Jobs
 

Ok guys, question for you.

I currently have a job that is safe and secure, with no real chance of being cut. The pay is ok, benefits are good, and will be a steady 40 hrs a week.
I have not yet worked a single day at this job, I will start when I get back from deployment, so I can't say weather I like it or not.

There is a job opening with a power sports manufacturing company a little over 2 hours away from where I live. They currently have a job opening that I feel I would be qualified for, and would really enjoy the work. I have no idea of the pay or benefits, and I am sure that there would be more than the standard 40 hrs a week. Also, this job would require me to move.

So... what would YOU do in this situation?

Stick with safe and secure where you are already established?
Go for it! You have to love your job?
Apply and figure out which one to take when/if you get an offer?

Wait until you have all the facts, then make the call. The steady job might be the way to go, but you have no way of knowing which is better until you get more information.

Apply for the new job but give the steady job a chance before you do anything. You might enjoy it or you might hate it which will make the decision easy.

right now i'd stick w/ safe and steady.

If you can afford to take the chance, then I would. But if you can't then go the safe route.

You don't have enough information about the second job to make a decision. Apply for it if for no other reason than to get more details.

He doesn't know much of anything about either job since he's never worked a day at the first job! I'd get all the facts about the 2nd job and apply (never hurts) but I'd also give the "safe and secure" job a chance before I made any rash decisions. Sometimes a job may not look like much on paper but as you do it, you find it to be a perfect fit for you. The work atmosphere, the boss, your co-workers may all be wonderful.

Plus, you have to look at the time and expense of a 2 hour commute for the second job, between fuel expenses and the extra 10 or 20 hours (2 hrs 1 way or 2 ways?) a week of your life, will the supposed extra pay/other benefits be worth it? Getting up at 5:30 am every day to make an 8 am start time and getting home at 7 pm every night, starts to suck after a while... Most of the time, the cost of fuel alone usually offsets any wage benefit.

This.

Ditto. If you don't get the offer for awhile, you may have to work at the steady job, which is no big deal. There is nothing wrong with looking for a better job. But NEVER give up a good steady job until you have a definite job offer from another company.

stick with the safe and secure job right now.

Let's see. You have a sport bike, yet you live in a place with no curves. Secure jobs? You're a veteran, so you have preference for tons of jobs with the government. Anywhere in the country. You're young, or at least younger than me. As I see it, this is a great time to escape.

Relocating sucks and is expensive. Most guys I know that work in powersports or dealerships get to be around stuff they love all day, but seldom have time to ride save their commutes. Safe and secure unless someone shows you the MONEY!

Right. The problem is, I probably won't get back until August. It will be ~30 days after I get home before I start the "steady" job.
If I WERE to get an offer on the new job, I don't think I would be able to give the steady job a chance.

And I wouldn't commute Tigs, I would get a place up there. 2 hours one way every day would defiantly suck.

As far as being able to afford it, that would depend entirely on being able to sell my current house if I would get the new job, and what my new living expenses would be.

I think I'm going to primp my resume and apply at least. Like you all said, worst they can do is reject me.
Especially since I won't be able to start for another 7 months, even though they can't legally hold that against me.

We'll see what happens.

As smileyman said, the powersports industry sucks right now. Doesn't matter what the job is, you won't make much for money, there are rarely any benefits, besides cheap parts.

I could go on, but I won't. It's too depressing.

If I enjoyed the position as much as I did when I worked in the boating industry, it would be well worth the 50-60+ hours I may end up working.

And I realize that the powersports industry sucks, there in lies the risk.

If the money is not better than the job I currently have, I would not accept the position. But with the description, its a relatively high job, I would figure it would be upwards of $45K.

45k? Sales or financing make that much in a good year.

Find out more and see exactly what the job is.

I love the m/c industry, but the pay sucks, they work weekends and only give vacations in the dead of winter. :bash:

I am inferring this so correct me if I am wrong but it sounds like you are thinking this is a job with a dealership. Being that he said this job is with a manufacturer the schedule might be a bit more "regular". I'm sure the outside reps who put on demo days etc. have a messed up work week but that might not be the case for everyone.

Yeah, the job would be with Arctic Cat, so ATV's and sleds, no bikes.
Basically working with R&D to get the BOM down, work with suppliers to get the products needed, and help test the end product.
Also be sure that preproduction products are done on time and help release them to press and dealerships.

That being the case I wouldn't think there would be the schedule issues (working all weekends, holidays, etc.) would exist like they do working for a dealership. Apply for it. There isn't any downside.

I can still see some weekend work with media releases and such, but nothing excessive.
The more I look at it the more I like the description.

Anyone wanna tweak my resume for me?

What are you doing now and why wouldn't you stay with that job?

What is this job that you haven't yet worked?

How old are you?

Powersports right now sucks. Don't go into the industry now, because you could very well be laid off with a few months.

What he said.

Does it say anything about industry shows, or dealer involvement? If so, that can include more than weekends...

But he gets to travel and meet cool people. Kinda like you.

:lol: That can be a "be careful what you wish for" situation. It is an incredibly cool job - but, there are things involved in the fine print that no one tells you until you start the job :wink:

Just trying to help...

