Thinking about changing jobs.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Hello all.

A few of you CS old-timers may recall that I used to work in a motel. It was a terrible, grinding experience. Absolute hell on earth. It was so bad, in fact, that eventually I absolutely could not stand it any longer and went to work in a factory -- which was first boring, then tolerable, then unpleasant, and is rapidly approaching unbearable itself.

With this in mind, I've been following the development of an upscale hotel in my city rather closely. Hospitality is not what I want to do with my life ultimately, but it's what I know aside from factory work, and factory work sucks dirty ass.

I noticed the new hotel is finally hiring and I applied. I filled out an application and left a resume yesterday, got a call back later that day, and had my first interview this morning. All indications are that the job is mine for the taking. It pays less than my factory job. At least two dollars less an hour, in fact. However, because of my seniority at Pit of Despair Manufacturing, Inc., I'm entitled to a pretty sweet sum of money on the termination of my employment there -- which I intend to use to pay down my debts, and then save money from the new job to go back to school. Or, alternately, keep plugging away and suffering at the factory, use that money to pay down my debts, then go back to school on the sweet sum.

I'm torn. Change, no matter how good a change it may be, is hard for me and I'm inclined to hold on to terrible things that are familiar just because they're familiar. I know that's not healthy, and now and again I've been able to break free of that, such as when I left Motel Hell for Pit of Despair.

The new hotel does have its strong points, as I learned in the interview this morning. There will be 24-hour housekeeping available, all rooms will have pretty much the same amenities, the entire property will be nonsmoking, and there may even be security on site -- although that last one is still up in the air. All of that means that pretty much everything that made my life a living Motel Hell will be taken care of. I won't have to clean rooms. I won't have to fix toilets or sinks, plant bushes, mop up piss, shit, or vomit, paint lines in the parking lot, or stick my arm up to the elbow into the wall to try to fish out a snake -- all while wearing dress clothes. I won't have to go drag feral cats out of the dryer vents. I won't have to go chase drunks away when they're banging on the doors at 2am.

All in all, it seems fairly easy-going, aside from the general stress and inanity if dealing with the public. I even mentioned my plans to go back to school to the interviewer, who commiserated and said the hotel company is known for working schedules around people who want to further their education.

So, what should I do? Tough it out at a place that pays more but treats me like dog shit, or go with a devil I don't know and take a pay cut?

Any advice?

[Eireann]

I have a feeling that the hotel is the right way for you to go. Even with the pay cut, you could get a raise after showing what you can do, and as you said, the things that made your previous work hellish simply won't exist. Plus, the hotel is willing to work around your schedule.

[Treasure]

I'm going to say that the pay-cut may be worth the salvation of your sanity, and health.
Remember - stress can weaken your immune system.

[Pedersen]

That you are even asking the question is a good thing: It means you're considering the options.

I have a couple of questions for you to consider, though, before saying "Go to the new hotel".

You've mentioned that you are scheduled to get some big/special benefit from Pit of Despair. You have to work there for a specific length of time, though. Have you crossed that time? Are you going to get that benefit? Do you have to continue working there to receive it? Is that benefit worth it?

You're going to get paid $2/hr less. At full time wages, that translates to $4,160 per year. Are you able to live well enough on that much less per year? Will losing that income present issues for you? Your boyfriend (is he fiance? I can't remember)? Your household in general? When school comes in, will they keep you at full time, and just finagle the schedule, or will you lose more time? What about Pit of Despair? What would they do?

I also know you have medical conditions that regulate how much money you can make, else you lose benefits required to keep you alive. Is hotel going to work with those? Or will that present a problem? I know that PoD has nearly cost you those benefits once before. Have they learned? Do they care?

If you leave PoD, are you going to be eligible for rehire if things don't work out at the hotel?

And, finally, do any of those questions matter? As I try to remind people: We don't live to work. We work so we can live, and have a life that brings us joy. PoD brings you misery. The hotel sounds like it would be a better quality of life for you. You'll be happier. For that reason alone, I would say go for it. For some people, some of those questions above though might matter, so I have to ask.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Let's take your questions one at a time.

You've mentioned that you are scheduled to get some big/special benefit from Pit of Despair. You have to work there for a specific length of time, though. Have you crossed that time? Are you going to get that benefit? Do you have to continue working there to receive it? Is that benefit worth it?

Yes, I've crossed the threshold. Used to, you had to work five years to obtain the benefit, and H.R. had a nasty habit of firing people within weeks of them becoming eligible. Then, suddenly, the corporate office undercut them and changed it to three years to obtain the benefit and I've already been there more than four. The money is mine.

You're going to get paid $2/hr less. At full time wages, that translates to $4,160 per year. Are you able to live well enough on that much less per year? Will losing that income present issues for you? Your boyfriend (is he fiance? I can't remember)? Your household in general? When school comes in, will they keep you at full time, and just finagle the schedule, or will you lose more time? What about Pit of Despair? What would they do?

Considering that I can use the money from Pit of Despair to eliminate the majority of my debt, I should be alright. The last time I looked, I had $15k that was coming to me upon leaving Pit of Despair. About a third of that will go to taxes, but even with just $10k, I can still demolish both of my credit cards, a loan, and still have a little to put on my car payment. That leaves me owing a car payment and my share of the rent, and that's all. Now, when school enters the picture, the interviewer said that the hotel company is known for working around schedules and that she even wanted to go back to school herself.

