What would you do?

[makeup]

The contract that I am working on finishes soon and I am now looking for the next role. I live in an area where unemployment is high and good jobs are few and far between. For the last 6 years I have been working in office based roles up to a level of senior manager within an SME. Here's the rub. I recently went for an interview for an ops manager and ended up being offered the position for maintenance manager ( a new position within this growing organisation). To me it feels like a bit of a climb down and I am worried about the consequencial damage it could do to the CV. I am also very conscious that it took me 10 months to find my current job and I am not prepared to spent that long unemployed again and this job is better than nothing.

I have also just finished my BENG which I did primarily to get of the shop floor. OK I'm going to have a second interview so that I can hear the full scope. Do I really want to go back to wearing overalls? What would you do?

 

[ajack1]

It depends how much you need the money or see the chance of getting a better job.

For every person that will tell you they turned down a job only for something better to come along a week later another will tell you they turned down a job waiting for something better only to find out that the job they turned down was the best they were offered, use your gut instinct would be my advice.

 

[livingston]

You know the saying "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush". A job that may not be exactly what you want is better than your contract running out without anything lined up. IMHO.

 

[flamby]

Taking the job opens up more possibilities (including refusing the job later) but refusing it will leave little or no options, at least in short term.

Ciao.

 

[49078]

Taking the job has fewer, and smaller, negative implications. It might not help you in the long run, but if employment opportunites are not abundant it's the best option. I assume you have bills to be paid, i see no other immediate options.

Perhaps you can move up within the organization, or possibly do a parttime mba or masters. There are things you could do that along with a job so that you still progress.

imo

keep in mind, it's easier for us to say something than for you to do it.

 

[BigWallyB]

I am in a somewhat similar situation, so I hope this helps. Got my BENG last year. Been offered “desk jobs” at less than I presently make. Turned them down and of course sometimes curse myself for it. Maybe I need to get my foot in the door? Alas, we cannot know what it would have been like had we done this or that. Being conservative to a fault by nature, I go by the previously mentioned “bird in the hand….” philosophy. So I go with the sure thing. With money coming in you will be able to more readily pick and choose from acceptable offerings, but of course you will have less time to search for those offerings, and we do have to enjoy our limited time here on earth. I am not unhappy (except for those few cursed moments) because a job is not what makes me who I am. Make a choice, smile and enjoy it!!

Life is what happens while we're making other plans.

Wally

 

[ScottyUK]

It might be my interpretation of the terms, but why would Ops manager be seen as superior to Maintenance manager? I'm from the powergen sector, and Ops have the responsibility for running the plant, but Engineering & Maintenance have the responsibility for ensuring it is able to keep running year after year. Both managers report to the same man, and I've never really considered one role as superior to the other, whatever I may have thought about the individuals in those roles.

Is the Maintenance manager a different role to Engineering manager? I'm guessing this is probably manufacturing industry?


----------------------------------

One day my ship will come in.
But with my luck, I'll be at the airport!

 

[BigWallyB]

Generally, my experience here in the states is a maint. manager would be under an engineering person while ops would be under direct plant supervision like the engineer. One level difference.

Life is what happens while we're making other plans.

Wally

 

[rb1957]

makeup,

you mention that the maintenance manager position is a new one ... that puts my antennae up. why has the company decidied on this change ?

i wouldn't have thought at the maintenance manager would put his overalls on ... he'd have other people for that ! and maintenance of what ... a building, a site, a fleet of planes?

you say you've only just completed your BENG degree. i think this is a very creditable thing to do whilst working. maybe recruiters are looking at you as a "junior" engineer rather than as a "senior" manager.

as the other posters say, and as you know, it's a choice (a cr@pshoot?) and only in the future will you be able to say "that didn't work out so bad". A job sounds better than none; don't know that i'd keep actively looking for jobs soon after taking on a new one, but maybe continuing a passive search is ok.

good luck with your decision !

 

[zappedagain]

Accepting the new job offer gives you a stronger negotiating position (why don't they teach engineers negotiating in college?). And then...

Maybe your current contract employer will decide they don't want to lose you and they'll offer a full time position.

Maybe another offer will pop up and you can use the current offer to negotiate a better salary with the the second offer (or vice versa).

Maybe you'll love the new job when you get there.

Maybe you'll hate it.

Endless possibilities; you won't know if you don't try. The choice is yours.

Good luck.

 

[makeup]

Listen guys and gals, thanks for your help. You have given me food for thought.