Got myself a new job - a few questions

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

I’ve spent the last five years working in Tech support and am currently working in 2nd line desktop support within a large outsourced environment. There are very clear and strict boundaries between the server team and desktop support – as a result we have very limited involvement and access with regards to servers

After going through a lengthy selection process, I have been offered a position working for a large manufacturing company. From what has been described of the role, it will be primarily desktop with server involvement – eg troubleshooting windows servers when they are affected by issues etc.

There is also a dedicated server team within the organisation, however they seem to be more project orientated and act as an escalation point for the more troublesome server issues.

I’m 99.9% certain I’ll take the role, I don’t feel that the environment I currently work in can offer me the diversity or variety to allow me to broaden my knowledge and up-skill.

I can see the new company as offering me good long term prospects with regards developing my career and skills without having to change companies.

One worry I do have is lack of continuity on my CV, I have been constantly employed within the IT sector for the last 6 years, have had five different jobs during this time. I have only been in my current role for 18 months. Is this going to look bad from a CV perspective.

Another concern is that my new employers also have a three month notice period. If in the event of me wanting to leave x number of years down the line, I could end up in a sticky situation as most employers are only prepared to wait a month for new starters.

What should I do with regards the above, anyone else in a similar position?

Cheers

MaX

 

Oh man! Ad-blocking software has been detected! :'(

This website is run by the community, for the community... and it needs advertisements in order to keep running. Blocking our ads means your killing our stats!
Please disable your ad-block, or become a premium member to hide all advertisements and this notice.

If you feel you have come to a wall in your learning in your current job, then go for this new one. I have had lots of jobs in the past, if they asked why at interview I used to say something like 'I was moving around to get the most experience as quickly as possible, now I am ready to settle long term in a company, just looking for the right one'.

 

What nightwalker said

Also in regards to the notice period you will find a lot of big companies have a 3 month notice period but with some it only ends up being a month and a half then the rest is gardening leave. Thats how my brothers firm worked when he handed in his notice. Basically he had a month and a half holiday before he could start his new job

 

On the surface I'd take the job; or at least talk to the current employers about a chance to work on other technologies. Though if the lines are drawn (as you say they are), there's probably little chance of that.

I've never heard of a 3-month notice period. Is this a contract position or a full-time employment role. Anything over 2-weeks is abnormal, and I've never seen more than 1-month. Maybe it's a Eurpoe thing.
What's the penalty if you leave early?

 

I was in a similar position 3 years ago. The company I was with were paying me little in wages and I was basically stuck doing the job of IT technician. Then, I landed a job with a local council that paid 50% more for roughly the same job, but with the prospect of career progression thrown in. So I was all set to leave, when at the last minute my current employer came up with a (rescue) package aimed at keeping me from leaving. Like a fool I decided to stay and have regretted it ever since. A lot of the promises that were made have not been fulfilled and so I'm now in the process of looking for another post.

So if it were me (only my opinion) I'd take the job.

NB

 

I'd recommend taking the job... but with the caveat that I'd reject outright the three-month notice. I gave my previous employer a full month out of courtesy, but I wasn't required to do so.

 

Just a quick update. I told my boss today that I'd got another job and he became very irate about the fact that I had gone for a job behind his back.

One of the reasons I had had to look else where was that he virtually blocked me from moving into our server team, even though the heads of IT and the server team were behind me moving.

I can understand his rationale, while this may sound arrogant, I am considered the key player of my team, and the go to guy for any awkward technical, political or procedural issues which may occur.

I feel very awkward and almost guilty about this situation that I'm now in, but work experience and career development mean a lot to me.

He has made me feel guilty and almost as if I'm being selfish for holding my own career aspirations before the needs of the company .

I was expecting him to try and keep me in the company by allowing me to move teams, however he has pulled a guilt trip on me and made me feel guilty for considering leaving the team, let alone leave the company!

 

don't feel guilty about anything.

There's a phrase that rings true and that is "if you pay peanuts you get a f****** monkey."

If your considered to be a key player then you should be treated as such otherwise they are taking advantage of your good nature.

Your boss is angry because he knows that they are taking you for a mug and because you have realised this he is now pissed off. Don't let it get to you or you will become someone who he will see as a pushover and it will give him carte blanch to do what he likes in regards to your job.

 

Consider this: would you want to STAY at a place where your boss would intentionally try to make you feel guilty for looking out for your career's best interests? I wouldn't.

