career question

[BriGy86]

here is my situation now. im going to school for computer networking and i will be graduating in june. right now i work at compusa selling networking hardware and make 9 dollars an hour plus extra money i get from selling service plans.

choice A is i could just keep working there until i graduate

here is choice B

there is a network lab assistant position open at my school it pays 8.50 an hour, and no potential extra money, but i believe i would gain some needed experience at this job

my question is-

would the pay decrease be worth it to get experience?

i supose people that have worked in the networking feild for a while would be good people to ask

 

[JDMnAR1]

Personally, I would go with Option B. The experience you gain there will pay off more than the extra $0.50/hour and whatever bonus you get now. Of course, you will lose your emplyee discount... 😉

 

[bigrash]

.50 cents an hour(without calculating the extra money) is not too much of a loss considering that it will give you a better opportunity in the future. I would take the lab assistant position if i were you.

 

[BriGy86]

i was really debating because both seem to be in a convenient location too, B is at school and A is on the way home from school

 

[ggnl]

Take the school job. You'll thank yourself when you're looking for a real job and you don't have a blank resume.

 

[Ipno]

If I was going through your resume, I would rate the school lab experience higher than compusa. Compusa employees don't rate very high technically with me... no offense.

 

[xSkyDrAx]

This is almost a no brainer. 50 cent an hour is not gonna kill you.

 

[Hankerton]

think of it this way....making money is not a sprint, it's a marathon.

 

[BriGy86]

well its not just fifty cents either

like yesterday i made about 30 extra bucks on one sale, i wouldn't be getting that and employee discounts

but from everybody i talk to no matter what feild, experience is very important

 

[Ipno]

Oh you're in sales at compusa? Thats even worse, you may as well have Wal-Mart cart attendant on your resume.

 

[dirtboy]

I don't think there's enough information for anyone to make an educated decision yet.

What kind of duties does the lab assistant do? I'd say that will dictate whether or not it is a smart move career wise.

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: Ipno
Oh you're in sales at compusa? Thats even worse, you may as well have Wal-Mart cart attendant on your resume.

yes im on the floor selling stuff

i am A+ certified though

 

[BriGy86]

Originally posted by: dirtboy
I don't think there's enough information for anyone to make an educated decision yet.

What kind of duties does the lab assistant do? I'd say that will dictate whether or not it is a smart move career wise.

good question, i have yet to figure out specifics on this, once i do i will post them here though, i can try asking tomarrow

 

[Ipno]

Originally posted by: BriGy86

Originally posted by: Ipno
Oh you're in sales at compusa? Thats even worse, you may as well have Wal-Mart cart attendant on your resume.

yes im on the floor selling stuff

i am A+ certified though

I don't mean to sound like thats a slight exactly, I'm just saying that from a technical point of view, your current position will tell an employer "Ok, he is good enough to go out and get a job and work in a non-related field" ... but (and of course depending on your duties there .. the lab position will be much more relevant to your ultimate goal.

Don't rely too much on your certs ...

 

[BriGy86]

im also wondering if im gonna get screwed some quarter or when i graduate

i.e. they loose funding or lay me off because im not a student any more/ summer vacation hits

 

[AmigaMan]

Think of it this way, you're not in school to make money. So if that's true, then you should not look at the money aspect AT ALL. You're in school so you can make a better future for yourself. And option B is the best way to do that. Don't be so concerned about that chump-change you're making at CompUSA. Once you graduate, with the experience you garnered at the lab job, you'll be able to find yourself a REAL job that makes CompUSA pale in comparison.

Now this isn't meant to belittle compusa workers, I'm sure they work hard and like what they do. But I don't know anyone who went to college for the sole intention of getting a job at compusa.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Theres a lot of factors here.

How many hours do you get at your compusa job?
How many hours will they give you at the lab?
What is your cost of living?
Will taking the pay cut require a drastic change to your standard of living?


If I was earning $9.50 an hour Plus bonuses (adding another what, 10% or so ?? more?? less ???) and all of that money was going towards tuition, rent, car insurance, etc, and I didn't have much to spare, I wouldn't do it.

If I was getting a "free ride" or at least some level of assistance, I would consider the other job... But I'd probably go for more money now, that way I would have more money availabte to buy electronics and booze.