Job Opportunity vs. My Current Job 4

[cderow]

Recently, I was offered a job at an engineering firm to be, as the job description put it, desktop support with some network administration duties. It is a job that I can do and be very efficient at it. However, at my current job, I hold the title of IT Manager and I do a little of everything, such as network administration, database maintenance, project development, as well as desktop support. I do all this because as of right now, I am the only IT person in my workplace and always will be the only one.
I am torn at what exactly I should do because the place I work for is a medium sized business and I am as high as I can get, position-wise, there. The place that gave me the offer is a large business and the possibility of growth is a bit more plentiful, not to mention a bigger paycheck and a chance to work with newer technology.
I am fearful that if I go to the new place and it doesn't work out, that I will be left with a lower position on my resume and nothing to show for it.
I am interested in hearing some of your opinions and life experiences in this field, as I am just torn as to what I am going to do. Thanks for listening.

 

[AIXSPadmin]

What difference does the "title" you currently hold even mean? If you apply for another job and you put IT manager, surely they will figure out in the job interview that it was just a title with no actual true IT manager responsibilites.

Given that, how can you say where you would go is a step down?

 

[cderow]

I think it would be a step down as far as job responsibility goes. The job that I have now gives me the opportunity to work in more areas of IT, than just desktop support or network administration, which would be my primary focus at the new place.

 

[sleipnir214]

Let me get this straight...

In the current miserable IT job market, you have an opportunity to take a job that offers (in your own words) "a bigger paycheck and a chance to work with newer technology" and where "the possibility of growth is a bit more plentiful".

And you're not going to take it because it won't appropriately pad your resume?

I don't know about anybody else, but I smell bovine scatology here.

Are there no opportunities for advancement in the new position? Have you reached the physical limits of your ability to learn new skills? If not, why would you even be in the same position 18 months from now?

I suspect that you don't want to go from being a big fish in a small pond to that same fish in a much bigger pond.


You must be single. No one with a spouse or kids to feed would ever be caught straddling this fence.

Take the job. Want the best answers? Ask the best questions:

http://www.tuxedo.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

TANSTAAFL!

 

[carp]

I would also try to compare the two firms in terms of stability. Is the newer firm more likely to throw you under the bus as they "right size"?
If your security seems about the same either way, go for the money and growth! If not, I'd probably go for the security (given the current drought in IT).

 

[cderow]

I guess what I'm trying to say is I don't want to throw stability away for the sake of a bigger paycheck, then be tossed away at a later time. And given the current state of the market, that could very well happen. I have only 2 years in IT and I feel like if something were to happen where I'd be laid off, no one would want to hire me. I guess that's why I asked this question to begin with. Thanks to all who answered.

 

[jonojacker]

Working for a larger company, with undoubtedly a more prestigious rep, along with a better title would definitely "pad" your resume for the future. Of course, a larger firm will pigeon-hole you, whereas a med-sized firm will let you have hands-on experience with everything. Choose the bigger paycheck and resume growth potential. Take good stock of your time after two years. To be too stable is not only like losing your edge, but it an be construed as lethargy. The only way is up. Best of luck in your decision.

Jono,

http://www.compcerts.com

 

[cyclegeek]

Consider better benefits:

Will the larger firm contribute more to a 401(k)?

Will the larger firm pay for schooling? Usually there's a rule that you have to stay with the company for x amount of time for each course you take. If I planned on staying at my current company for more than a year I'd take advantage of a few courses.

Is the med/dental plan better?

In the absence of a family or pre-existing medical conditions benefits don't usually count much towards your personal bottom line (read: you can't eat your benefits). In fact, because of the way most larger companies are structured, pay is suppressed because of how much benefits cost. Still, if it's a bigger check and more bang for your benefits contributed buck...

Location: shorter/easier commute?

In any case, good luck and best wishes.

Cheers,
cyclegeek

 

[spikestik]

Wow there are alot of mixed feelings here... let me put my two cents in...
I have been at my current job for the past 18months...I am miserable at home at work and in my personal hobbies. I figured out that the reason I am so unhappy is my current position. When I was hired I was told it was for a Systems Administrator postion with little desktop support.
I work an average of 75hrs a week in a salaried job, supporting 150 users with 4 sites and when I say support I mean I do desktop/network/infrastructure and the likes.
It is thankless, the people are demeaning and they think that you are there for their evey beck and call. Never a good morning....you are lucky for a thank you...and forbid it if you don't drop everything to go help them.
I now have isolated myself into a postion where people think that I am just nasty because I am. Truth be told ... even after asking for help they have told me...that I can do the job now so why hire more people for IT. What I am getting at is do not dinsaour yourself, look through the short term and see if there is long term benefits to the job. If you are in a position that allows you to take the new job and gamble a bit than do it. Even better....you could take the new job for a few weeks...tell your current boss you need some Family Leave ... and then you can make an educated decision. Whatever you decide... look to the future and not what is present.

In my case ... I will be leaving here shortly as there is no future...but the present puts food on the table and a roof over my familys heads.

