Good luck! Let us know how it went and what you decided. Cuz we’re nosy like that. 
All else being equal, that shorter commute is worth a hell of a lot - you could WALK that distance (or bike it), which is a signficant savings in time, gasoline etc.
However I’m not sure all else IS equal, with the dying technology vs. forefront technology.
That said, I see nothing wrong with telling company A that you have something else and can’t give them an answer until later in the week.
Okay, both interviews completed: Company A (my previous employer) & Company B, (the former client although the hiring would be in a different department).
I dare say both interviews went exceedingly well: it was practically a love fest at Company A and they’ve offered me my full-time position back with benefits and hinted at a bump in pay (I did not make a salary demand/request). I told Company A I had some offers to consider and would get back to them Friday or Tuesday (due to Memorial Day). They were okay with it, seemed almost too okay, as if they knew about Company B (although they probably did not).
Company B interview went smoothly as well and I’d say there’s a 95% likelihood they will offer me a position – and I’m probably being conservative with that guess. Even though the pay is less, the benefits are better, it’s closer, etc., I want to work at Company B and feel it’s the right choice.
But complications ensue.
The wheels are going to turn a bit slower than hoped at Company B and it’s probably going to be a month or so before I am hired there. Some are suggesting to take the Company A job, take the benefits for a month or so then quit when I’m hired by Company B. I can give a week or two notice and properly train the person who would replace me. I know Company laid me off, but it feels deceitful and I am also concerned about getting a reputation as something of a carpetbagger and it will come back to haunt me. (Am I just being a pussy here?) I am considering telling Company A about the probable Company B hiring and see if they want to hire me as a temp status whereas I can train people to replace me. I think Company A would go for it. But it will mean no benefits and my wife is all about health insurance.
It would be exceedingly unprofessional to take the A job and then quit after a few weeks. If I were B and heard you were planning to do this, I’d rescind any offer to you. Now as to doing a temp assignment, that’s different, but I’d still clear it with B first.
In fact, what I’d do at this point is just tell B upfront that
- A wants you back
- A is likely to offer your old salary
- nonetheless, you’d prefer to work at B
- but waiting around, unpaid, for B to get their shit together is a problem
- temping at A is a possibility
and see what they say.
You need a written offer from B before you turn down a gig from A.
But what is this “hint” about a pay bump? They’ve either made you an offer, which includes a salary, or they haven’t. It sounds to me like it’s not a solid offer, or the offer is the old pay rate with a vague promise for more “soon”.
I agree about the “hint” of a salary bump. The absolute best time to get an increase in salary is when you’re first hired (or when you’re promoted to a new position). If the formal offer is just for the same amount of money, I’d be disappointed.
Okay, a few items.
First of all because of the timeline you’re probably going to accept the job with A. Negotiate to the best of your ability and get the salary raise you deserve now because if you don’t you probably won’t later.
Now to B. While you may feel that you’re being dishonest by taking the job with A and negotiating for a job with B, extrapolate that out a little. If that were true, everyone who ever looked for a job while still being employed would be in that same situation. If anything A is more responsible in this case because you would probably not have interviewed with B if they hadn’t laid you off in the first place.
You don’t have a guarantee with B and a month is a long wait without either a signed contract with a start date a month out or some other commitment you can live with. In order to support your efforts to get the job you really want you need to be honest with B but it’s not out of line for you to take the job with A in the mean time UNLESS they are providing you with a guarantee. You can make it clear that B is where you want to be (snicker) but, particularly in this economic climate you can’t turn down a sure thing on a “we’d really like to but it’s going to take some time”.
This. All of this.
Just wanted to add my 2¢. I have learned that the value of the people I work with and spend time with every day is on equal footing with titles and dollars. I have been in caustic work environments with good salary that made life miserable, and other situations where the pay was not the greatest, but the people were really cool and it was more enjoyable. If you can hit on all cylinders that would be great!