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Thumbtacks posted:okay now i'm in a bit of a pickle and i could use some advice I would think if you're matter-of-fact about the fact that you make more doing less not getting promoted, their only defense against that is that you're getting a new title, which will help you shop around for even more money at a different company later on. And if they use that defense, then the job must not be that complex in the first place that they wouldn't be able to get someone else who hasn't done the automation wizardry thing. And if that's the case, then yeah it's seeming more and more like a no-brainer to deny the promotion and, in turn, the pay cut. This is all very cynical though and it's possible they'll see the matter-of-factness of your situation and raise the pay further. Either way there doesn't seem to be a drawback to being upfront about your situation.
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# ? Sep 3, 2019 18:40 |
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# ? May 27, 2024 02:32 |
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The "I automated my commission" is a problem here.They think you're slaving away for that money, and you can't really reveal you're not. I would just get a hard number in your head based on what you think is fair for the new position and just ask for that. Your justification is probably not going to help much here. You could also say you'll be willing to keep generating xyz as part of your regular goals.
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# ? Sep 3, 2019 21:53 |
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I would just say "All this managing is going to prevent me from doing all that awesome commissioning I'm doing, so I need to make sure I'm maintaining at least my current income." They have your pay statements. It's not like they don't know what you make.
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# ? Sep 3, 2019 22:04 |
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Purple Prince and Lockback, thank you both for the amazing replies, it's much, much appreciated! I have much grounded idea about what can be be done and can't be done thanks to you guys. I came up with this idea because when I make a job search, I have to sift through dozens (if not hundreds) Software QA jobs to find actually construction related ones as the search engines tend to get funky when you add more keywords (such as construction+QA). Purple Prince posted:You might face a bit of a challenge here as the kind of organisations that care about software QA to the extent they implement ISO specifications tend to be companies making big enterprise software or mission-critical systems (think: defence). These same organisations are the most likely to use IT/computer science degrees as an easy way to screen talent. ISO standards in computing are also often implemented as part of standard or commonly used libraries. I can extend into energy, industry (or maybe power systems) but as you said most of those jobs are pretty far from London. I mean, for the first year it really doesn't matter much because having a steady income is much more critical than falling into a grate in front of Covent Garden Mc Donalds when drunk because I exactly have less than 8 months for my work permit renewal application. I can only be employed as a contractor (because of my visa) which kind amplifies my problems for finding a job (and sometimes makes it easier) and I have seen many contract based Software QA jobs. Lockback posted:QA is all about building automation testing and understanding your release pipeline. You absolutely can get into it at 38 but it's a whole new set of skills. Yeah, as you said ISO procedures are much better functioning when there is an actual, physical product so you can literally check it by hand (and other methods). Starting to learn languages and seeing what it will take me from there sounds like a great advice (also thanks for reminding me AGILE). That was some amazing advice, both of you!
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# ? Sep 3, 2019 22:48 |
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Just FYI, Agile is not an acronym so don't put it on your resume as such, it'll be an immediate red flag.
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# ? Sep 3, 2019 23:53 |
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Guinness posted:Just FYI, Agile is not an acronym so don't put it on your resume as such, it'll be an immediate red flag.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 00:06 |
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Guinness posted:Just FYI, Agile is not an acronym so don't put it on your resume as such, it'll be an immediate red flag. Yeah, I capitalized it for emphasis, not by convention. I would suggest putting it on a resume even if you just read some Agile Methodology case studies and just sorta make up how a team you worked with integrated you into their sprints. QA is one of those things where most companies don't want to spend a ton of time and effort training these kinds of things since it's usually not that hard to find someone who already has experience working in an Agile environment.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 02:06 |
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Just lol if your resume isn't just this with your name scrawled on top in crayon.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 02:20 |
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Lockback posted:The "I automated my commission" is a problem here.They think you're slaving away for that money, and you can't really reveal you're not. Yeah that’s the problem, I don’t want them to take too close a look at my pay. I’m currently making more than two of our four managers in other departments and I think keeping my mouth shut is probably best. This company is terribly run and no one seems to know what everyone else is doing so it might be best to let my salary slip through the cracks and just take on the new position with no real change.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 03:16 |
