YATJO(Job Offer)T: I need your input... job A or B? [[UPDATE Uh oh...]]

[Zeze]

11/15/13 Update

So.. mini update.

I went to the Job B interview for the hell of it.

It went.... really well. God dammit. I didn't tell them I took a job offer.

FFS.... I want B...


11/13/13 Update:

I decided to take A (well B was never in my hand). Of course, B is clearly better. But, I can't let A's offer expire at a small CHANCE of getting job B. Job A is lots of hours, but I'll like the money- prep for the future kids.

I have the second interview with job B tomorrow. I'm thinking of going just to 'practice' interviewing and see the cock tease.

Thanks for your help guys. I could only think of ATOT that would provide thoughtful answers online.

---


I'm kind of torn and thinking out loud:

Job A [Contract position in NJ]: $62/hr full time. They have lots of work and they pay overtime. They said I'll need to work 55-60 hours potentially. That's good money right there. But it's a bare contract job. No vaca, no benefits, no holidays, nothing.

* Conservatively speaking, I'll get at least 50 hrs a week x $62 x 52 weeks = $161,200 in a year.

* Let's take out the average of 9 holidays & 3 weeks of vacation & 1 week of sick day I won't get paid = 6 weeks of non-pay. So the 'real' take home pay is 46 weeks = $142,600

* No healthcare. I have no idea how much healthcare costs, never gotten one outside of work. How much approximately for single (or can I go under my wife's work plan?)

* Contract is 12 months minimum with possibility of extension and/or permanent hire.

* I have the offer letter in my hand.

Job B [Permanent position in Manhattan]: $115,000 -120,000 a year. This is a full-blown perm position in a hippie company with what seems to be excellent benefits. Notably:

• Organic breakfast, lunch, and afternoon snacks ($0 spent daily on food!)
• Complimentary in-house yoga classes
• Full health care benefits
• Destination staff retreats (nice)
• Paid vacation days and major holidays
• 401K with 4% employer contribution
• Monthly TransitChek pass (free $112 monthly)
• Biweekly chair massages
• Chiropractic adjustments
• Staff concierge service

Obviously yoga, massage and chiropractic stuff are fluff. But they all add up to be a nice startup-esque environment. It sounds like it would be a fun, dynamic place to work than job A.

* It's clear that job B is more desirable in both pay, growth, stability, and outlook.

I do NOT have job B's offer. Only second round of interview.

The question is... do I pass on job A because I could possibly land B? A wants me to start on 18th (moving very fast). I think I'm going to ask B if they can hurry up nicely.

Pros and cons of job A:
+ Lots of 'burst' money from get-go with OT. Easy to save up money fast for buying a house.
+ Work will be frantic and hard, but it will be 'easy'- stuff I already know.
+ Job offer in hand. I can take it and go. Both jobs are better than my current one.
- Not a 'career', no guarantee of extension (although likely) or perm hire
- Boring ass inland NJ. This effectively ends my 'youth'. Go to work, come home in NJ, boring.
- Need to buy/lease a car.

Pros and cons of job B:
+ Better overall compensation
+ Great work environment
+ Gets to work in Manhattan which I've never done and always wanted to do once in my life. I always wanted to work, then hit up happy hour/bar crawl with friends and coworkers in NYC. This personal fulfillment cannot be underestimated. I need to get this out of my system for few years.
+ No need for car
- Looks like challenging new work & lots to learn. Frankly I'm so used to being comfortable, I'm bit scared to tackle new things.
- Don't have the offer.

Hmmmm what are your thoughts? I should take A and just run with it. It'd be foolish to throw what I have on the table just for the B's prospect of offer.

 

[etrigan420]

it all depends on your situation really... I'm 42, married with 4 kids, so I'd probably be more inclined to take job b...

 

[Zeze]

it all depends on your situation really... I'm 42, married with 4 kids, so I'd probably be more inclined to take job b...

I would too... except I don't have the offer. The question is should I risk A's offer for the chance at B?

 

[boomhower]

I would too... except I don't have the offer. The question is should I risk A's offer for the chance at B?

Guess that depends on how happy you are with your current job. Think of how you are going to feel if you let A go and B doesn't hire you. If it's bad take A and call it a day. I'd give B a call and let them know the situation and see if they are really interested or not.

From the looks of things the pay is going to more or less equal out in the end. You'll certainly be more happy in NYC. Doesn't seem to be much of a downside to B other than you don't have the job. Learning new things should be a + and not a -, more to add to you box of tools.

 

[brianmanahan]

62$ for contract work? ugh, i wouldnt touch it for any less than 80$. i just interviewed some devs for 6 month contracts that cost anywhere from 80$ to 95$ per hour. of course, they might not be seeing all that money, but still.

i vote B. maybe. you could get insurance from your wife and give A a try.

actually go A and let me know how contracting is, lol. i really want to do it but am scared to try.

 

[VAisforlovers]

That's some good money. What kind of roles are these?

 

[AdamantC]

Damn, if you could get "B" for certain you should jump on that like a tube-tied STD immune hooker.

