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Job options question

wraub

wraub

Apr 9, 2004
7,761
10,630
ennui, az
#1
Hello there. I am in a minor dilemma, and looking for opinions.

I have had a dead-end job for 2 years, mainly because it has afforded me time and opportunity to be with my family. It is now time to move on to a more lucrative job, which offers more salary/advancement options. I have before me now 2 options:

1. Receiving at a hospital, part of a major national med-care corp. My background is in shipping/receiving, many years experience. Offers a medium raise from my current job, plus benefits I currently lack, as well as being fairly close to home in a fixed workplace (as opposed to my current driving gig), contrasted with some strenuous lifting, etc. Overall familiar and probably not too physically taxing.

2. Installer for a major national telco corp. I have experience with low-voltage wiring which is necessary for the position. Offers a raise of double my current pay, plus benefits I currently lack, plus paid training. Opportunity to learn a trade is contrasted with often strenuous work in varying conditions, i.e. attics, basements, and various desert critters (scorpions, spiders, AZ heat, etc). The drummer in my originals band is a supervisor there, and has the way in.

What would you do?
 
#5
How old are you and what goals do you have?

Between the two, I'd choose the hospital gig. I've also worked in healthcare (though IT side) for almost a decade, so I know my way around there and am fairly comfortable in that situation. I got out of it because of various reasons, some of which you'll run into, but most you'd avoid being in logistics, not IT.

If I had plans (i.e. something like house buying, starting a family) and were younger, I'd take the one with the higher salary, and have a 2 year max plan for it, then finding something else.

I'm surprised the installer job isn't a contract job. I figured most of those were 1099 based, not FTE with benefits. I work for a tiny, left to ourselves division of a major telco/ISP now - I'm almost certain most or all of ours are contractors (though there are some with 5 or more years tenure). Nothing wrong with a contract gig - I sure as heck have done plenty and raked in money doing so.
 
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#8
I moved from real estate to healthcare in 2005, one of the best decisions I ever made. Depending on how old your kids are, etc. I would say that a short commute and regular hours with no travel makes for a much better family situation, that to me is worth a lot.
 
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#10
MJ5150 said:
Would your drummer be your supervisor?
Either way, I'd take the hospital job. I don't like climbing around in attics.

-Mike
Click to expand...
@wraub

I'd take 1 as well. Less taxing on you, stable and you're already experienced in the field. Besides option 2 sounding not so good on your body, who wants to get fired by the drummer?
 
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#11
Answers to questions above-

My family is very important to me, and imo the more time I can get with/for them is for the better.

My current job offers just enough money to survive, and bills are often a struggle. It would be nice to catch up and start saving again. Travel would be nice as well, plus new clothes/shoes when needed are good too. I hear.

Not sure the drummer would be my super, but it is likely. Plus, if it occurred, being fired by the drummer would, I'm sure, institute some sort of temporal paradox or something. Can't be good. The gig, though, is non-contract, fte with benefits- the drummer is currently (according to him) making around $24 an hour.

I am in my 40s. I am in pretty good physical condition (knock on wood), so not too worried about the strenuous parts of the installer gig, but would feel better avoiding them. Time marches on, and all that.
I am not a big fan of attics, scorpions, or crawlspaces either.

The hospital gig would be my preference as well. I also note that the people currently doing the receiving gig have been there a long time, and openings there are infrequent. This gig would also offer options for advancement.

Thanks to you all for being a sounding board for this. It helps to have input from others.
 
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#13
Job 1 Period.

I work for a large medical group. I have never worked with a better bunch of people in my life. The atmosphere in this company is just perfect. We all have a common goal.... care for the patient first and control costs where you can.

Also, even though everyone is nice, hard workers are rare. You can advance easily if you have a 5th gear.

There are also tons of lateral moves to be made. You could start off in receiving but if your management skills shine there are a gazillion departments that will want to put your skills to use.

Education. They love it and will help pay for it.

Clean. Not only is it not dirty, you CAN'T get anything dirty. So even on your most awful day sweat will be the worst dirt you encounter.

Stability. No matter what happens in government, insurance industries, law, whatever, there will always be packages showing up at hospitals. Period.

Travel. Go home and see your people every day.

Work and friends. They don't mix. Don't work for your drummer.....or take a job on the recommendation of your drummer. It could end badly.

These are just my opinions. Best of luck either way.
 
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#14
two fingers said:
Job 1 Period.

I work for a large medical group. I have never worked with a better bunch of people in my life. The atmosphere in this company is just perfect. We all have a common goal.... care for the patient first and control costs where you can.

Also, even though everyone is nice, hard workers are rare. You can advance easily if you have a 5th gear.

There are also tons of lateral moves to be made. You could start off in receiving but if your management skills shine there are a gazillion departments that will want to put your skills to use.

Education. They love it and will help pay for it.

Clean. Not only is it not dirty, you CAN'T get anything dirty. So even on your most awful day sweat will be the worst dirt you encounter.

Stability. No matter what happens in government, insurance industries, law, whatever, there will always be packages showing up at hospitals. Period.

Travel. Go home and see your people every day.

Work and friends. They don't mix. Don't work for your drummer.....or take a job on the recommendation of your drummer. It could end badly.

These are just my opinions. Best of luck either way.
Click to expand...

This, actually, states my personal musings/thoughts/observations perfectly. Thanks.
 
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#17
Metalbasspro said:
That's easy. Installers have a high turn around. The Hospital gig will have good benefits and PTO is generous. Go with the hospital. There is just a lot of computer work with the hospital gig.
Click to expand...
Not sure I agree with that. Each hospital or hospital system I worked for had average or slightly below average benefits and pay. Around here, the pay is around 20% below what a lot of other industries pay, and the benefits were actually lower quality (the healthcare was surprisingly weak, given that I was in the industry). As with most things, it varies place to place - just in my ~10 years it was generally less pay/benefits, but with the tradeoff that you could stay there and retire more easily.
 
#18
Selta said:
Not sure I agree with that. Each hospital or hospital system I worked for had average or slightly below average benefits and pay. Around here, the pay is around 20% below what a lot of other industries pay, and the benefits were actually lower quality (the healthcare was surprisingly weak, given that I was in the industry). As with most things, it varies place to place - just in my ~10 years it was generally less pay/benefits, but with the tradeoff that you could stay there and retire more easily.
Click to expand...

We don't disagree, I said good benefits I did not say great. I passed on a slave job because the work would have taken out my knees and while the benefits were way better it seems you will pay in more ways then one for great bennies. I am not highly educated however. If you are, you'd not be looking at a receiving job at a hospital anyway.
 
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#19
Metalbasspro said:
We don't disagree, I said good benefits I did not say great. I passed on a slave job because the work would have taken out my knees and while the benefits were way better it seems you will pay in more ways then one for great bennies. I am not highly educated however. If you are, you'd not be looking at a receiving job at a hospital anyway.
Click to expand...

I actually have 2 college degrees.
They are little use in the current job market though.
 
#20
wraub said:
I actually have 2 college degrees.
They are little use in the current job market though.
Click to expand...

I may understand where you're at. I have a two-year degree, and about 120 additional college credits that I can't put together into anything useful.

In the military, I did a job that requires a civilian to have a Master's degree. For the last five years, I have been skipping around various blue collar jobs that require nothing but a high school education. I currently do residential carpentry, and generally hate it.

The dichotomy of having been in a high level scientific military job, followed by five years of generic blue collar jobs seems to get me blacklisted by every HR department.

Frustrating, isn't it?
 

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