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i mean for god's sake i played wow classic all day and no one even knows because i'm in my own office with the door closed and it's great this will be problematic down the line because i'll be bored and unfulfilled but i'm currently looking into doing some freelance work during work hours to pick up some extra cash
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 03:27 |
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KillHour posted:Just lol if your resume isn't just this with your name scrawled on top in crayon. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, this is nightmare fuel tag yourself, I'm delegation poker Thumbtacks posted:Yeah thats the problem, I dont want them to take too close a look at my pay. Im currently making more than two of our four managers in other departments and I think keeping my mouth shut is probably best. This company is terribly run and no one seems to know what everyone else is doing so it might be best to let my salary slip through the cracks and just take on the new position with no real change. Just make sure you keep getting paid your commission.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 03:35 |
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oh believe me the second that poo poo stops we're going to have a problem
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 03:36 |
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Thumbtacks posted:i mean for god's sake i played wow classic all day and no one even knows because i'm in my own office with the door closed and it's great Is this literally you? https://interestingengineering.com/programmer-automates-job-6-years-boss-fires-finds/
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 05:05 |
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Jordan7hm posted:tag yourself, I'm delegation poker Lean coffee Definition of 'is' Tiger team Osmotic communication Three of those are on the chart and one of them I made up. If you know which it is without looking, you're part of the problem.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 05:16 |
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KillHour posted:Is this literally you? that is...eerily similar. I don't have my own office, unfortunately, so I at least have to LOOK like i'm working. but i'm going to start leaving the office later and coming in earlier, probably.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 07:19 |
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Aw man they want to talk about a new comp plan on Friday. I ran the numbers and assuming my weekly output will decrease, which it probably will, they’ll need to literally double my hourly rate to put my weekly rate back fo where it currently is, and that’s ignoring the increase in responsibility
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 19:52 |
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Thumbtacks posted:Aw man they want to talk about a new comp plan on Friday. I ran the numbers and assuming my weekly output will decrease, which it probably will, they’ll need to literally double my hourly rate to put my weekly rate back fo where it currently is, and that’s ignoring the increase in responsibility Have a number in your head. "If I do XYZ (new duties plus some of your old) I should be clearing this much per month", factoring in the value of the title bump (but don't over-value that, income is usually more important). Give them that number, if they can figure out how to make it work great. If not, don't take the job.
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# ? Sep 4, 2019 20:10 |
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KillHour posted:Just lol if your resume isn't just this with your name scrawled on top in crayon. As much as this graphic is making me twitch, the worst part beyond it being utter spaghetti logic is that it doesn't actually describe anyone's jobs. It's literally all dumb hypothetical project or development types that no one on earth will use other than a project manager to vaguely gesture at what they think they're accomplishing. Whether you have internal dev talent or not, it doesn't matter if you spend all your time looking at a chart like this for answers. Like, the crisis in IT isn't people who can't code; it's people who desperately want to re-invent the process to somehow make it marginally less dependent on painful QA work throughout the process in making sure things don't break. Companies that have no business writing their own software but trying to do it with agile methodology based on a cursory reading of the buzzwords and no idea what tasks or goals they represent is like a running joke for me right now. The number of companies I've seen that have written off entire platforms because their internal team was mishandled due to bad project management (internal or external) is bad enough, but now we're getting the surge in ones without any type of internal development competency that hired external contractors with "agile experience" under a bad internal PM with no understanding of the method. We have a tally board for all the consultants we've seen get fired from our clients this year, and it's basically always either "horrific PM misuses internal developers who know better" or "threw contractors at project that no one understood because horrific PM". Great year for botched system replacements in the insurance sector. I really really want to just create a GIF that's just someone burning this chart with "LOL Just make the software and test it dummy" replacing it.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 15:52 |
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As an employee of a large-ish company that sunk a ton of money into a misguided and wholly non-functioning platform that was supposed to link all systems, etc., ugh. What a drat disaster.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 16:02 |
