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Post Info TOPIC: What would you do? (A tale of two jobs and two cities)
kenzie


Chanel

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What would you do? (A tale of two jobs and two cities)
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I need some outside perspectives here...

As most of you know, DH got a job in Charlotte and has been living there since February. I'm still in our previous city. I had started looking for jobs in Charlotte and a company was ready to extend an offer, but hiring froze indefinitely and they couldn't hire me at the time. 

Then, DH got a promotion and we're moving to Charleston. I contacted the recruiter to let her know so she could stop looking for a job for me (and to see if she had any contacts in Charleston). And then, within the last two weeks, I started sending resumes there. Seeing as I heard nothing but the loud, painful sound of crickets when I sent resumes to comapanies in Charlotte (the job I was offered came from a recruiter finding me, not from me sending a resume), I figured it would be months if I heard anything, if I heard anything at all. 

Last Thursday, the recruiter from the Charlotte job contacted me and told me the company had unfroze hiring and was asking about me, and that she was sad I wouldn't be the one to fill the position since they loved me so much. The job has been upgraded with a higher payscale and is more in line with what I want to do, but it's still a contract job (no benefits, could be axed at any moment, etc).

But, since DH and I would love to be living under one roof again and he technically can do his new job from Charlotte based on his territory (Charleston is just closer with less travel involved and it has a beach so that's where we really want to live), I told the recruiter I would talk with the company again.

Then, the very next day, I was contacted for interviews in Charleston, from resumes that I'd sent within the past week, one of which was for my top company and the exact (permenant, not contract) position I'm looking for, but the website said it wasn't necessarily an immediate need.  

The Charlotte people offered me the job yesterday and I asked for a few days to accept; they gave me til tomorrow.

I had my interview with the Charleston people today. They love me.  I told them I have another offer, but that they are my first choice since the other offer is in Charlotte. I asked them about the immediate need thing, and they said if they find the right person, they do everything they can to make a space for them. They are going to try to speed things along, but there are no guarantees and the earliest they'll be getting back to me is Friday.  And I'd still have another round of interviews with the Charleston people. 

What would you do? 

A few other bits of info:

The good thing about the Charleston company is that it's growing and I could probably stay in touch with the hiring manager and revisit it in six months after I've completed the project at the contract job. The Charleston company seems to have an ongoing need for what I do and lots of new business coming in. If I turn down the Charlotte job, it's gone.

DH and I are really tired of maintaining two households and I'm stagnating at my current job, so I'm bored and ready for a new challenge, and I really want to get out of there. 

The Charlotte job would be a good resume builder, for sure, with lots of opportunities at a big name company in the e-commerce division (it would be giving me even more experience toward the job at the Charleston company). 

Whatever decision I make, I'm stuck with because I don't want to tell the Charlotte people yes and then back out two weeks later. That's just not nice or professional, and they have been awesome during the whole process. I can deal with 6 months to a year or so in Charlotte while we get ready to move and I continue to network in Charleston, but I don't want miss out on (the somewhat uncertain possibility) of my dream job.

The hiring manager for the Charleston job said they only reach out to very select candidates who send resumes for positions that are listed as not an immediate need and that they really, really like me. This still doesn't guarantee me the job, of course. 

Also, I realize this is a fantastic problem to have, especially in this economy and I'm very grateful for the responses I've recieved to my resumes. It does not, however, make it any less confusing!

Help! What do I do? What would you do? 



-- Edited by kenzie on Tuesday 22nd of May 2012 11:44:14 AM

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Suasoria


Chanel

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I know it must seem like a gamble but: I favor holding out for a job in Charleston, for the homelife with husband that you've been missing for so long, and a chance to feel settled. If it doesn't work out with this Charleston position right now, something else will work out, or you can build your pet photo biz in the meantime like I think you'd planned to do before. Or take a freaking rest for a few months after all you've been through with school and evil other job. I wouldn't blame you.

As gambles go, you seem to be a hot property right now with all the responses, interviews and interest! Something will come along and if it doesn't, well, spend a few months creating a 2013 "Charleston Pets" calendar to get your name out there in the community. :)

Congrats on his promotion!

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Metric


Gucci

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Agreed, hold out for Charleston.

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ico


Dooney & Bourke

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Suasoria wrote:

I know it must seem like a gamble but: I favor holding out for a job in Charleston, for the homelife with husband that you've been missing for so long, and a chance to feel settled. If it doesn't work out with this Charleston position right now, something else will work out, or you can build your pet photo biz in the meantime like I think you'd planned to do before. Or take a freaking rest for a few months after all you've been through with school and evil other job. I wouldn't blame you.

As gambles go, you seem to be a hot property right now with all the responses, interviews and interest! Something will come along and if it doesn't, well, spend a few months creating a 2013 "Charleston Pets" calendar to get your name out there in the community. :)

Congrats on his promotion!

 That's exactly what I wanted to write! 

I'd pick Charleston and be happy with it.

Please keep us posted on the outcomes!



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kenzie


Chanel

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Boots wrote:

It sounds like you're happy with your decision and that it felt right for you and your husband. Good luck!

 Yes, I am! The more I think about it, the more excited I am for this job. It's going to do great things for my resume, both from an experience standpoint and from the company name. I really feel like it leverages me for something even better when we move to Charleston!



-- Edited by kenzie on Wednesday 23rd of May 2012 11:54:53 AM

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kenzie


Chanel

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Thanks for the responses...I actually ended up taking the Charlotte job (I ended up only having until the end of the day yesterday to give them an answer). It will build my resume and get me out of my current job, where I'm stagnating. Plus, we'll have dual incomes, be under one roof, and be closer to Charleston for networking and house hunting.

I was extremely uncomfortable with the idea of quitting my job and letting go of half of our income at this point, so I feel like this is a good compromise to get us where we want to be. Otherwise, I could have potentially been stuck in my old job for several more months and we could have been paying for two separate households (throwing time and money down the drain).

The Charleston job is still a possibility down the road, especially since they are a growing company. I contacted the hiring manager and we plan to stay in touch. I've also been networking with other target companies in Charleston that don't specifically have openings, but will be in touch (hopefully), when they do. I did have another interview lined up this week, but after checking out the position further and researching the person who would be my boss, I found out that the job was very junior level (as in entry-level) and the person who would have been my boss only had two years of experience. So....I'm not really sad about letting that one go. One thing I know about Charleston: I'm not settling for a job I don't want there.

So, we're still planning to go to Charleston early next year (possibly sooner if something else comes up in a few months), but for now I'll be able to actually build my resume instead of being bored and spinning my wheels and I'll be able to live under the same roof as my husband.

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Boots


Gucci

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It sounds like you're happy with your decision and that it felt right for you and your husband. Good luck!

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