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BethDreams · Newbie Joined: 11 Jan 2008 Posts: 1 Career Advice: +0/-0

I'm a recent college graduate, trying to find a good job that has health benefits and enough to live on. This is a break between my bachelors and my masters’ degree.

This week, I talked to my old boss at the university I attended, and he told me that his office is looking to hire someone to continue the work I had done for him in the summer during the year. The weird thing about this job is that it is 30 hours per week during the academic year with benefits, and for the summer months its 40 or more hours per week, with benefits, and nearly free rent (I still live on campus). The free rent is just for the summer. The pay is not that great, but I think I could live on it with some budgeting.

My problem is that I don't know if I should take the job now (they one someone who is going to stay around for a while, so I feel as if I couldn't quit if I found something better) or if I should wait until something better comes along.

If anyone was in a similar predicament, or has advice, it would be greatly appreciated!

Randy

My problem is that I don't know if I should take the job now (they one someone who is going to stay around for a while, so I feel as if I couldn't quit if I found something better) or if I should wait until something better comes along.

You're young and still such a good person, filled with great intentions and care for your employer. Me? I'm old and cynical and rarely have anything good to say about employment. So here goes:

It's employment, that's all, nothing more, nothing less. If you take the position and, from their point of view, you don't meet their expectations and perform the job to their satisfaction, do you think they'll hesitate to let you go and find someone else? Or maybe the school cuts the budget and they do away with this position completely? Sure, someone there might feel bad for you, but they'll let you go without a second thought, right?

You owe an employer your absolute best...for as long as you're there, whether that length of time is their choice or yours. After that, you owe them nothing, period, certainly nothing as noble as your loyalty.

If this is something that meets your needs at this point in your life, yes, take it and stay until you do find something better, something more of what you really want. Then move on. The school most definitely will continue without you.

Pauloz · Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 12:27 am Post subject:

BethDreams

There's a couple of real positives here. Benefits are hard enough to find, and the college will understand the point about your degree and what you need to do, unlike other employers. Timing is one of the keys here, and you need a position where you can maneuver.

(Budgets eventually find a way of making themselves work, rent eats money, and so does commuting.)

It's a good result both ways. The college needs people who speak its language. In any academic situation, it's a useful, healthy relationship.

It wouldn't be a coincidence that your old boss mentioned the job. If I've read this correctly, he'd be well aware of your situation, and this would create a few known factors for you, rather than trying to find work in what might be an approaching recession scenario.

The Master's will take a few years, and you need to have your bases covered.

The risk here is doing your degree with a load of domestic irritations.

To add to Randy's comment, any employer will let people go if things work out like that. The college is convenient, cheap, and covers a lot of angles.

At this point you have to navigate from A to B, with no "surprises" when you need a clear course.

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