a better offer from B, C, D or E, or hubby gets one in the big city - take it, thank Job A and move on. If it's within 90 days, NBD. The standard probationary period goes both ways.

Bearded Man

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2015, 09:17:50 AM »
Take any of them you think are good for now to try. You can find another more ideal job and be pickier while getting a paycheck.

SisterX

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2015, 11:57:57 PM »
Thanks for all the advice!  I talked to some local friends, some of whom just know the job market here and others who know at least one of the companies I've applied to.  Universally, their best advice was to take Job A if it's offered to me, then continue going after jobs B and C.  They said that as long as I'm not a jerk about it, it should be just fine.  I guess this area can be rather cutthroat.  Also, the company for jobs B and C is extremely slow, so it could be well over a month before they even start asking about interviews, and another month or two after that before they pick a candidate.

As for my husband's job search, he's doing it all.  Everything you can think of, every tip or bit of helpful advice anyone has given him, he's pursuing it.  We've been told that hiring in his field can go in waves, and we just missed a hiring wave right before we moved down here, so I'm hoping another one is coming up soon and he'll start hearing back.

Job hunting, especially while jobless, is one of the most demoralizing, depressing things ever.

Chranstronaut

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Re: I interviewed for a job I'm not sure I want
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2015, 08:36:57 AM »
Job hunting, especially while jobless, is one of the most demoralizing, depressing things ever.

*hug*