Future job opportunity???

[TN94z]

So I have been working for AT&T; for 10 years. I was talking with a friend today (a guy I know from work encounters, not a friend I hang out with) and he started talking about potentially needing someone in the future. Here are the pros and cons: Pros Pay would be about 30% more than I make now I would have my own office They don't break their backs working It is in an IS department (for one of the biggest healthcare/hospital systems in my area) which is what I originally wanted to do Job security may be a touch better than AT&T; just because my current job relies on our onsite customer renewing the contract after every expiration. If they don't renew, I would have to relocate (if I am lucky) or lose my job to a surplus. Cons Insurance is not as good 403b with no match currently(future job);401k with match where I currently work Would be starting over with seniority but it's the type of place where you are judged on productivity and not seniority. It's obviously not union like the company I work for now. I guess my biggest concern would be the retirement and then insurance. I am pretty certain that if I could make it until retirement with AT&T;, that I would end up with more money to live on as opposed to relying on the 403b and my saving ability to have a good retirement. What would be the best way to compare these? I thought about putting my current info in a spreadsheet and assign a dollar figure to each benefit and produce a total dollar amount to go by. I have never been in this position, so I am afraid of making the wrong choice!!

[iacas]

In my experience, working for/with friends can be really good or bad. There's rarely a middle ground.

I'm not you and I can't make the decision for you. The only thing I wonder about is if the job security is really better at a place that's doing "employee housekeeping" than a multi-billion dollar company that's employed you for ten years.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by iacas

In my experience, working for/with friends can be really good or bad. There's rarely a middle ground.

I'm not you and I can't make the decision for you. The only thing I wonder about is if the job security is really better at a place that's doing "employee housekeeping" than a multi-billion dollar company that's employed you for ten years.

I call him a friend because I have known him a few years through work...not a friend that I hang out with or anything.

As far as job security goes, AT&T; has layoffs quite frequently. I have been with the company for 10 years only because I have skated through a few surplus situations.  I started out working with Bellsouth who thrived on CPE (customer premise equipment) customers.  AT&T; has since bought Bellsouth and they are not as concerned with CPE.  My job right now depends on whether or not the onsite customer where I work decides to stay with us as a vendor or not. If they were to decide to go with another vendor after out contract is up, then I must relocate or lose my job.

Also, this is not with a "friend's" business.  It is with one of the biggest hospital/healthcare facilities in this part of the state.  I just wanted to add that information as well.

[JT SCRATCH]

I think one of the key factors could be your personal situation.  Are you married, do you have kids, etc?  I am the type of person that gets scared of big change, regardless of how great it "could" be, but thankfully my wife has the complete opposite personality, so we kind of balance each other out.  Regardless of your choice, i wish you the best of luck.  I know this wasnt great advice, but hopefully it can be of some help.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by JT SCRATCH

I think one of the key factors could be your personal situation.  Are you married, do you have kids, etc?  I am the type of person that gets scared of big change, regardless of how great it "could" be, but thankfully my wife has the complete opposite personality, so we kind of balance each other out.  Regardless of your choice, i wish you the best of luck.  I know this wasnt great advice, but hopefully it can be of some help.

I am married with a step-son.  I guess I am somewhat the same way.  I am not afraid of the "change" as the new job is in a field that I more interested in...routers, switches, WLAN, etc.... It's the fear of making a stupid decision that gets me.  I am fairly certain that IF I could stay with AT&T; until I am able to retire, then I would end up with a better retirement than relying on the 403b and my savings ability.   But with my current situation, that could be a big IF.

Any input is welcomed, thanks for the reply.  It's nothing that is happening right now.  The guy just told me to be thinking about it for the future.

[Quinn07]

Here's a few things to think about:

1. Job Security - If you have a guaranteed job at the other location with room to grow I think it's a no brainer.  The new job offers more money and sounds like you don't have to wait for someone to die or quit to move up.

2. Retirement - Take 15% of the extra 30% that you would be making it and start putting it away.  Depending on your age, that may be enough and since you haven't seen that money before so you won't miss it.  So this should be a no brainer as well (assuming you are able to live on your current salary, which I assume you can or this decision would be a lot simpler)

3. Healthcare - I am Canadian, so I can't talk about this one too much as our health care system is much different.

A BIG plus that I would say and one that probably 80% of people don't get to do is doing work that they love or prefer.  From your OP it sounds like the new company would allow you to do work that interests you.

My response would be to do it, but I say this with only knowing what you provided. JAT.

[TN94z]

Originally Posted by Quinn07

Here's a few things to think about:

1. Job Security - If you have a guaranteed job at the other location with room to grow I think it's a no brainer.  The new job offers more money and sounds like you don't have to wait for someone to die or quit to move up.

2. Retirement - Take 15% of the extra 30% that you would be making it and start putting it away.  Depending on your age, that may be enough and since you haven't seen that money before so you won't miss it.  So this should be a no brainer as well (assuming you are able to live on your current salary, which I assume you can or this decision would be a lot simpler)

3. Healthcare - I am Canadian, so I can't talk about this one too much as our health care system is much different.

A BIG plus that I would say and one that probably 80% of people don't get to do is doing work that they love or prefer.  From your OP it sounds like the new company would allow you to do work that interests you.

My response would be to do it, but I say this with only knowing what you provided. JAT.

1) I would want to find out a bit more info on the "job security" of the new job.  My current position is explained above but we are union which relies heavily on seniority when a surplus happens.  I have been here 10 years, so I have good seniority, but I am by no means the top guy.  The way he made it sound, it would hire in at the top of the ladder as far as the positions are concerned.  You have 3 different levels and I would be level 3, so I don't think moving up would be a big deal.

2) You are correct and that would have to be done, IMO, to get the same as the company match I have now.  And I could probably move my current retirement into a IRA or something, I'm not to savvy on the retirement stuff to be honest.

3) This will have to take some real comparison.  I know my current insurance is better, but how much is the question.

Yeah, the work for the new employer is what I had originally wanted to do 10 years ago.  I have been studying and getting certifications on my own with my new job just in case something were to ever happen with my current job.  It was my way of creating some job security.

One other thing too...I feel as though my current job is making me "stale."  We rarely see any new equipment or work on it and never get to install it.  So we just do the same things day in and day out.  I feel as though the new job would promote growth in the knowledge and experience departments.  We all know how fast the data industry changes and I would have to keep up with that to stay fresh.

At my current job, there is no need to stay up to date except for personal preference.  There is bad with that though.  For example, I have studied Cisco for years.  I have passed tests and gotten certifications, but I never get to work on the equipment, so I quickly lose that information.  Now, my learning curve is much faster than most because I have studied it in the past.  But if I were asked to setup some VLANs or something, I would struggle for a few. So, while it is good to study these things, it becomes lost unless I just do test after test.

Anyway, thanks for the reply. Good advice!!