I also know you have medical conditions that regulate how much money you can make, else you lose benefits required to keep you alive. Is hotel going to work with those? Or will that present a problem? I know that PoD has nearly cost you those benefits once before. Have they learned? Do they care?

I nearly lost my health benefits twice, and no the factory does not care. In fact, ever since they discovered that forced overtime was the solution to all their understaffing problems, they've become even more inclined to use it. Had I not been able to trade off all my mandatory overtime days this year, I would have been working forced overtime myself for the past three months. I didn't bring this topic up in my interview, but I can do so on Monday when there will be another interview.

If you leave PoD, are you going to be eligible for rehire if things don't work out at the hotel?

If I leave on good terms I should be. Plenty of people have left Pit of Despair only to come back years later.

[wolfie]

Not a pro or a con, merely a "heads up". You mentioned that you would be due a lump-sum payment on leaving Pit of Despair. Before you make a decision, find out how this would affect your eligibility for the "life support" program you have mentioned in other threads. If it gets treated as ordinary income, the $2/hour pay cut could be a blessing in disguise.

[telecom_goddess]

Not a pro or a con, merely a "heads up". You mentioned that you would be due a lump-sum payment on leaving Pit of Despair. Before you make a decision, find out how this would affect your eligibility for the "life support" program you have mentioned in other threads. If it gets treated as ordinary income, the $2/hour pay cut could be a blessing in disguise.

That's what I was thinking. If my opinion counts I vote for going to the new hotel job. Keeping in mind how the lump sum will affect your benefits. If it's a good outcome, I think you would be happier in the long run and in the short run as well

[auntiem]

What are you thinking about going back to school for? You mentioned that you didn't want to get into the hospitality industry, but if you wanted to go into say accounting/bookkeeping then you may be able to not only go to school, but move up in the company if you go the hotel route.
Some companies pride themselves for "grooming" their employees for higher positions within the company.
I'm learning quickly that people are more likely to promote the fresh out of school employee they know vs. the off the street grad. That way then you can put in your time as the "newbie" in the department and leave for a better job with the good old 2 yrs experience in X department.
All that to say - you'll have more support and possibly be able to use your skills learned in school to move up to a better paying job, pay your "dues" timewise in that job and move on to an industry you like better if you go the hotel job route.

[BroSCFischer]

Just from your answers to Pederson's questions, I think you should rejoin the hospitality industry. At least for the time being.

You have said that you are miserable where you currently are. You have said that they have almost endangered your healthcare, rather than deal with a staffing issue. And the fact that you get a *BONUS* for leaving that will make up for at least 2-3 years of the $2.00/hr less wage (per Peds math) means that this sounds like the best course of action for you.

Hope this helps.

SC

[AnaKhouri]

As long as you won't be making too much money by leaving- that sounds weird - I say try the new job. Honestly it sounds like a situation where it would be almost impossible to lose, and much better for your mental health. And if it doesn't work out, you can go back to the factory until something else turns up.

[Antisocial_Worker]

Unfortunately, it turns out that the point is moot.

I received a voicemail the other day asking for me to return the call to the hotel. I did so the next day, and as it turned out, rather than offer me a position at the front desk they instead wanted to offer me a position as "houseman."

Now, because this hotel chain has its own house lingo and demands that all employees refer to such mundane things as the pool, fitness center, and the housekeeping staff by these made-up names, I wondered just what a houseman might be. Concierge, perhaps? Would it be a job that consisted of making reservations and recommendations? Hell, I could do that in my sleep! I got excited.

And then it turned out that by "houseman" they refer to the person doing the crap work that all their pretty boys and girls behind the desk can't be bothered to do. A houseman cleans the lobby, cleans the pool deck, lugs luggage and helps out in the bar.

Fuck. No. I reiterate: fuck no. I have five and a half years of front desk experience that included, at one point, checking in a couple while simultaneously alerting the police to a suicide attempt on the other side of town -- and I did it with a smile. I have mad desk clerk skillz, and I'm not about to fucking waste them on a fucking grunt work position. Do you understand me? I definitely got the feeling during my interview that this hotel chain is all about style over substance, and just as I am too fat and too old to shop at Abercrombie and Fitch (the retail equivalent of this hotel chain) I am too fat and old to be the front desk face of this new hotel.

I communicated as much to the woman with the posh British accent on the other end of the line, whereupon she hung up on me.

No big loss. One of the beautiful things about applying for the job in the first place was that I didn't really care if I got it or not, which was very liberating. I don't have to be nice if they come at me with a bullshit counteroffer. No... I can just tough it out at Pit of Despair Manufacturing for a few more months.

My current plan is to keep plugging away until January, quit then, and then take the money and run.

[Antisocial_Worker]

What are you thinking about going back to school for?

Social work. As I explained to an acquaintance the other day, I woke up one day and realized that there just isn't enough child rape in my life and I need to fix that.

That was social worker humor. Don't be alarmed.

[Andara Bledin]

A shame that they didn't want to hire you for what you applied for.

You might look into maybe tossing applications at other hotels you might consider decent and see if anything sticks. Since you don't need the job, you don't have to stress over whether you get any call backs, and you might just get lucky.

^-.-^