Alright, I am in my first post-college job and I am ready to leave it. It has only been 9 months, so that may look bad for future employers but I am not terribly worried. (I had a college job for multiple years FWIW, though not as important obviously).

Real quick pros / cons of my job:

Pros - Boss is nice, smart, very decent guy, and is flexible with working hours, good benefits

Cons - Overtime is common (average ~45 hrs / week) but pay is salary. Commute will increase from 10 minutes to about 50 minutes once we get a new office in < 2 months, training is bad, frequent overnight travel w/o travel pay or bonus, low pay (34k per year), must use personal money and then get reimbursed for travel expenses, don't particularly like or care about the majority of the job tasks.


So, because of this I have submitted my resume to various other companies recently. One of them has responded and a test date has been set up. I really want to attend this test, but at my current job we have some site work (work at a specific location, can't use the flexible hours thing in this instance) on the day of the test. Company has said this in the only test date.

Options -

1) call in sick and attend test
2) put in two weeks notice and attend test, continue to look for other jobs
3) discuss scenario with boss, be open with him??
4) others?

Because of the frequent overnight travel at my job, I can see scheduling interviews and other tests will be a pain. With that being said, I am definitely looking to leave this job because of the upcoming commute, and I don't think if my boss offered say a 5k raise I would take it (which he prob would not offer).

So during this transition period, how have others handled their current job? I have enough savings for about 4-5 months, so I could quit now and just apply apply apply and hopefully get a job within 4 - 6 weeks. Or, I could stay at my job and try to schedule interviews/tests around my upcoming travel and site work (this could be a big pain, especially from the prospective employer's viewpoint I would think). Option 3 seems bad, but hey I figured I would get comments from others who may have done this in the past.

Thanks for any help, I really look forward to reading some opinions.

Hopefully you paid more attention to your resume's than you did you titling this threat.

It all depends on your specific details (not sure what kind of "tests" you are having to take), but I would strongly lean toward staying on your job and interviewing that way. You look better to other employers when you have a job, plus, it's a common way to get your next job. Tell them (your potential new employer) your situation - it even makes you look better that you are in demand at your current job and can't always easily get away.


And don't threaten anyone unless it's absolutely neceassary.

I agree with RacersEdge. Do not discuss this with your current employer, because they will begin actively pursuing other candidates for your job. So they will probably fire you. You also dont know how long it will take before you actually get another job. I would stay at your current job, take days off to attend whatever you need to for jobs that you are looking at. I am in nearly the exact situation, and I am keeping my current job and have interviewed at a couple places.

Usually easier to find a job when you have a job. Call in sick if you really want to pursue the opportunity.

Kerowo - I hope I did too.

Racers Edge - Good point about the being "in demand." My title is unfortunately misleading, I mean to say "thread." So, to be clear, I was never considering threatening my current boss or anything of that nature. However, by option 3 I did mean to indicate something like "Hey, I am not satisfied here, and I will begin looking for other jobs. Consider this a 6 week notice if you will" or something along those lines.

Hoya - They may fire me, but the workload is fairly decent now so perhaps not. At any rate, I can't see myself at this job for more than 2 months because of the commute issue.

How do you guys recommend handling the testing date specifically? Call in sick seems very bad, yet I do not see another option that will guarantee getting the day off because of the previously scheduled site work.

And if possible, could a mod edit the title to have the word "thread" instead of "threat."

im in exact same situation

1) quit
2) move to vegas for summer
3) worry about it later because you are young and have a college degree.
4)figure out what you really want to do before you get another job.

and maybe spell "transisition" the right way
Closest spell check return transaction, but I think he means transition

This is never a good idea. The best that will happen is that you'll get some token improvements and be looked at as a "malcontent" the worst is you get fired that day. Find another job then give your notice.

Like hoya said, that option has a big downside and not much upside.

I figured option 3 was not the best, but did want the input.

I guess calling in sick was the way to go.

Also - my spelling today....wow.

YD,

Call in sick go to meeting, >>>>> profit?

What is your field?

HR departments constantly have to deal with scheduling interviews during after-hours because they recognize that a lot of the (more desirable) candidates might have full time jobs already. It might be a pain with this particular company, but generally, and especially if you have flexible hours, you should be fine job-hunting without quitting first.

You re-schedule your interview with the new company because it conflicts with something already scheduled at your current job. This is an easy one.

If my staff want to leave, I'll do whatever I can to help them. There's no value in me keeping around an unhappy employee. Talk to your boss, explain what's up to him, and take the time off. Dishonesty isn't exactly the best route here.

Assuming your boss isn't an idiot, he'll understand and appreicate the fact that you were straight forward.

I think that is an incredible assumption.

My vote is option 1.

This. Without question.

3 is no good at all, and 2 won't work unless you kill this test and get the new job.

Marksman,

It is not an interview, but rather a test. So it is not a personal meeting that can be changed to a different time.

Dids,

Maybe I am naive but I thought more people would share your viewpoint. I mean, what is wrong with being "adult" about it? Just be up front and try and let the relationship end in the best possible manner for both parties. But alas, it appears that is not how our world works.

All,

Number 1 is my choice for simplicity. Also, it appears the site work that day may be delayed or whatnot, so I may not have to even inform anyone that I am sick, I can just use the flexible schedule.

45 hour work weeks are brutal, huh? That's a lot of OT!

I am not saying they are brutal. I am saying I am working for "free" and I have no incentive to keep doing so.

lol, so naive

LOLOLOLOLOL.

Working OT for "free" is super standard. 5 hours of OT (or 10 if you are 35 hours) is very little compared to a lot of jobs.

I am a jobless recent college graduate so take my advice with a grain of salt. I think that if you're looking for job right now and you think 45 hours a week is too much for a salary position then you're not going to be happy anywhere.

Whats your degree in btw?

I don't know how different it is in the US, but 34k per year with a college degree is BS. Of course this depends on OPs field of work.

Also, OP your decision heavily depends on where you want to be 5 or 10 years from now. There are lot of low paying jobs that have solid long term prospects.

And you should not quit before you get another offer.