What would you do . . .Should I take the job?

I wouldn't take it...nothing seems good about it, low pay and bad hours doesn't seem too interesting...I would just wait and look for another job to come around

Um, I would say that he should get any job he can get.
College grads arn't a very hot commodity any longer.

 

[codeyf]

Take it and bail when something better comes along.

 

[ATLien247]

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush."

Unless you can afford to not have this job, then I would take it. You'll get your foot in the door at this company, some valuable work experience, something to add to your resume, and the opportunity to network with fellow IT people.

"It's not what you know, it's who you know."

And besides, who said that just because you graduate from college that you can command a high wage?

 

[Kemosabe1447]

Not command a high wage but at least expect a higher wage than that...I myself wouldn't settle for it, I know a lot of people who pull in that kinda of money straight out of high school, I guess I just wouldn't want to sell myself short because of all the effort I put into my education

 

[KeyserSoze]

I don't know exactly what sort of company are you going to work for, but the one I'm at is a VERY good company. And there is definitely room for advancement or different projects if I just stick this out for a while.

My pay is decent, but I'm saving a lot by still living at home. And this is a REALLY good company I'm at. So, weigh the benefits, and I'm sure you'll make the right decision.

But that being said...I will say that the market IS suck right now. Remember that.

Good luck.




KeyserSoze

 

[Aceshigh]

You should be able to find a higher paying position similar to that in Houston. My advice would be take the job, move to Houston, and look around the city for better jobs. Once you find something you like then leave.

More opportunities in Houston than Lufkin just based on size.

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: CPA
In this market, get your feet wet anyway possible. My first job out of college (accounting/HR) paid $7.69/hour. 9 years later, I work for a Fortune 200 company and make about 6 digits after bonus. Go for it.

Wow that's totally not worth it, I'm still in high school and I already make that much. If you go to college you might as well get a good job with the education you have.

your in highschool and get 6digits? sure........

you either have hook-ups, or got REALLY lucky, life isnt always gunna be that good to ya. get into the real world, and you most likely will be screwed.

MIKE

No not six digits, I was referring to the $7.69...I make 8 an hour already

Kemosabe,

A couple of things you aren't keeping in mind:

1) You would not have earned $8/hour 9-10 years ago in your current job. Inflation, increase in the need for low-skilled people and higher minimum wage laws have pushed lower wages up.

2) He has an IT degree. How many IT people are still out there looking for work? Those people will be the first ones to jump on the job that pays 40-50k.

3) I didn't mention this, but I was able to quickly negotiate a higher pay. Within a year I was able to negotiate up to 22K. Not bad for a first job accounting (more like bookkeeping). This was my stepping stone, nothing else.

4) In accounting, you have 2 choices when you graduate. 1) Go to a Big 4, make good money, but have no life, absolutely no life for the first 5 years. 2) Go into industry accounting, starting as an accounting clerk or something similar, make less money, but have a life outside of work. I chose the latter, and I have no regrets, especially when the quarter end audits come around and I get to deal with these young people who have no idea what they got themselves into.


edit: for some atrocious spelling.

 

[Kemosabe1447]

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: CPA
In this market, get your feet wet anyway possible. My first job out of college (accounting/HR) paid $7.69/hour. 9 years later, I work for a Fortune 200 company and make about 6 digits after bonus. Go for it.

Wow that's totally not worth it, I'm still in high school and I already make that much. If you go to college you might as well get a good job with the education you have.

your in highschool and get 6digits? sure........

you either have hook-ups, or got REALLY lucky, life isnt always gunna be that good to ya. get into the real world, and you most likely will be screwed.

MIKE

No not six digits, I was referring to the $7.69...I make 8 an hour already

Kemosabe,

A couple of things you aren't keeping in mind:

1) You would not have earned $8/hour 9-10 years ago in your current job. Inflation, increase in the need for low-skilled people and higher minimum wage laws have pushed lower wages up.

2) He has an IT degree. How many IT people are still out there looking for work? Those people will be the first ones to jump on the job that pays 40-50k.

3) I didn't mention this, but I was able to quickly negotiate a higher pay. Within a year I was able to negotiate up to 22K. Not bad for a first job accounting (more like bookkeeping). This was my stepping stone, nothing else.