 

[JCK2003]

I would say take the job if you think you can do more, and learn things you haven't, I am in the similiar position where being a one-man IT department and getting sick and tired my job, but with a new baby coming, I have to surrender, hopefully getting my MBA will be of some of help


JC

 

[dontee]

Interesting discussion....What you have to ask yourself, cderow, is 'What is my main career anchor (.i.e my main driver or motivator)?' Is it technical proficiency, pure challenge, security/stability, autonomy, general management etc. The answer to this should tell you what is most important to you as a person careerwise and determine your course of action. As these drivers differ from person to person, it is no good anyone telling you what they would do in a similar situation as their answer will depend on their driver which may well differ from yours. So if you are driven by autonomy, you should stay where you are. If however, you want to be technically proficient, you may well want to consider moving to a bigger company, etc. Hope that gives you some food for thought.

 

[AIXSPadmin]

Dontee is absolutely correct in what he says about what is your motivator. I work for a Fortune 500 company and would never work for one again, only a small to medium size company. There are many reasons and one of them is the compartmentalization, I would rather do many different things than be separated from security, networking, etc.

 

[spikestik]

And depending on the situation AIXSPadmin, I think that you are better with the fortune500 company. As of yesterday I am joining the many IT professionals that are unemployed. Not because I could not do my job....but because the 80hr weeks that I was putting in was not enough ... they wanted more. Salary postions suck and all I have ever worked for are Small to Medium sized business. All of them made a good case for me to come there and work but the vast majority could not deliver.

Now what do I do to support my family? Collect Life Insurance? How much more beating can they give us?

It really does become company specific.

 

[AIXSPadmin]

All companies lay off regardless of size. My company laid off many IT professionals a few years ago, and there is talk of it happing again. So working for large vs. small doesn't hold any weight when it comes to downsizing, especially today.

And the benefit of the small, medium vs. large is there isn't as much politics.

I worked for medium before and would go back there anytime.

 

[algernonsidney]

A good question to ask is how many hours would each job have. I would take the job that may have less.

Chris

 

[ejackson]

In theory, a larger company would offer "growth potential," "opportunities for advancement," and "a chance to work with newer technology." In reality, your career advancement will usually be determined by everything BUT your actual skills. It depends on the company culture (Do they like to promote from within or not? How much do they value seniority?) and your manager (Does your manager have favorites, and are you one of them? Is your manager underqualified and therefore threatened by you? Does your manager take any interest in your career advancement?). Decisions about promotions often are not made by the people with whom you actually work, so don't expect that doing your job well will get you anywhere. In fact, if you do your job TOO well, that may prevent you from moving on to other things.

Also, there's no guarantee that you will have the chance to work with new technology; those assignments may go to the current employees who already have the necessary training.

There are some genuine benefits to working for a larger company that were pointed out by cyclegeek. But don't take the job expecting to be promoted; only take it you would be happy in the job for which they are hiring you.

Unless you absolutely hate your current job, I'd say stay. This is not the time to take risks with your job; IHMO this is the time to value stability over your long-term goals. I say this because half of the IT department at my company got laid off two weeks ago. If you're the new guy, you might be the most vulnerable to being let go.

If you really are the "Manager," create some opportunities for yourself by guiding your company's IT strategy toward new technologies.

 

[Morsing]

I'd stay. No doubt about it.
I've been in the same position as you, went from a 40 employees company to 900+. Have regretted it ever since.

Left the 900+ company after 11 months now work for a 1800+ company that I hate just as much.
The problem is that once you've worked for a big company it's hard to get back into a small company because they usually hire less skilled people and build on them. (With that type of job anyway).

You will hate a change. Believe me, a big company might look better on your CV but they won't let you do anything other than fixed procedures and if anything goes just slightly wrong they call in "experts" from outside. You'll never get a chance to fix the problem yourself or to set up new systems.
In other words your learning rate will drop significantly.

Cheers Henrik Morsing
Certified AIX 4.3 Systems Administration
& p690 Technical Support

 

[AIXSPadmin]

The grass is always greener on the other side. Like Morsing I work for a Fortune 500 company with 1000+ in IT and they are laying off probably 10%. Outside of that, I used to work for a small company with about 500 total employess in 3 towns and an IT department of 4. I have regretted it very much!

I would give anything to go back - I moved because of the money, however, you are exposed to more in a small company and Morsing is correct that everything is fixed. Politics abound and are prized more than skill. You can actually sit around and do absolutely nothing and nobody cares because you never stepped on the wrong toes.

If your intention is to move up into management, at least in a Fortune company you had better be prepared for 20 years or more. Very few positions and highly political. My manager got the job because he is friends with his boss. He even said a month before he became the manager he had no intention of ever going into management, and it shows, but his immediate boss recruited him because they are friends. So doesn't matter skill or talent or even if you are good - politics prevail.

I intend to find a job at a smaller company and will never again work for a large company.

 

[cderow]

There are a lot of great points expressed on this topic. I want to thank all of you for responding. I ended up not taking the job and keeping my current job for a lot of reasons. Reason 1 being I didn't want to limit myself by focusing on just one aspect of IT. I love the fact that I have experience in a lot of different aspects of the business and I think I would have been bored otherwise. Reason 2 being that there is stability where I am at and the benefits were better than the new place.

In the end, I was enticed by the money and possible pontential that I could have had if I had taken the job. But, I am not unhappy at my current workplace and there is also a lot of technical potential here. I also got too tied up in job titles, when in the end, what does it matter? I'd rather be happy, have a challenging, stable job, and be appreciated than be called Master Of All Things IT.