As some of you may know, I work at the local cable company here in San Diego. I’m currently in the Tech. Support department as a Tech. 3 (the highest level in this department at the moment, although there has been talk of making a tech 4 position… which I would be a shoe-in for as I am second in seniority in our group). I’m pretty much topped out in this department; the only place I can advance to (unless they actually decide to make the tech 4 position) would be supervisor. I don’t want to be a supervisor in this department for various reasons that I won’t go into here.
I’ve been offered a position in the NOC (Network Operations Center) as a Tech. 2, which would be a lateral job shift for me (IE: same money). I’m sorely tempted to take it… except the shift sucks!
I currently work 9AM-6PM with Friday and Saturday off… the NOC job would be 3PM to 11:30PM, Saturday and Sunday off. This sucks as it means I wouldn’t see my wife during the week at all, and I have no idea how long I would have to hold that shift before getting a chance to move to a different shift.
I was just informed of the offer, and I have to let HR know tomorrow afternoon. Argh…
Pros:
-I’ll be off the phones! (a biggie, as working in a customer-facing call center sucks large dinosaur schlong)
-room for advancement.
-no traffic either on the way in or the way home with that schedule.
-I’m tired of my current job and have been looking for something else anyways.
Cons:
-no wifey for me during the week (except for mornings and if I wake her up when I climb into bed).
-I’m a bit fuzzy on what the job itself entails.
-After 90 days I’ll have to take a test on the position; if I fail I’m out! No option to return to my current position.
These two taken together would lead me to not even consider it. Maybe if you can get more information on what you’d be getting yourself into, but until then I’d keep the better hours and keep an extra close eye on job listings outside your company for something better.
I see I left out some relevant information (sorry):
When I first began working for this company, I worked part-time in the NOC as (what is now) a Tech. 1. At the time there was no Tech. 2 position (we were all just called Master Control Operators). The Tech. 2 position is fairly new. When I say I am fuzzy on what the job entails, I mean that I am familiar with what goes on in the NOC, just not exactly what the Tech. 2s are up to. Most likely it would be a combination of things that I had to do while I was in the NOC before as well as some new duties.
Regarding the test; when I was a part-timer I had to take a 90 day test as well. I asked my old NOC supervisor (who interviewed me for this job) about the Tech. 2 test and was told that she had no worries about me passing.
That does change things considerably. Personally, I would always take better hours over the chance for better money (and I actually did it once in practice as well), but I guess that’s what your decision entails.
Yeah, the hours are the big problem for me right now. If the shift was the same as I am working right now, I think I would have already accepted the job.
Thanks for the input! I’m gonna have to make up my mind tonight…
Do you want the job? I mean, hours aside, is it something you want to do? It kinda sounds like it fell in your lap and you’re curious, but if it were an ad in the paper you wouldn’t bother applying. BUT that’s just how it reads to me.
My other consideration would be how much you want to stay at the company. If you really like the place, well, it sounds like you already know you’ll have to move departments to stay there long term. But if you could take it or leave it, then I would imagine the greater San Diego region will offer up something else down the line if you go out an look.
Yes, I do. I’m just not sure that I want it enough to take those hours. I also want to stay with this company, at least for now. I’ve been here long enough to work up some pretty good seniority, and an extra week of paid vacation every year as well. You’re right, of course, that I should be keeping my eye on opportunities in other companies as well (but we fear change!).
So far my only feedback from her was a quick text message which said “Up to you!”
We’ll talk tonight and I’ll find out how she really feels. If she’s against it, of course, then there’s the answer right there.
Also, keep in mind that eventually I’d have the opportunity to move to a different shift… I just have no idea how far down the line that might be. A year? Three?
Too late. Shifts can change, but NOT often in the NOC… I figure it would be minimum 1 year and probably much longer before I’d be able to switch, and I needs my wifey!
