Career advice

[philote]

I'm not sure if anyone can help on this, but perhaps someone can bring to light factors I haven't considered.

I'm an IT admin with a small company, which has been great for me but I feel it's time to move on. I'm the only IT person and I feel it's a bit of a dead-end job as there's no path for advancement and I doubt pay will get much better.

I previously worked for a university doing programming in an antiquated language that was quite dull. The pay was poor but the benefits were great and the people I worked with were also great. Well, I applied for a job with this employer in the same exact department doing pretty much the same work but the position was a step up from when I was previously there. My previous boss recommended me for an interview and so I went in for an interview on Friday.

The interview went well; I discussed with them why I considered going back as well as the other generic interview topics. They pretty much said if I want the position I can have it but couldn't yet tell me how much I'd be making.

There are many factors involved in my decision here. My current job has paid me pretty well and sent me to training but the time off is really lacking. We get two or three holidays a year and seven vacation days. And we can't take these vacation days on the week of a major holiday due to the nature of the business. This is tough since my wife's family is almost five hours away (close to the other job).

But at the university we get all the holidays and at least as much vacation time as well as being able to use it when we please. They also offer flexible hours. I also may be able to work on getting my masters if I'm there and they'll help pay for it. The programming I'd be doing, as I said, would be pretty dull and the variety of work wouldn't be near what I have now. But they now have several systems that are written in Java, which I could eventually work on, and one written in PHP. I'd also have my foot in the door to either get a higher position in that department or move elsewhere in the university. The university has had some hiring freezes since I left there but I was told there is a big focus on centralizing IT and IT was the only area where new positions were allowed.

So now I'm stuck trying to figure out if I want the job. We'd be closer to my wife's family but further from mine but would be better able to travel. We'd also have to sell a house to move and perhaps find one to buy. As I said, there are many factors at play here, but it seems it's going to come down to what pay they can offer me. So I guess my questions are:
+What else am I missing that I should consider?
+Has anyone heard of the the programming languages I'd be using and is there much career opportunity with them: MarkIV(Vision:Builder) and Natural?
+Is it better career-wise to specialize in programmming rather than be mediocre at a bunch of areas like I am now?
+If I get offered more than I'm making now, should I tell my current employer and give them a chance to match it?
+Any other advice?

Sorry for the long post but any help/advice will be greatly appreciated.

 

[TruthInSatire]

If I get offered more than I'm making now, should I tell my current employer and give them a chance to match it?

If all you're worried about is the money this question is pretty cut and dry...

things to also consider:
benefits: medical, paid time off, retirement and so on.
work environment: nothing worse than waking up to a job you hate, despite the pay
Commute: So much for the raise you just got if you have to spend it on gas or mass transit.

With that said. If you're a valuable asset, and you like where you work you can ask your employer to match the pay. However don't price yourself out of a job, and don't enter the conversation with a list of demands or a "na-na-bo-bo whatcha-gonna-do" attitude. This is a very delicate conversation that requires a lot of tact.

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[kHz]

If I get offered more than I'm making now, should I tell my current employer and give them a chance to match it?

Research shows an employee who accepts a counteroffer from a current employer ends up leaving within 6 months. There is a reason the employee started looking, and money doesn't abate those reasons.

 

[MasterRacker]

Not to mention that you just alerted your current employer that you've been looking elsewhere. That's not going to give them a good feeling about you sticking around.

kHz, about 3 years ago I read a study that said counteroffer recipients left within 18 months. So now it's down to 6. A lot of different things you can read into that.


Jeff
I am who I am and that's all that I am... (If I'm not supposed to be me, why do I look like me?)

 

[kHz]

My counteroffer existence lasted about 4 months!

 

[OhioBill]

If the money and benefits are in line, I'd take the university job in a New York minute. You can increase your skill set, get more time off and work on a Masters degree.

The only reasons I would pass on the university job are terrible working conditions or a terrible salary.

I would not negotiate a higher salary with my current employer if I were you. Your employer may capitulate and begin a search for your replacement the next day.

 

[chiph]

Unless you're being significantly underpaid at your present job, money is probably not the reason to leave. Poor working conditions, gormless coworkers, clueless management, lack of a viable business model, all those are good reasons to leave. If you have reason to leave...leave without looking back.

So a counteroffer is merely telling your current boss that they should start a job search for your replacement.

Chip H.


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[kHz]

I would take the university job!

To me there is no better environment than a university campus, and I would give anything to be working at one. I have a master's and was a teaching assistant and adjunct faculty, so I have quite a bit of time on a campus and I truly love it there.

The only reasons I would pass on the university job are terrible working conditions or a terrible salary.

I cannot imagine poor working conditions at a university. Sure, there are politics in education, but to me they are not as bad as commercial business. Plus, all my time there, I never saw or was involved with evil coworkers (like one I have to deal with now). As for money, universities probably won't match commercial business, but the benefits are usually better. And usually you and your family are able to take classes for free.

 

[philote]

There is a reason the employee started looking, and money doesn't abate those reasons.

Very true, though I could hang in there another 6 months ore more while looking for a better position elsewhere if they counteroffer. Then again, I've been looking for a while now and haven't found much. My big concern is getting stuck in my career and both positions threaten that. Currently I have no way to advance and limited exposure to new technologies. At the university I may be using skills that are seldom needed elsewhere.

Poor working conditions, gormless coworkers, clueless management, lack of a viable business model, all those are good reasons to leave.

Well, my coworkers are great and working conditions are ok and about to get better. But the management is definitely clueless at times and wishy-washy about their decisions.

The only reasons I would pass on the university job are terrible working conditions or a terrible salary.

The salary was terrible before but we'll see what they have to offer this time.

As kHz said, the university environment is definitely a much nicer one than private business. I'd have a campus to walk around during breaks or lunch, access to their facilities, and assistance with getting my Masters.

I don't think my current employer would mind that I'm leaving and they'd definitely want me to say. I've become a valuable asset to them but they do realize I won't be there forever. I bet they'll counteroffer if I make it sound like money is the reason I'm leaving. But as I've said, that's only one of the many factors.

There's lots to consider and I really appreciate everyone's responses. I'm leaning towards going back to the university for not only career factors but also family ones. I think it will come down to what salary the university can offer as to whether I can afford to move and live as comfortably as I am now (barely scraping by ). I'll post back when I hear something.

 

[RiverGuy]

As a faculty member, would you not get free education at the university as well? Maybe you're not looking into that, but that can be pretty valuable if you are.

 

[philote]

Follup:
They called and made me an offer that was too low. I talked with the director of the department who couldn't offer me more than about 12% less than I'm making now. I definitely can't afford to live on that so I guess I'm back to job hunting. The director did say to apply for other positions in the department that may come available soon because they'd still like me to come back.

Thanks again for all the comments!