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REMEMBER SPONGE MONKEYS posted:As an employee of a large-ish company that sunk a ton of money into a misguided and wholly non-functioning platform that was supposed to link all systems, etc., ugh. What a drat disaster. My favorite is still the company that ran all their IT projects through HR so that IT was only doing existing maintenance but wanted to start this process. I had a conversation that went like this: Overmatched CFO - "Our first attempt to replace 'most critical system that will be basis of linked systems' was a disaster to the tune of '3x the rest of the IT budget' this year. We want to re-do it still, but we aren't sure how much of the existing work is usable. Our project managers were the problem so we're looking to get a new one, and we're going to use solely our developers instead of bringing in a bunch of contractors." Me - "That sounds fine, but the project manager's notes said that their issues were that they couldn't get IT consistently involved to work with the new system and missed some details in scoping since the CTO was looped out." CFO - "Our PMO reports to HR." Me - "Why?" CFO - "We don't want IT concerned with projects, just day to day maintenance." Me - "But the goal is for them to eventually be maintaining that system." CFO - "Sure" Me - "And the developers you plan to use all work in the IT department." CFO - "Correct." Me - "THEN WHY IS HR RUNNING THIS PROJECT?" CFO - "Well that's where the project management office is." *Some boring consultant-y conversations about how dumb this entire idea is. Finally seems to realize that PMO needs to be in IT. Five minutes later* CFO - "So anyways, we want to hire an experienced project manager to run this." Me - "A good idea since your internal ones aren't great at this point." CFO - "We're planning to budget about *entry-level comp at top-tier call center job* in comp for this." Me - "Um, have you talked to any of your HR or comp consultants about this?" CFO - "Oh, *extremely incompetent HR person* thought that it was good since we're in *bumfuck nowhere* and it's cheap" Me - "You do realize that IT project managers worth their salt make 2-3x that right, even in like Des Moines or Dayton?" CFO - "But we're in *literally 2 hours away from the nearest airport with more than 2 gates* so they don't need that much" Me - "Again, that doesn't matter if they don't want to live here. The average IT employee wants to live in a major urban area; this needs to be borderline hazard pay for the ones you should actually want doing this." CFO - "I'm sure we'll be fine." Fast forward 3 months and I got a call indicating that they haven't been able to fill that position and were wondering if my firm was willing to manage the project for a year for $40k. After my boss stopped laughing, he countered so high that the guy didn't even attempt to negotiate and said he'd keep looking. Found out after that we probably would have done it for typical contractor rates, but my boss really didn't want any of us having to travel out there and thought the company was just looking for a new scapegoat for their bad ideas anyways.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 17:00 |
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$40k was the number they pitched AFTER they couldn't find anyone? Jesus Christ.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 17:25 |
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KillHour posted:$40k was the number they pitched AFTER they couldn't find anyone? Jesus Christ. I know the whole “boomers don’t understand inflation” joke is real, but I honestly can not describe how many times people just flat refuse to accept that they can’t pay 70s era wages that the current management started out at. Especially at rural companies where the workforce is old and the only game in town so they haven’t competed for a non-captive in-demand prospect in years. Like, they’ll do it for executive searches and nothing else but that’s handwaved under the idiotic boomer “of course my ceo should make 50x our entry employees; their time is valuable and they must be smart” thing. I’ve gotten offers to go in house at some of these places where they offer me 60% of my current salary and squawk about how cheap it is to live there. They get really mad when I point out that their call center employees and entry levels make less than what my wife does on her PhD stipend and that we’re not moving somewhere so that I can destroy my resume for less money and upward mobility and destroy my wife’s prospects when there isn’t a R1 research hospital within 30 minutes.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 18:41 |
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“But it’s cheap to live here!” is like the worst selling point for any sort of competitive or skilled profession, and it almost always means that the place suuuucks. It’s cheap because there’s likely not much going on and little opportunity. You still often come out ahead even in high COL areas because the compensation more than makes up for it, plus there’s just way more opportunity for career advancement and relationship building in a competitive location.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 18:51 |
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Hey all question for you. One of my former coworkers talked me up to the owner of another company who called me and was very interested and excited about getting me on board. He said for me to send him my resume and some other info which I did about a week ago but haven’t heard anything back. I have a feeling because I’m on workmans comp he got scared off but do you think I should send a email to him asking if he received the resume? I’m just confused. Thanks!
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 23:46 |
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Following up never seems to hurt, athough I’d be careful with your wording.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 23:49 |
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Yeah I’d figure I’d be like “Hey saw you had a great event this weekend the photos looked fun! Was just checking in to see if you received my email earlier I. The week? I know sometimes Google can eat up emails with large amounts of attachments”.
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# ? Sep 5, 2019 23:51 |
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Guinness posted:“But it’s cheap to live here!” is like the worst selling point for any sort of competitive or skilled profession, and it almost always means that the place suuuucks. It’s cheap because there’s likely not much going on and little opportunity. Then again, I'm the guy who'd be happy to live in Des Moines, so my judgment is probably off.
