Hatrack River Forum: Job advice needed

This is topic Job advice needed in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :

Ok, here's the deal. I have a lousy manual-labor/AV support job with a boss I can't stand. However, it came with a great super-private office and a top-of-the-line computer, and it also pays the bills. The bills are very bad at the moment, and will be until August.

I just got an email from the kid who makes the Mars Rover animations, saying he'd like to hire me to help on that project and some others. He'd like to bring me on for a week full-time as an evaluation period, then continue that full-time until around August, when the current projects are slated to finish. There are a lot of details I still need to get, like salary, hours, and location (could I work from home?), but I've met with him before, and I feel pretty confident about my ability to contribute to these projects.

Which is exciting, but I'm not sure how to pull this off. Would I just announce my resignation next Monday, work the following week (screw two weeks notice, I owe them nothing), and then hope that this trial week at the new job worked out? Or would I take a weeks vacation, do the trial, then come back and work my terminal week before going back to the animation? That seems like the safest way to play it, but I'm not sure the new job would appreciate the interruption.

All-in-all, not bad prospects to have to consider! Though it fills me with all sorts of scary tingly butterflies thinking of finally quitting, but quitting so soon! Yeesh, I'd have to start cleaning out my office and computer, like, now! [Embarrassed]

Posted by ElJay (Member # 6358) on :

If he wants to hire you for a trial period with no promises of future employement, he should be open to you needing to go back and do your final week with your current employer once he offers you the job for real. He shouldn't want someone who's careless enough not to do that, and you shouldn't want to work for someone who's thoughtless enough not to allow for it.

[Smile]

Ask him when you talk about money and stuff.

And good luck!

Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :

Oh! and the other hitch is that my current employer is a real stickler about asking for vacation well in advance, so actually that may not work out, anyhow. If these animation projects are ending in August, I'm thinking we're at the point where every week counts, and waiting a month or more to start may not be an option. [Dont Know]

Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :

I would be honest with your new employer. I would think they would want you to honor your appropriate leave-taking from another job.

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :

I'm voting on using the vacation and make sure something is confirmed before you lose the bird in hand.

-Trevor

Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :

Darn, it would add a whole 7 minutes to my commute, for a total of 12. [Embarrassed]

Hey, it's a real issue when I have to go home every day for lunch! [Smile]

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :

Lie.

Claim a family emergency and you're willing to sacrifice vacation days to make the books balance, but you have to address the family issues.

And then don't answer the phone for the week you're "away."

You might even want to think of a family crisis so if you get quizzed, you're not improvising blindly.

-Trevor

Posted by Zeugma (Member # 6636) on :

One possibility would be to ask for the week of the 18th off this upcoming Monday, and if they refuse it, announce my resignation instead.

Posted by TMedina (Member # 6649) on :

I refer you to the "bird in the hand" theory of job hunting. [Big Grin]

-Trevor

Posted by aspectre (Member # 2222) on :

Or the 80hour work-week until the August termination date. After the one-week evaluation/training, the dude making the offer has no reason whatsoever to set you on a regular work-week schedule.

[ April 08, 2005, 04:54 PM: Message edited by: aspectre ]

Posted by Dagonee (Member # 5818) on :

I vote the week's vacation and then working double duty for a week or two until he hires you.

1) This sounds like a great opportunity.

2) He likely can't find anyone on shorter notice.

3) He can't reasonably expect you to quit until he has given you a commitment at least through August.

4) If this work only lasts through August, you need a good reference from your current job, so you can't piss them off when you leave.

BTW, congratulations. This sounds like an awesome opportunity.

Dagonee