Choosing Between Job Offers; Any Hindsight?

[larson]

So you don't want to get into a lucrative industry then?

I've not got a huge amount of savings right now. The company are offering a flat £45k with no car allowance. The other company are offering salary+car of around the £60k mark. Surely that's enough reason to take the second job? I have to relocate, and the hassles involved with that. I mainly stay a bit West of Edinburgh, so it's not a quick trip to Aberdeen, and is on par with the job in the Midlands.

Most of the jobs in my area in Aberdeen focus on the NOC side of things, and although this one doesn't, I have concerns. For example, when I asked a random worker about training, they mentioned it had been so busy in the past year, they hadn't had a chance to do anything. Could be an excuse for their laziness, or could have been serious.

Don't know about you, but I prefer a life outside of work too. I think the lucrative side of oil&gas is in the business management for profit generating, not the infrastructure development and support.

Most of the jobs in my area don't seem lucrative up in Aberdeen, if going by the job adverts for the last 2 years are anything to go by.

Does anybody here work in Aberdeen?

[SueEllen]

Likely taking the second job. It's significantly more money, more exposure to a range of network technologies.

The first job is just too limited; small company, only working with one infrastructure vendor and a few managed applications. If both job specs were similar I'd take the first one without a doubt, but hardly seems worth passing up on a better role overall than limiting myself just to get into the oil&gas industry, which seemed to be the recommend choice from replies in this thread.

Maybe I'm missing something that has remained unsaid though...

So you don't want to get into a lucrative industry then?

[larson]

Likely taking the second job. It's significantly more money, more exposure to a range of network technologies.

The first job is just too limited; small company, only working with one infrastructure vendor and a few managed applications. If both job specs were similar I'd take the first one without a doubt, but hardly seems worth passing up on a better role overall than limiting myself just to get into the oil&gas industry, which seemed to be the recommend choice from replies in this thread.

Maybe I'm missing something that has remained unsaid though...

[northernladuk]

You are young so....

Take the first job, look at the next role above you and get the CV/requirements. Involve these in to the role you are doing so you become the natural choice should the position above you come up and in the meantime apply for roles based on the CV for your next job up.

When someone offers you a role at the next level take it.. Come back in 10 years as the CEO of the company you first started it.

You have the time to be cut throat and flexible. Take job close to home and make the next role yours and be prepared to jump ship for a few quid but better role more. Do this a few years and THEN you can rest on your laurels...

HTH

[larson]

I've been given the chance to speak to someone in each of the companies who does a similar position to me. This was suggested by the hiring managers - seems HR departments are making more of an effort these days to ensure they don't hire someone who ends up leaving quickly, as there is a surplus of labour in many areas.

I thought a small niche business with tiny offices and a handful, literally, of staff would have been very much the second choice. Instead, it is the recommended path it would seem.

When I was there, I had the feeling something just was not quite right. Very small office, development of a more basic infrastructure than I had worked with before. Also the title is basically just an engineer title, with job to match: connectivity to far-reach areas of the globe. They emphasised that it was 'very stressful' at times, and I really don't like that sort of emphasis without examples. One persons 'very stressful' is another persons 'calm and lovely'.

The latter role was a consultancy-architecture role working with significantly more clients and multiple vendor platforms from all manner of backgrounds, but the main point is the amount of frequent travel involved. The extra £10k cash, extra benefits, car allowance, make it look more enticing, but maybe I shouldn't be looking at it that way.

So that's it then, up North I head? Suppose at least it's supposedly cheaper up there, although I see housing is priced at ridiculous levels.

[Fred Bloggs]

except banks

OK, I'm a dumb engineer!

[cojak]

Take the first job.

wot SE and Fred said.

[Olly]

Yep. Just landed my highest ever rate working for a major name in O&G. Nothing else comes close for good rates.

except banks

[Fred Bloggs]

Yep he must be. Mid 20's no commitments but would rather take the permie shilling to the admittedly reduce contract pound? Must be ******* crackers.

He'd still be better off on a reduced contract wage imo.

Yep. Just landed my highest ever rate working for a major name in O&G. Nothing else comes close for good rates.

[BolshieBastard]

You're joking, right? Probably the best paying sector to work in, will potentially get you into anywhere in the world that you choose. Increasingly a market challenged due to asians and eastern europeans taking many of the jobs at lower rates, but get a real, in demand, niche skill set and you're made.

Yep he must be. Mid 20's no commitments but would rather take the permie shilling to the admittedly reduce contract pound? Must be ******* crackers.

He'd still be better off on a reduced contract wage imo.

[SueEllen]

Take the first job.

[Fred Bloggs]

entering into servicing infrastructure for the oil&gas industry could be career-limiting.

You're joking, right? Probably the best paying sector to work in, will potentially get you into anywhere in the world that you choose. Increasingly a market challenged due to asians and eastern europeans taking many of the jobs at lower rates, but get a real, in demand, niche skill set and you're made.

[larson]

I appreciate that some people are still looking for work, so this is not a boastful post, it is a genuine request for some advice, given many of you will have made some serious relocation mistakes that you regret, due to taking a job that was either too busy, or not busy enough for you.

I'm planning on moving back into permiedom, given I'm younger than the core demographic here, and do not fancy accepting the shocking rates available.

In choosing between a couple of given role offers, I am worried about making a mistake, such is life. I'm in my mid twenties.

I'll have to move away from my home city regardless, so I've already accepted that. Ideally I'd like to eventually buy a place in both the work city and home city, depending on how things pan out.

First job:
Aberdeen, oil&gas, small service company with main offices elsewhere in the world. Role seems basic compared to what I've been doing before, but certainly has room for change as the business expands. I like the fact it's not in the city centre of Aberdeen, so aesthetically life could be good, as I'm an outdoors sort of person. My worries? Small company, could be awkward if the very few people in the office turn out to be particularly irritating, entering into servicing infrastructure for the oil&gas industry could be career-limiting.

Second job:
Central England, telecommunications and associated services. The good: lot of scope to build up their infrastructure and data services, with assistance required for the business to acquire a data company in the near future. around £10k more money than first job plus car allowance. The bad: quite far from home city, could involve a lot of driving now and again, often away from home Monday to Friday, possibly in hotels in unattractive parts of various cities.

From a career point of view I'm erring towards the second job, but am fully aware that a work-balance is required in permiedom.

I should also mention, I know nobody in either city, so I suppose the drive from Aberdeen to my home city that takes half the time of that of the second position would be better in that respect.

I suppose I'm asking - as a single guy with little responsibility - if being solely office based in a nice location, for obviously less money, is better in the long run, than being a blue-arsed fly, getting into my home city late at night on a Friday, and leaving late on the Sunday. The latter job seems that it could be the sort of job that has the hours of a contractor, with additional pay, but one that may drive me to hate life after a half year of it, given I know nobody in the areas in which I would be working, which I believe over a long term can start to pick at your brain.