Job Change - Questions 1

[Engdoitbetter]

Dear all,

I'm an italian Mechanical Engineer with 6 years of job experience and I'm 30.

I worked for three years in a small Oil&Gas company, whose main business was elements for flow measurement and temperature measurement in pipes. Since I has to deal both with CAD design and workmen (apart from vendors and, sometimes, customers), I deemed it a great experience since I could deal both with the practical and theoretical side of things, though little analytical work was involved.
The company went bankrupt, so I had to look for another job; after a few months of unemployment, I was hired by a Company which operates in a complete different field, railway infrastructures and signalling. I have to say that I found railway engineering interesting and, though my job was strictly related to signalling (CAD and Excel work only), I liked to read news, articles, books. etc. about railway engineering in general.
Unfortunately, since my contract had a three-month duration, I wasn't sure the company was going to keep me there for a long time through future renewals of the contract, so I looked for other positions. Now I'm working since 2014 in a medium-sized company (we manufacture piping systems for chemical and pharmaceutical plants) as a "designer", so I spend much time drawing on 2D/3D Autocad, while sometimes I take care of small projects in the workshop. My contract will expire in a year and a half.
My current job is very similar to the first one, but sometimes I feel frustrated for different reasons:

- the company is located far from my home, so I have to travel every day by train or by car for at least 2/3 hours (from home to work and back). This means I sleep only few hours and I have to sleep more in the weekend.
- It seems I don't like this business very much. Very little analytical work is involved and it seems my two bosses don't want or don't like to teach me and take my knowledge for granted.
- I do have problems especially with one of my bosses: he's moody, sometimes he says good things about me, then the next day he's upset and says bad things about me. He doesn't seem to understand the issues involved in my work (I'm the only one there using CAD almost every day) and, due to my shy nature, I'm sometimes afraid to face his judgement or ask him questions.
- It seems I don't like working on site much.

A few days ago the HR department of the railway signalling company phoned me and told me they could hire me back in a month.
the salary would be slightly better than my current one and the workplace is only a few km distant from my home, but the contract would last only a few months, though it could be renewed in the future.

If you were me, would you choose to go back to the railway company? What are the main reasons why you would left your current job for a new one?

Thank youfor your interest and kind replies.

Stefano

 

[MacGyverS2000]

Sounds like your current job isn't what you want/need... but to burn that bridge for something that is quite temporary seems like cutting your nose off to spite your face.

Dan - Owner

http://www.Hi-TecDesigns.com

 

[JMirisola]

That is a difficult situation. On one hand, you have a job that doesn't seem to have much upside other than stability. On the other, you have a job offer that has many upsides (proximity, field you like) but may be short-term. I think I'd go back to the signalling company. Two months into the contract I'd start asking about whether they thought it would be renewed while, at the same time, putting out feelers for other positions.
Having a job that will begin to be detrimental to your health isn't worth keeping if you have options.

Jeff Mirisola, CSWE
My Blog

 

[77JQX]

I'd switch.

 

[MikeHalloran]

If you're not having fun, well, what's the point?


Mike Halloran
Pembroke Pines, FL, USA

 

[Terratek]

How confident are you that you can find another job after your contract (at either place) expires? I would do whatever it took to put food on the table while looking vigorously for a full time, permanent position somewhere. Putting food on the table should be as palatable as possible (pardon the pun...) while providing the degree of security you are comfortable with. Having a bunch of short term employment stints on your resume starts to look bad to a lot of employers, even if they are for contract purposes. On one hand, you like to see an applicant with some diverse experience. On the other hand, you wonder if the person is shiftless because there is no way to tell otherwise. It would look good if you were rehired for a second contract at one firm, though.

 

[rotw]

If you will be looking at it backward and come to realize the choice which you have made was not best; you could say it was by accident or because of misinformed judgment or whatsoever (e.g. due to lack of experience) ; I think this one will fall in the category of "low severity" cases; solution and alternatives will find their way to you while you will be finding your way back.

But, if it was because of some "negative attributes" which has to do with your attitude.. you will have to bear the consequences and recovery can be tough; afterward it is logical: the harder the case, the harder the cure and the harder the lesson, and it can be really tough sometimes...

Concretly ? make sure "your perception" of how your Bosses are acting towards you, is not going to influence "in anyway" the decision process which you follow to go for one way or the other.

Not my intent to lecture people on "morality" here - but you know learning the hard way can be tough, so I deem it is better talk about these issues.

Good luck anyhow.