4) In accounting, you have 2 choices when you graduate. 1) Go to a Big 4, make good money, but have no life, absolutely no life for the first 5 years. 2) Go into industry accounting, starting as an accounting clerk or something similar, make less money, but have a life outside of work. I chose the latter, and I have no regrets, especially when the quarter end audits come around and I get to deal with these young people who have no idea what they got themselves into.


edit: for some atrocious spelling.

Yea I guess I didn't realize that pay difference and a 7,000 increase you attained is also helpful, but I still can't think that someone coming out of college nowadays will only make 25K. I think there are a lot more places that could use the help and pay better

 

[CPA]

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: CPA

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: nourdmrolNMT1

Originally posted by: Kemosabe1447

Originally posted by: CPA
In this market, get your feet wet anyway possible. My first job out of college (accounting/HR) paid $7.69/hour. 9 years later, I work for a Fortune 200 company and make about 6 digits after bonus. Go for it.

Wow that's totally not worth it, I'm still in high school and I already make that much. If you go to college you might as well get a good job with the education you have.

your in highschool and get 6digits? sure........

you either have hook-ups, or got REALLY lucky, life isnt always gunna be that good to ya. get into the real world, and you most likely will be screwed.

MIKE

No not six digits, I was referring to the $7.69...I make 8 an hour already

Kemosabe,

A couple of things you aren't keeping in mind:

1) You would not have earned $8/hour 9-10 years ago in your current job. Inflation, increase in the need for low-skilled people and higher minimum wage laws have pushed lower wages up.

2) He has an IT degree. How many IT people are still out there looking for work? Those people will be the first ones to jump on the job that pays 40-50k.

3) I didn't mention this, but I was able to quickly negotiate a higher pay. Within a year I was able to negotiate up to 22K. Not bad for a first job accounting (more like bookkeeping). This was my stepping stone, nothing else.

4) In accounting, you have 2 choices when you graduate. 1) Go to a Big 4, make good money, but have no life, absolutely no life for the first 5 years. 2) Go into industry accounting, starting as an accounting clerk or something similar, make less money, but have a life outside of work. I chose the latter, and I have no regrets, especially when the quarter end audits come around and I get to deal with these young people who have no idea what they got themselves into.


edit: for some atrocious spelling.

Yea I guess I didn't realize that pay difference and a 7,000 increase you attained is also helpful, but I still can't think that someone coming out of college nowadays will only make 25K. I think there are a lot more places that could use the help and pay better

Well, I would agree that 25k is low, but if he can afford it and it gains him some experience than it may be worth it. It it wasn't an IT degree I would tend to agree with you, but the IT market the way it is, I would take what I could get.

 

[BatmanNate]

Originally posted by: lastig21
Well, I just walked the stage on Saturday so my undergrad years are officially over. I received a BBA in MIS with a minor in Psychology. I haven't had a whole lot of time to do any serious job hunting, but I have had a few interviews with a company in Houston. I feel relatively certain they will offer me a job, though it will only be for about $25k per year. I will be doing Network Monitoring initially, then move into different sectors of the company. For the first 6 months I would work the graveyard shift, for the second 6 six months I would work the evening shift, and finally after a year I would move into the day shift.

So my question is, would you take the job or move back home for the summer and continue to look for other prospects. I know there are many people having trouble finding jobs, which is about the only reason I am considering taking it. To me, the pay seems low and the hours would suck, but at the same time, it is a job.

<edit>To the suggestions of taking the job and leaving when something new arises, how bad does that look on a resume. If I were able to find a job in say three months and left the company would that make me look like a "flaky" employee?</edit>

I made that much straight out of high school...with all of that college you should be able to find something better. Although I don't think there would be any harm in taking it while you look for something else.

 

[Kemosabe1447]

Well, I would agree that 25k is low, but if he can afford it and it gains him some experience than it may be worth it. It it wasn't an IT degree I would tend to agree with you, but the IT market the way it is, I would take what I could get.

Ok I understand it now, I guess I'm just not too familiar with that particular market

 

[StageLeft]

Look for what other jobs back home? There are none. None. Take this one.

