Hey OT, Help me decide which job to take...

[DudeistMonk]

Hey guys, I've been inactive on the forums lately due to some serious job hunting...Looks like it's going to come down to 2 jobs and I always like to consult OT on major life decisions

Distance to both is about the same, pay should be about the same and both have decent benefits but I'm waiting on final numbers.

Job 1 - Web Dev for web design firm small but growing fast, large and small clients. I'd work under a really talented PHP dev doing front end.

Pros:

Talented (+ hip/cool) staff
Growing Co. with room to advance
Office Dog
Wear whatever I want
3 month review for raise

Job 2 - Lead Web guy (I dunno what to really call it). I'd come work for a print and uniform design firm and basically re-build their web presence (sites for clients, order systems, standards, etc.).

Pros:

Possible profit sharing
Management roll
Only web person on staff (I'd be THE guy)

Cons:

Only web person on staff (I'd be THE guy) *yes its both great and possibly terrible
Office is a general mess/staff looked pretty haggard
Have a huge mess to clean up in terms of their existing web stuff

[macaroni tony]

I'd take job #2. With you being "the guy," you'd be much more valuable. And you have a lot of work to do. You could organize everything (office, web design) and not only have the personal satisfaction of a job well done, but look like a ero for the company.

Job #1 sounds a lot like a crop of jobs I've dealt with (and heard of) that came out strong, talking large, and tanked. Just IMO, of course. Not to disparage the guys offering you a job.

[LiquidMidnight]

I agree with Tony regarding the stability comparison of the firms. Start-ups are generally always more prone to tanking just for the fact that most new businesses don't last. With that said, the organizational culture of the first firm sounds a lot more suited to my tastes than the second place. I generally place organizational culture above money in my criteria of jobs, because, if at all possible, I should like coming to the place that I spend 40+ hours of my week at.

Also, it sounds like you are going to be a management guy at the second firm. Keep that in mind. You're going to have different responsibilities and duties than a rank-and-filer. You may like being in that roll or you may not.

[PSPookie]

Keep in mind that one of the down sides of being "the guy" is that while they need you too much to get rid of you, they often need you too much to promote you.

[basstotheface]

The second one is safest, unless the company tanks, but the first one sounds like you would rather work there, it would be more enjoyable.

[Strat-Mangler]

I'd got for the 1st one in a heartbeat. I've been to too many jobs that had a more depressing and/or stress-filled atmosphere than a murder scene & funeral combined.

PHP guys are always in high demand. Job # 1 in a landslide. Being *the* guy usually has more negatives than positives from personal experience.

[DudeistMonk]

PHP guys are always in high demand. Job # 1 in a landslide. Being *the* guy usually has more negatives than positives from personal experience.

Yeah they don't understand a word I say...the interview process was entertaining.

I am a little worried about cleaning up the mess and then getting the axe for them to bring in someone cheaper, cause they don't know the difference between a kid who knows HTML and a professional running CMS systems and building AJAX apps.

I don't think the first company is going to tank they have been around for 3 or 4 years and have a strong backing and a lot of clients. I just don't know if its gonna be more of the same.

[L-A]

Being in the web world, I'd take the 1st offer without question. Having good and knowledgeable people work with you makes *you* a better person and worker over time. Being the whole staff by yourself (aside from this happening in a less interesting environment) leads to much less opportunities to develop yourself.

About startups tanking, they're indeed the ones the most prone to failure, but companies that have been dead stable for ten years probably won't start magically growing when you get there.

[macaroni tony]

Screw you guys. I'm goin home

[EricF]

Based only on the info presented here, I'd probably go with #1. I hate cleaning up other people's messes. Also, if the other employees look beat down and the place is a mess, it may say a lot about the company ownership/management.

[DudeistMonk]

and in comes the dark horse... Muti-national ad agency willing to pay way more for me to make a longer commute and be their senior developer...I'd have the prestige of a big name in the ad industry, a better salary, a team lead roll, would be the most stable, look the best on my resume and it'd be a nice blend of lacky and guy in charge.

I think the hunt it over, waiting for their final confirmation.

[PSPookie]

Originally Posted by DudeistMonk

and in comes the dark horse... Muti-national ad agency willing to pay way more for me to make a longer commute and be their senior developer...I'd have the prestige of a big name in the ad industry, a better salary, a team lead roll, would be the most stable, look the best on my resume and it'd be a nice blend of lacky and guy in charge.

I think the hunt it over, waiting for their final confirmation.

Congrats!

[L-A]

Very nice!

[Jim Nazium]

Originally Posted by Strat-Mangler

Being *the* guy usually has more negatives than positives from personal experience.

I agree. My experience as *the* guy meant not having the resources to do anything right, and getting all the blame when things went wrong.

Sounds like the new offer (#3) is a winner. Good luck!

[DudeistMonk]

...and it's now official #3 wins and I'm now making 1.7x my current salary with better benefits, better vacation, better annual raises, with a boost in responsibility and title...pretty much just plain better. Only thing that sucks is the Turnpike but at this point I could go buy a beamer to make my commute more enjoyable ...or start saving for a house further south (probably the more responsible choice) .

[EricF]

Best of luck with your new venture!!

[MJ5150]

Just follow your heart. That's what I do.



-Mike