Job Woes

[Magnus9]

Ok I need some advice. I had been working at a small security company for almost two years. It was a job I absolutely hated. I hated it so much that I turned in my resignation and left the job last month. Mind you I was so sick of this job that I made the choice to be unemployed instead of continue working there. My salary at the time was $31,500.

So it's been about 2 weeks since I've left and my old boss, the owner of the company, called me today to try to convince me to come back. He offered me all the same benefits and hours I had before, and if anything was good about this job it was the great schedule, plus a salary raise to $50K and a promised bump up to $55K after six months. He also promised to make some changes in my job description that might make me enjoy my job a little more though I doubt anything would work out very well.

When I say I hated this job I really hated it. The last few months working there I was just incredibly depressed. I'm usually a very happy guy but at work I was always angry. There were a few times that I just completely flipped out. One of my coworkers even told me I had an anger problem. Noone had ever told me that before anywhere. People I've known my whole life always describe me as really laid back and have never once said anything like that to me.

The point is that this job really was a very negative aspect in my life. I feel ten times better now not having to work there and I'm unemployed. I'm not even sure if I'm gonig to be able to pay my rent next month but I'm happy I don't work there anymore.

BUT $50K is a lot of money. That's over $3000 a month I'd be taking home after taxes. My debt and pretty much all my financial problems would go away pretty fast if I went back to that job. I'd be able to use the extra money to do stuff I really want to do with my life.

A lot of people have been telling me to go back and just work there for a while until I find something better that I would really enjoy. Plus being able to put a salary of $50K on my resume would be a nice for job interviews.

So should I do this? Go back to a job I loathe for the money or say no to a life I know I'm going to hate?

[Scribe]

Did your boss elaborate on what sort of job description changes he had in mind? I wouldn't be expecting miracles, but that does sound like an interesting offer.

I'd almost jump on the bandwagon and tell you to go back temporarily, but I think going back 'for a little while' might put you in the awkward position of letting your boss down by quitting not long after you return, so I dunno.. it's not such an easy decision.

[BlueArmyMan]

Personally, I'd be VERY wary of this offer. The money sounds wonderful, and perhaps the changes would make things more bearable, but there's such an opportunity for bait and switch happening here. Should you go back, make sure that all of these promises, especially the six month raise and changes, are put in writing, and signed by you and your boss.

Othwerise, though, I don't know if I'd do it myself. If you hate a job so much that it alters your personality, however slightly, it makes the money far less worth it.

[dordreff]

I personally would take the offer, just because of all the extra money. Plus the fact that him even trying to get you back means that he pretty much needs you, so you can be almost assured of better working conditions.
EDIT: But also do what BlueArmyMan said, and if you do take the job, keep an eye out for other opportunities. Can't hurt, after all.

But then, I've never had a real job, so I wouldn't know what it's like to hate a job that much. So this post is pretty much useless. =D

[The Ghost888]

Personally, I'd be VERY wary of this offer. The money sounds wonderful, and perhaps the changes would make things more bearable, but there's such an opportunity for bait and switch happening here. Should you go back, make sure that all of these promises, especially the six month raise and changes, are put in writing, and signed by you and your boss.

Othwerise, though, I don't know if I'd do it myself. If you hate a job so much that it alters your personality, however slightly, it makes the money far less worth it.
Agreed.. agreed.. agreed.

[Spoon 8787]

I'm going to suggest you take the Boba Fett approach to this:
"You can't spend money if you're dead"

The point being who cares if the money is great if the stress kills you? Make sure things really are going to be different before you go back there.

Also yes, I am aware that I am offering life advice based on the personal philosophy of a bounty hunter from Star Wars and yes I am aware of how sadly nerdy that is.

[Fagballs McTwat]

The point being who cares if the money is great if the stress kills you? Make sure things really are going to be different before you go back there.
I'm agreeing with spoon on this point, No job is worth it if it becomes a ture hell for you every working minute of your life. I don't think even the money is worth that kind of torture you feel you went through. Just keep you eyes open, thats all I can say now.

[Ronald MacKinnon]

Talk about the job and what made it so stressful for you. Perhaps you can try something else there that won't have such an effect.

[Aetre]

Depends on what specifically it was that you hated about the job, and what exactly it entails. "Working for a security company" could mean a number of things.

...Now, there's a security guard I know who has the night shift in the camera room... He gets to bring his PS2 in and play that all night, basically. Says it's the best job ever. I don't know what it pays, but maybe you should look at that type of position, hm?

[Dr. Jager]

Money can buy happiness.

[Darth_Malevo]

I'd take that job in a heartbeat. Make sure it's sworn in writing and everything, officialized and such. First off, name what made it so shitty. Bad co-workers? Get an ipod or something to ignore them with. Pay is not an issue. And if others think you are angry all the time, so be it, you'll be a well-paid angry person.

[King]

It all depeneds on the job changes he's talking about, money can fix the hole in the soul the job creating

[Lord Dagoth]

I'm really curious as to what made you hate this job so much

[Candin]

It pays the rent. Rent paying is always a plus.

[Magnus9]

I hated the working conditions. I hated the customers. I hated doing the labor, which I'm not supposed to fucking do in the first place but my boss doesn't know what a fucking job description is. I hated the complete lack of organization and being rushed to finish jobs that needed more planning. I hated always being the only IT person in the company and having to fight to get my boss to make someone else available to help me when I needed an extra hand at a job site. Also my boss, not the president that's making the offer, was completely insane. He just... Ugh, he does some of the most retarded things.