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 01:10 |
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Dik Hz posted:Not necessarily. Greensboro NC, Madison WI, Rochester MN, Blacksburg VA, and many others are dirt cheap compared to high CoL places and offer decent salaries, plenty of stuff to do, and plenty of opportunity for their main industries. These are hustling hustling metropolises compared to the town in question I was referencing
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 01:18 |
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TheGreyGhost posted:These are hustling hustling metropolises compared to the town in question I was referencing
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 01:39 |
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The inverse is also not true, there are lots of expensive CoL areas that are not all that great to live in. It all comes down to the individual. Sometimes low CoL is a good reason to take a job over a higher paying one in a high CoL area, but its dumb to act like that is the only factor.
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 01:41 |
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Get a remote job and have a high salary in a low CoL area that's drivable to a high CoL area for weekends. Sorted.
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 01:46 |
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Empress Brosephine posted:Yeah I’d figure I’d be like “Hey saw you had a great event this weekend the photos looked fun! Was just checking in to see if you received my email earlier I. The week? I know sometimes Google can eat up emails with large amounts of attachments”.
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 05:25 |
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Sending one follow-up is fine, beyond that it gets into badgering and you should probably take the hint. But one follow-up is fine, is definitely reminded me that I had to do something while hiring.
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# ? Sep 6, 2019 13:13 |
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Hello all, I've got job problems. I don't know what to do about my career. I got a BS in Comp Sci in 2015 and I've had two jobs since then, with long stretches of unemployment in between. I've been unemployed since March. I've only been on a handful of on-site interviews and a bunch more of phone interviews, all of whom have rejected me. I'm not sure if I should keep at my current line of work (programming) or do something else. I don't know where people are seeing red flags with me. How can I figure out what's wrong with how I'm interviewing? Either way I need to at least get a part time job soon because my savings are nearly drained. I didn't think I'd be out of work this long. I think the worst part about this is not being able to talk about it to anyone. I don't know who I'd talk to about it. I'm afraid of being seen as a failure, especially since I'm starting to feel that way about myself. I keep asking myself if I chose the wrong career, and the answer I always come up with is, what else would I do? I truly don't know. I feel trapped.
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 03:43 |
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SciFiDownBeat posted:Hello all, I've got job problems. Where are you and where are you looking for jobs? What happened at the last two jobs? What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are? There are a lot of jobs that pay well and have tons of growth potential that aren't just straight-up programming, so it may make sense to broaden yourself. I have a CS degree, and I started in support and have moved through Data Applications and into a hybrid Devops/SRE/Client thing now as a senior manager and I am really happy I didn't try to force myself to be a mediocre developer. Do you have a resume you'd be willing to share? (feel free to PM if you want). That may be a good starting place.
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 03:55 |
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I need to take some time and sit down and figure out what I’m going to do. Desperately want to stay in the public sector (maybe do NPOs). But I need more compensation and need something more tangible to my areas of interest. Despite not really having direct experience with some of the required skills. I guess I just need to apply anyway if I can do 66% of the stuff, have a proven track record of learning things quickly, and then hope somebody takes a flyer on me.
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 19:10 |
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Are you able to pick up those skills through self learning, classes, or other avenues like volunteer work?
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 19:13 |
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A couple I can through extracurricular training. And I will. Not so much through volunteering or my current position. Although I’ve found that for specific skills, jobs don’t really care about training or education, they put enormously more weight on job experience with that skill.
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 19:23 |
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Also need to reach out to my professional network / mentors to brainstorm paths to success and possible resources.
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# ? Sep 7, 2019 19:27 |
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# ? May 27, 2024 02:32 |
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I'm hoping for some career advice regarding a long commute. I was just offered a $17 IT/AV job at a zoo that is 1 hour 15 minutes away from me down an interstate. I've just finished school and am looking to move on from my $10.50 an hour dead end job. I have an apartment with my girlfriend in the town we both currently work in. I'm worried about how stressful and expensive the commute is going to be. Our lease is up in December and can probably find a place that's right at an hour, but housing is limited between the cities and we're not in a financial position to buy a home yet. My car is a piece of poo poo and I'd have to get a new one pretty soon. My girlfriend doesn't make much at her job either, but she likes her job a lot and doesn't want to quit and relocate. We'd be working opposite times (days and evenings) and opposite days (I'd be working through weekends, she's M - F). I'm afraid of how this will affect our relationship. I'm afraid of turning down this offer and not being able to find something in my area. I've had several interviews and have put in countless applications, but I've had no luck. I have to give them a decision by Monday and I'm just sitting here feeling like I don't know what to do so I'm reaching out for any sort of advice I can get.
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# ? Sep 8, 2019 02:42 |