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Subject:Re: TW jobs-how to choose From:figmo -at- rahul -dot- net (Lynn Gold) To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Mon, 18 Dec 2000 13:24:15 -0800 (PST)
Bruce Byfield wrote:
>
>"Janys K." wrote:
>
>> I am having a difficult time deciding which one to
>> take and I am hoping to get some feedback about how
>> others evaluate job offers and consider the most
>> important factors in choosing a fulltime job.
>
>The job in the other city would be a cut in pay, especially if the
>cost of living in the city is higher. However, unless your money
>requirements are tight, the difference is small enough not to matter
>very much. If your negotiating skills are up to the effort, you
>might even be able to ask for a few thousand more to make up the
>difference.
>
>Either way, I don't think that money should be the deciding factor
>for you. The difference is probably not great enough, The real
>question is what you want. Do you want to move? Do you like
>flexibility and responsibility? Do you prefer working on a team?
>
>And, for me, the most important question would be one that no one's
>mentioned yet: how interesting is the work? How important the
>question is depends on how long you plan to stay with the company,
>but, even for a short span, I would feel that I was just marking
>time if I wasn't interested in what the company was doing. Forty
>hours a week is a quarter of my waking hours, and I don't want to
>waste them on indifference or outright boredom.
Another factor to consider: growth. A job writing about obsolete
technology using obsolete (or less commonly used) tools is less likely to
get you a good next job than one where you're on the cutting edge.
Also think about the types of documentation you want to write. For
example, a friend of mine took a pay cut to get a job writing API
documentation because, although she's capable of doing it, her resume is
weak in that area and she needs writing samples. Another person I know
took a job because she wanted "UNIX" on her resume.
>When I've had to choose between jobs, I've drawn up lists of pros
>and cons, and made the decision from the lists. You might want to do
>the same.
Good idea. I do something similar when I am trying to make up a decision
when it doesn't seem clear. Specifically, I make up a pro and con list and
assign numerical values to each item ranging from 1 to 5 with 5 being the
best (or worst). I then tally and use the end result to decide, often
tweaking the numbers if they seem "off." (That also tells me alot about my
priorities.)
--Lynn
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