But anywho I went in and did some contract work for them on Monday, because... well they offered me $500 for one day's work so ya, I couldn't really turn that down. Anywho, I sat down and talked to them about possibly coming back to work and turns out they fixed some of the stuff that was really pissing me off, like being the ONLY IT person in the company. Go figure, they listen to my complaints after I leave. They hired three people that at least know they're way around a fucking computer and if I came back I would be nowhere near as stretched thin as I was before. It'd also mean I'd be coming back to a kind of manager's position and those 3 new people would be working under me. I'd also have to take part in hiring and firing people in my department. I also will have more power and have to deal with the crazy boss a little less than before.

So yeah as of right now I'm leaning towards going back to the company. I think at this point the positives outweigh the negatives of going back. Getting everything in writing of course and I'll try it for at least a couple of months. I explained to my old boss already that if I came back I would not guarantee I'd be staying for very long, especially if I started to feel the way I did before, and he didn't take back his offer so theres another bonus. He still can't believe I'm not taking his $50,000 offer immediately. =P Also, it was fun to see all my coworkers again Monday morning. They have some really cool people there that can make work fun at times.

I think I'm going to visit the office again sometime next week for another meeting and if I do decide to go back probably work something out to return to work in January, I'm ejoying the time off right now. =P

Thanks for all the advice, if you have anymore I'm still kind of on the fence so shoot away. =3

[Johnny]

Money can buy happiness.
Johnny concurs.

[Wolf Pup TK]

Do you have to sign to work for a minimum amount of time? If you have the ability to quit whenever, I'd give it a second shot.

If you don't like it, you can stick around while searching for another job on the side. Then once you find a job you'll enjoy, give these guys the official 2 weeks notice and move onward. ^^;

I hope it works out for you, man.

[BlueArmyMan]

Money can buy happiness.

Not if you're working so much and so long that you don't get to enjoy it.

Sounds like things have improved greatly, Magnus. I hope they continue to do so for you.

[Androc]

To be honest, I think you kind of have to decide this for yourself. I mean, you can tell us that your working conditions were bad, but you're the only one who really knows what that means.

[Simon]

My debt and pretty much all my financial problems would go away pretty fast if I went back to that job. I'd be able to use the extra money to do stuff I really want to do with my life.
If the conditions have really improved enough that you think you can tolerate the job, then it might be worthwhile to go back; if for nothing else, to eliminate your debt, or at least make a sizable dent in it. Being able to steer your life in the direction you want is another huge plus. Just be mindful of the "oh I have more money now, so I can spend shitloads" mental trap.

It's great you are going to get everything in writing before agreeing, but you must check anything carefully before you sign. Not having met them I don't know if these guys would do it, but a more sleazy businessman might try to slip in a clause forcing you to spend a minimum amount of time there. Could be short, could be unbearably long.

Hope it goes well for you.


edit: when you said, 'to do stuff I really want to do with my life,' do you mean focusing more on your photography? That'd be really cool. I liked a lot of your photos.

[Ronald MacKinnon]

I'm glad you took the time to sit down and talk with your employer about why you left the job, and what you didn't want to deal with / what needed to be improved. Not only does it help them make your job easier, it's probably better for the company as well.

I say go for it cautiously, and make sure to catalogue things you see that are wrong, and bring it up in a professional manner.

[Aetre]

as long as the communication is there between you and your bosses (the ones offering, anyway), things should be good. if anyone else gives you shit, you know you can jump over their head.

never, ever, ever underestimate (or abuse) that ability.

[Micolithe]

DO NOT work jobs that you hate. Seriously.

I have every intention of taking over the Budd Lake NJ CVS from the inside simply because I LOVE working there. It's so fucking awesome and at the same time so blatantly unprofessional.

[poisonthemon]

Money can buy happiness.
No it can't. But it can buy something so similar it's often difficult to tell the difference :lol:

[Magnus9]

Well I went in yesterday and accepted teh job. So I'm the new IT manager for the company, which means I will have 2 or 3 bitches underneath me. =P So as long as everything is in teh contract they draw up for me is right I go back to work next week friday. They had to rewrite the contract because it didn't include osme of the stuff we had talked about before and they wanted me to start tomorrow, which I really didn't want to do.

After I took the job though I felt like a total sell out. Going back to a job that I hated for the moeny. Ugh. I think this officially makes me a whore. =(

edit: when you said, 'to do stuff I really want to do with my life,' do you mean focusing more on your photography? That'd be really cool. I liked a lot of your photos.
Ya, I think one of the first things I'd do when I start getting paid again will be buying a more professional camera.

[BlueArmyMan]

After I took the job though I felt like a total sell out. Going back to a job that I hated for the moeny. Ugh. I think this officially makes me a whore. =(

Only if you simultaneously abandoned your principles to do so, which is a non-issue since you essentially made them adhere to your principles before accepting the job.

That, however, is only my opinion. Others may say differently.

[Spoon 8787]

After I took the job though I felt like a total sell out. Going back to a job that I hated for the moeny. Ugh. I think this officially makes me a whore. =(

But on the other hand, money.

[BunnyHat]

And really. Everybody loves a whore.

It's true.


There's been surveys.