Choice "A" sounds like it might be a bit of a meat grinder. So definitely consider your current physical and mental state and if you have the endurance to grind out the hours. However if you need the money "now" or you're unemployed go for "A" as that seems to be a certain thing, and the money is good.

 

[Drako]

B.

 

[BoomerD]

Job B...is that salary for 40 hours per week, or unlimited hours?

While you might be willing to work a few extra hours each week to get what you want, are you willing to work 50-60 hours for that salary?

 

[iGas]

I would call B and take it if they offer it to me. A is okay if you don't have a young family, and if you live less than 30 minutes drive away.

 

[Zeze]

62$ for contract work? ugh, i wouldnt touch it for any less than 80$. i just interviewed some devs for 6 month contracts that cost anywhere from 80$ to 95$ per hour. of course, they might not be seeing all that money, but still.

i vote B. maybe. you could get insurance from your wife and give A a try.

actually go A and let me know how contracting is, lol. i really want to do it but am scared to try.

Contracting agencies take a decent chunk. That $95/hr cost for dev jobs.. the devs are probably making in $50-60s.

Why are you scared of contracting?

 

[Zeze]

Damn, if you could get "B" for certain you should jump on that like a tube-tied STD immune hooker.

Choice "A" sounds like it might be a bit of a meat grinder. So definitely consider your current physical and mental state and if you have the endurance to grind out the hours. However if you need the money "now" or you're unemployed go for "A" as that seems to be a certain thing, and the money is good.

A part of me is scared of Job A. I'm afraid I may not succeed or I give myself credit more than I really am as an outgoing PM in a new environment.

Job B will be hard work in terms of 'labor', but at least I know I'll be good at it. This is more of a 'workhorse' job.

 

[dbk]

B, if u get it

 

[uclaLabrat]

I would too... except I don't have the offer. The question is should I risk A's offer for the chance at B?

You don't have their offer, but you have a decent amount of leverage. Ask them what their time frame is, if they offer, counter $130K, come out way ahead. $130K with full bennies is much better than $140K contractor.

 

[Schfifty Five]

As far as health insurance goes, most likely yes you could join your wife's plan if it's allowed by her employer. If it is, she will probably be paying more than double what she's currently paying, though it varies greatly with what type of healthcare plan it is and how much of the premiums her employer is footing. Some companies will pay most of the health insurance premiums for the immediate employee, but when a spouse joins, the employer won't really help foot any of that additional premium. She may pay $50 out of her paycheck for insurance, but if you were to join, she could pay like $200 now (arbitrary numbers for example's sake).

 

[SheHateMe]

B.


You are going to work yourself to death at Job A. Having tons of money is nice...but if you can't relax at some point, its not worth it.

 

[mnewsham]

Speed things up with B if possible, if that still doesn't work in hurrying things along, or B turns you down, take A.

 

[quikah]

Didn't you get married a few months ago? I would think your wife's open enrollment to add you on her insurance would be closed by now. Think it is 30 days from qualifying event (marriage). Need to check when her open enrollment period is.

 

[Zeze]

Didn't you get married a few months ago? I would think your wife's open enrollment to add you on her insurance would be closed by now. Think it is 30 days from qualifying event (marriage). Need to check when her open enrollment period is.

Hmmm. Will look into this.

 

[rga]

Your best bet would probably be to stop relying on the internet to make every single decision in your life for you - especially career choices.

By the way kettle, I hope all is well.

 

[the DRIZZLE]

A few things to think about:

Taxes
If job A is done as a 1099 you will have to pay the employer share of the SS and Medicare tax which will add about 7% on the first $114K and 1.45% between $114 and $200K.

For job B, you'll have to pay the NYC income tax if you are also living in NYC which will be around 5% at that income level.

I encourage you to use some of the free tax and paycheck calculators out there so you can the analysis on an after tax basis.

Hours
For job A, are they going to let you charge every hour or you going to have to "eat" some hours. Are you getting paid for lunch?

For job B, what kind of hours do you think you'll really be working?

Future options
This is the most important thing. How well do each of these jobs set you up for the future? You should be trying to maximize your earnings and job satisfaction over the full duration of your career, not within a single year or job.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

I'd take B.

 

[Zeze]

Your best bet would probably be to stop relying on the internet to make every single decision in your life for you - especially career choices.

By the way kettle, I hope all is well.

Still mad.

 

[BikeJunkie]

B all day long. You can't beat a work environment/culture like that with a stick.

If you don't need a new job right now and you're leaving purely of your own volition, I think it's worth passing on A in hopes of landing B. Now if these both represent a huge jump from your current salary, that's maybe a different story. It's great raking in the bucks with A but it's only a 12 month guarantee.

I work under similar circumstances and it sucks stressing about whether you're going to get an extension or whether you need to be client shopping. In fact, I'm in that exact spot right now and I'm trying to land a B-type job. Resume submitted, just waiting and hoping to hear back.

 

[sdifox]

B is the better chice