I left my last job about a year ago, right before a migration to redundant servers, virtualization, and SAN implementation. I was the only network or systems admin on staff. By all rights, my supervisor should have been stressed enough to go ballistic! But he knew that going to work for Boson as a writer was what I wanted to do. He was sad to see me go, but he wished me well. Because he handled the situation well (as I knew he would), I gave him four weeks notice instead of two, and told him that I would work nights and weekends for him if he needed me. I also helped him interview a capable replacement to take my place, and ultimately, all went well.

Please, don't feel guilty. Good techs *will* advance. You know it, and your boss knows it. Provided he knew that you wanted to get server experience, he should have tried to make that available to you. If that wasn't possible due to a lack of work, then he should have been prepared for your eventual departure.

Ultimately, YOU have to look after the best interests of YOUR career. Nobody else will; your boss is looking out for the best interests of the company, as he should. Still, it sounds like he could have handled the situation better.

Best of luck in your new position!

 

I agree with what's been posted... go for the new job, leaving the old one with your head held high.

Your boss is probably cacking his pants because, if you're the go to guy, you're going, going, gone... and obviously questions may be asked as to why you felt the need to leave.

All the best as you advance your career...

 

I agree with Sparky

Sounds like your Boss is an Asshole and would make your life misery if you stay!

At the end of the day it's their loss not yours, you have to look after number 1 is this world mate.
I know sometimes it would be nice to think that company's out there care and they offer security and loyality to their employees. But that's just living in Fantasy Land!



I worked for a company for over 2 years, I used to be in charge of the staff had the duties of a supervisor but not paid for it! Then I heard a whisper that the company was cutting back and peoples jobs would be on the line. So I started look around for another job and found one! The wife of the MD over heard me talking on my mobile to this firm and told me I didn't need to look for another job because mine was safe and I had a job for life here!!

What a sucker I was for believing that! Because 4 weeks after that I got a letter in the post to say I was being made redundant!

So...I got made redundant and was told I was not entitled to any redundancy money, so I took this to a small claims court. I won and was awarded the redundancy money but at a price I was Banned from setting foot on the property ever again and they refused to give me a reference .

The MD's wife said to me how ungrateful I was, that they had given me a job! She said it in a way that the company was doing me a favour as though they had rescued me from the gutter, fed me, provided me with money to buy clothes and food!

Then she went on to say they where going to give me the redundancy all along, but they forgot to send the letter with the cheque..yeah right!

You've got to look at for number 1 in this world, because no one else will!

 

That sucks! Then again as you say you learned by your mistake. Next time they offer you a bribe to stay, get it in writing and tell them that unless you see this piece of paper with the agreed terms and signature you will leave!!!!

I hope you found something soon mate

 

I'd say go for the new job offer as at the end of the day you're to a large extent in control. If your boss is trying to make you feel guilty he should be the one that should be guilty for not being honest with you.

In terms of jobs and career prospect it is in the employees best interest to look out for their own best. I know it sounds selfish but the rationale is reasonable if you consider it carefully

Lastly, congrats on the new role and yep! definately go for it.

 

Just a quick update on my situation, as I am spending the weekend mulling it over.

I went above my direct managers head and spoke the the head of IT and server team team leader. They seem to hold me in high regard and have some plans to get me involved in the infrastructure support side of things.

My manager, who pulled the guilt trip on me ,also appears to have been instrumental in trying to get this arranged.

While I'm not desperately unhappy there, I do feel that I get taken advantage of a great deal, and have far more placed on my shoulders than other members of the team do. I don't mind the added responsibility, however I often find myself being manipulated or being the butt of my manager's jokes. I'm very laid back personality wise so don't get wound up by it, however sometimes it feels like I command less respect than people in my team who compare very poorly to me in terms of technical knowledge, work ethics and performance.

I still feel a biass to taking the new job, but feel unable to make the move due to the political situation which will ensue. I would like to leave with a good reference! I guess no matter which decision I take, I'll end up upsetting someone!

 

Listen stop griping and take the new job, at the end of the day the world at your current place does not revolve around you. Sorry if I sound harsh but after reading your reply what else is there to consider being ridiculed and what not.

My friend the choice is yours to make but if I were you I'd be out that's for sure. Nuff said

 

Again, it's up to you, but I'll repeat what I said before:

Personally, once I decide to quit, after I get another job and I've put in my notice, *nothing* can make me to reconsider. Not money, not a promotion, not increased responsibilities, not reduced hours, NOTHING. After all... there was a reason I decided to quit in the first place.