Now is a bad time to be in the powersports industry, especially just starting. The whole industry is based on "toys" basically so with the economy the way it is now, the whole market is down. On the dealership end, unit sales were down on average between 30-50% for a lot of brands for last year. Don't have figures for parts and labor but it's got to be close to that too. We can really see it at our dealership since we're not a "large" one. I'm out as soon as I can find another job. Though I loved working in the industry, i'm living on a poverty level income right now and I don't love it that much. While you'll probably be in a salary position you have to consider if things get tighter, you'll likely be one of the first laid off since you'll be the new guy.

I would honestly give my left arm to be in your position.

You have the coolest job and you truly are my hero.

Figure out what you want in life then try to find a job that will pay you enough to enjoy that life. If you can't find one you have to drop something you want or find a job that you might not enjoy as much. In the end being happy is more important them making big dollars. But its no fun having no money.

James

Jobs vanish at a moment's notice, but it takes months to sell a house. Personally, I'd forget about it.

My current "job" is a deployment, so yeah, that's gonna come to an end. :lol:

The job I have not yet worked is a Supply Tech job with the Guard. Govt benifits and hours (good) and starting tech job pay (marginal) with not much room to advance in this area.

I am currently 27, lots of time yet.

It says that the position is in charge of meeting deadlines for product completion of show and press release product. Some weekends could be part of this job, but showing off a new product to dealers and press is something I would LOVE!
I have always wanted to be "that guy" from the factory showing off the new toys to the dealers/press.

I think you just answered your own question :wink:

Flip a coin... when you find yourself wanting two out of three, you have your answer.

Dude, if you have the chance at a federal slot or an AGR position do it. Doing what you love is anything but I've realized that I can learn to love anything that gives me the lifestyle I want. On the flip side, I canearn to hate anything that works my ass off yet leaves me broke. Case in point, I hate desk jobs, but I love the weekends, evenings and holidays off my current desk job affords me. I loved fixing jets and deploying all the time but I love paying my bills and hanging out with my wife and kid more. Just my opinion.

Something else to consider... you're 27 and probably don't have but maybe 10-15 years before "retirement." I wish I'd never gotten out of the AF after being in for 7 years. I'd have 4 years left till "retirement," then I could go find a different job and not worry about having enough money because I'd have the retirement pay. It would have been worth it to stay in, without a doubt. Now, if you're under the new plan, where you don't get the retirement pay until you're in your 60's, you won't see the immediate benefit after putting in the extra years, but it will still be worth it in the end. I had people tell me all this when I was your age. Wish I'd listened to them.

AMEN! I may never forgive myself for getting out of the Army after 10 years. I had my reasons at the time but looking back now they all seems so childish and petty.

Yeah, did my 8 yrs in the AF Reserves but should have cross trained and stayed in for the retirement. I was just fed up with my unit...I could have gotten a position with another unit easy enough and should have. I'd be at 11 yrs now.

I was glad to get out of the Army, even though I had fun and learned a bunch of stuff. They even offered me a promotion and a ton of money (at the time) to re-up. But I didn't join, I was drafted. I wanted to go to college and get a job doing what I wanted to do, not what the Army wanted me to do.

Plus, being a veteran, I got paid to go to school. It got me a job in the Veteran's Office at community college, and got me a job in the Geology Office at University. And I got preference over non-veterans for a great Government job in a place where I wanted to work. Finding out there were twisty roads out here was just icing on the cake.

This is definitely a consideration. I spent only 4 1/2 years in the USMC and thought "no way I will be here for 20 -30 years...that's forever !!" :lol: Well I've now been with the company I work for...for well over 20 years. :lol

Some guys that work here are retired military and not only get this check but the governments as well. :idk:

However if I would have stayed in I could have gotten killed too. :lol: Tough decisions to be made in life for sure...good luck.

I voted to at least apply for the other position and find out the particulars.

I already have the federal tech spot. I start 30 days after REFRAD.
But there are a few things with this. 1. no real upward movement. 2. I want to be able to do more than be a "guard bum" 3. it really doesn't pay that well. so all the "time off" will be spent at job #2. 4. Have to stay in the guard to keep my job.

I have 10 years left to get my 20 yr letter.
I would have to work at my fed tech job for about 27 years to get that retirement.
So... if I put in my next 10 yrs, and decide to get out, I can't if I'm in the tech spot.

I am going to apply for it and see how it goes. If I get the job, I'll check it out when I get home and make the decision from there.

Here's a question...are you even qualified for this job, no offense?

Yes.
I meet all but one required skills listed (not fluent in Japanese) and have past experience in the field.

Cool, just wondering... I still think that you should apply and see if they are willing to wait.

Hmm, that's a pretty big requirement and I can't imagine it would be easy to pick up quickly. Might want to pick up Rosetta Stone and start learning just to show you're putting in effort for the job.

Shit, I've learned a bunch of Japanese from Hentai... There ya go Cutty, just get on Redtube and watch a bunch of Japanese Anime Porn!!!

Rosetta Stone is free through the guard too! I have looked into it, but other things on my mind right now...

And really, how many people in BFE MN are actually going to be fluent in Japanese?

:lol :boobs:

May have more to do with phone calls/conferences than with Yocals in MN

Oh, I know it has to do with dealing with Suzuki reps, but my point was how many applicants are going to speak fluent Japanese?

Most people that are that "well educated" really don't want to live in the middle of no where. Town of 8,500 people in the boonies of MN doesn't usually attract the top of the class harvard or yale grad.