 

[lastig21]

I wouldn't look for jobs in Lufkin, because you are right, there aren't any. I would move back with the parents where I didn't have to pay bills. It would allow me the free time to schedule any interview and drive to the company location. I could interview across the state. If I take the job in Houston, I am basically limited to Houston area interviews.

 

[dabuddha]

25k / year before taxes in houston? Good luck. Hell 25k after taxes is bad still. If you can survive on that, then i'd say go for it to get the experience but keep looking.

 

[EvanGeliSt]

If you can afford it (expenses self-sustainable - visit less of "Hot Deals" )- then go for the job if it offers good experience. IF you're hard for $$, there's really nothing much you can choose from. Other than that - do it like me - bum around

 

[wyvrn]

His degree is not in "IT", it is a business degree which concentrates on technology. He can use it for more than just a network admin type position. He could manage, and if he decides to get his masters, could make a lot of money down the road.

I would take the job. The market is horrible right now. I know lots of people with experience and college degrees taking this kind of offer because they cannot find anything else. After pounding the pavement myself for a year, I decided to give up and am now back in college.

He will make all sorts of contacts which will be more valuable to him than what he is losing in salary. He is young and has plenty of time to find a better job. If the economy were booming I would say skip it, but I don't think he has that luxury.

 

[dabuddha]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
His degree is not in "IT", it is a business degree which concentrates on technology. He can use it for more than just a network admin type position. He could manage, and if he decides to get his masters, could make a lot of money down the road.

I would take the job. The market is horrible right now. I know lots of people with experience and college degrees taking this kind of offer because they cannot find anything else. After pounding the pavement myself for a year, I decided to give up and am now back in college.

He will make all sorts of contacts which will be more valuable to him than what he is losing in salary. He is young and has plenty of time to find a better job. If the economy were booming I would say skip it, but I don't think he has that luxury.

thats good advice but not viable if he can't afford to live there. Houston's cost of living isn't that low even though it is in Texas.

 

[wyvrn]

That is true I lived in Houston for 8 months. It is expensive. I could live on $25k in Houston, but that's just because I can be damn frugal when I want to be. To me, the experience and contacts are essential. He can always move on to a better job tomorrow. He is not declining other job opportunities by taking this one. Therefore, the choice is an easy one.

 

[fonzinator]

Originally posted by: wyvrn
His degree is not in "IT", it is a business degree which concentrates on technology. He can use it for more than just a network admin type position. He could manage, and if he decides to get his masters, could make a lot of money down the road.

I would take the job. The market is horrible right now. I know lots of people with experience and college degrees taking this kind of offer because they cannot find anything else. After pounding the pavement myself for a year, I decided to give up and am now back in college.

He will make all sorts of contacts which will be more valuable to him than what he is losing in salary. He is young and has plenty of time to find a better job. If the economy were booming I would say skip it, but I don't think he has that luxury.

Agreed! I have a degree in MIS, graduated in Dec '01. I took a crappy IT job making $10.50/hr. at a really small company (about 60 employees). There was zero room for advancement, but I learned some stuff. Once I learned everything I could, which only took about 6 months, I took off. I left mainly for my own sanity. I'm now doing ecommerce work making $12.20/hr w/ no benefits at an enormous company. I'm sticking in out here in hopes of finding a better job internally. The company I work for is literally one of the few growing companies in Minneapolis. So yes, the job market for fresh IT/MIS grads is in the total crapper. Your best bet lastig21, is to take the job and use it for the experience and networking. If this company has some size, you can move up. Network as much as you can; make friends with lots of people. Always keep looking for something better, both internal and external.

Your other choice is to head back to school for a masters - may be difficult to get accepted with no experience. I hope all goes well and let us know what you decide!

 

[Elbryn]

I did something similar, graduated in june of last year with a electrical-computer engineering degree. Co-op'ed at an electrical company during school and didnt want to do engineering work. Got a job as a 60% full time helpdesk at the University hospital. Within 3 months one of the full timers left and i moved to full time. Then 3 months after that the deskside support team hired on people and i moved into there. Still not making a ton of money but the job is nice, learning a bit of stuff and I'm going to try to go back and get my MBA for free. Dont discount the possibilities of starting on somewhere as the low man on the totem. If you do a good job and network with people you'll be fine.

 

[DT4K]

Take the job.