 

[Engdoitbetter]

Dear rotw,

I do know I don't get along with my boss much, but I'm trying to take into account all the aspects of the issue.
Can you expand more about the "negative attributes", please? I find it difficult to understand your point. Thanks for your time.

In the last few days I started thinking about my professional future. I'm sure I could do my current job for another year and a half, nothwithstanding the difficulties and frustrations I sometimes face; nevertheless, I'm feeling that this second chance with the signalling company (which, by the way, is offering a six-month contract with likely future renewals and a slightly higher salary) is an opportunity to try something different and most probably more interesting.
My first job and the current one require me to do many different things (answering the phone, following workmen, cad drawing, calling vendors, getting materials and components from them etc.); this was not an issue when I started working, since I believed I had to make the broadest ecxperience possible, and still I don't regret it. But now, after six years, I'm realizing that I do not want to do this kind of job for my whole life. So I think there may be a great opportunity here.

Stefano

 

[rotw]

What I meant is that if "potentially" you are not going with the right attitude it can cost you much more (think I expressed myself a bit poorly in my previous post).
For instance if you have the impression that your Boss is not offering you sufficient training/mentoring or is saying so and so to you or about you - there might be some reasons that you don't know or you cannot see yet. Since you mention that you just started in your current company in 2014, I feel you have not been there long enough for your assesment to be objective. Anyhow please take my comment with a grain of salt, reading further your next post and explanation, I see where you come from.

 

[zelgar]

First of all, do you mean 40 minutes of travel time (e.g., 2/3 hours) or 2-3 hours? I'm assuming it's the 2-3 hours based upon you indicating that you're not getting a lot of sleep (but couldn't you take a nap on the train?).

For the railway job, I'd ask if there was a way of getting more of a long-term commitment or possibly a permanent position. Based upon what you've indicated, it sounds like you're very interested in the job, but wary due to the short-term of the job.

Also, it appears that you're about halfway in the contract for your current position (e.g., "My contract will expire in a year and a half"), so it's not like it's a permanent position anyways.

Based upon everything you've said about the Railway job, I think it would be the best option for the following reasons:
1. It's a lot closer to your home
2. You seemed to enjoy the work
3. Even after you left there before the 3-month duration was over for the temporary job, they approached you to come back.
4. The salary is better (also if you include the travel time for the other job, it looks even better)

Unfortunately, there's risks involved with any decisions you make (including staying where you're at right now). There's no guarantee that either job will last for the full term do to unforeseen circumstances. The best thing is to have a job you enjoy and gives you time to enjoy life outside of the office.

 

[Engdoitbetter]

I opted for the railway job for the reasons you listed and something more.

No, 2 (by car) or three hours (by train) in total back and forth. Nap on the train? Yes, especially coming back home, but I don't always fall asleep or sleep good for various reasons, so I can actually recover only during the weekend or holidays.

The railway company told me that there are opportunities to continue the activity and renew the contract, so I'm a bit more relaxed now.
Anyway, I left the company only after the expiration of the contract not before it, perhaps I was not clear. They wanted to renew the contract but they made me wait for about a month, so I opted for my current job.
Nevertheless, since I left a longtime friend there (we were hired together), I was always aware of the fact that the company was hiring more people so I had only to ask him if they would take me back. Obviously they knew I wouldn't have come back at the same conditions.

Regarding my current job, yes it is a long term contract (30 months), and I'm almost sure it would become a permanent position if I stayed. But the Company is facing financial difficulties and, as I said, I want to try a different path.

Thank you all for your answers.

Stefano

 

[root9]

"- the company is located far from my home, so I have to travel every day by train or by car for at least 2/3 hours (from home to work and back). This means I sleep only few hours and I have to sleep more in the weekend."

The amount of money it would take for me to consistently operate on a sleep deficit for a job is absurdly high. Not getting rest takes its toll big time

"A few days ago the HR department of the railway signalling company phoned me and told me they could hire me back in a month.
the salary would be slightly better than my current one and the workplace is only a few km distant from my home, but the contract would last only a few months, though it could be renewed in the future."

So you're guaranteed a few months employment with decent pay at a place you like that's close to home. Seems like a great deal. Worst case is you start searching for other jobs during those few months.

I say go for the job close to home. You certainly don't like your current job and if you're just going to leave that company in a year or two anyway you might as well do it now.

 

[Engdoitbetter]

" if you're just going to leave that company in a year or two anyway you might as well do it now."

It's my thought exactly. There is no point to stay here if I want to leave in future, better take the current opportunity.