All of you saying he shouldn't sell himself short and he should be able to make a lot more than that need to look around. Sure, if he had other job offers that paid better, he should take them.

But the economy in general sucks right now and the IT market sucks more. And he doesn't even have an IT degree. There are tons of people with CS degrees who can't find a job in their fields. Three years ago, a CS degree was practically a guarantee of a high paying job offer. Right now it is not. Trust me, I graduated 2 years ago in CS. I was very lucky to get a job through one of my professors contacts shortly before I graduated. It was a contract position that paid $16/hr and had absolutely no benefits. I worked hard and after 9 months, I got a raise to $23/hr. After 6 more months, I was offered a permanent full-time position making 49K/yr with full benefits. I just got a raise to 51K. I was irritated that I only got a 4% raise when according to my performance assesments, I should really be at the midpoint of my range which is 62K. But after looking around at job postings, I realized I really can't complain at all, because it is highly unlikely I could go anywhere else and make more money.

The absolute hardest job to get is the first one. Look at the job postings and see how many don't ask for experience. Not many. Without experience, it is hard enough to find a job in a good market, let alone a bad one. Who cares what the pay is. Now is not the time to be turning down any job that will help you gain experience.

Take the job and learn everything you can. You will end up with real work experience on your resume, and you will meet people that may be able to help you in the future. If you work hard and do well, you may be able to move up in the company. The experience you gain there will be very very helpful to you in a year or two when hopefully the economy will be better and the tech industry will be growing again.

 

[CTrain]

Originally posted by: Shanti
Take the job.

All of you saying he shouldn't sell himself short and he should be able to make a lot more than that need to look around. Sure, if he had other job offers that paid better, he should take them.

But the economy in general sucks right now and the IT market sucks more. And he doesn't even have an IT degree. There are tons of people with CS degrees who can't find a job in their fields. Three years ago, a CS degree was practically a guarantee of a high paying job offer. Right now it is not. Trust me, I graduated 2 years ago in CS. I was very lucky to get a job through one of my professors contacts shortly before I graduated. It was a contract position that paid $16/hr and had absolutely no benefits. I worked hard and after 9 months, I got a raise to $23/hr. After 6 more months, I was offered a permanent full-time position making 49K/yr with full benefits. I just got a raise to 51K. I was irritated that I only got a 4% raise when according to my performance assesments, I should really be at the midpoint of my range which is 62K. But after looking around at job postings, I realized I really can't complain at all, because it is highly unlikely I could go anywhere else and make more money.

The absolute hardest job to get is the first one. Look at the job postings and see how many don't ask for experience. Not many. Without experience, it is hard enough to find a job in a good market, let alone a bad one. Who cares what the pay is. Now is not the time to be turning down any job that will help you gain experience.

Take the job and learn everything you can. You will end up with real work experience on your resume, and you will meet people that may be able to help you in the future. If you work hard and do well, you may be able to move up in the company. The experience you gain there will be very very helpful to you in a year or two when hopefully the economy will be better and the tech industry will be growing again.

Hes absolutely right. The first job out of college is the hardest one.
Take the job for experience if nothing else.
I know Texas do not have a state income tax so $25K should net you about $360ish per month after taxes.
You can easily live on $360 per month being single. Its not like you're living in NY.

 

[Mill]

Originally posted by: SammySon

I wouldn't take it...nothing seems good about it, low pay and bad hours doesn't seem too interesting...I would just wait and look for another job to come around

Um, I would say that he should get any job he can get.
College grads arn't a very hot commodity any longer.

Guess what Sammy? I totally agree with you here! :beer:

 

[aircooled]

Originally posted by: Millennium

Originally posted by: SammySon

I wouldn't take it...nothing seems good about it, low pay and bad hours doesn't seem too interesting...I would just wait and look for another job to come around

Um, I would say that he should get any job he can get.
College grads arn't a very hot commodity any longer.

Guess what Sammy? I totally agree with you here! :beer:

Yep. Experience is the key. If you take this job and (fingers crossed) the economy starts to rise again, you will be well positioned for the next step.

 

[Chaotic42]

I would take it. It will provide valuable experience, and you'll appreciate working days down the road.



$25,000 isn't bad. I make $12,000. I assume you're single.