New Job Advice?
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- Casio_Nova
Hello. One of your long time friends under an anonymous handle for confidential reasons. Don't worry who it is, doesn't matter. :)
Hoping to make a job move very soon but need to keep things confidential as it would involve pursuing openings at a company I work closely with at my current company.
I have grown somewhat dissatisfied with current job and just need something new, bigger challenge and a big step forward in my career. Being underpaid by a decent chunk doesn't help, and the anticipation that my next salary increase won't help much at all doesn't sit well.
I've wanted to pursue a position with this company for some time, and coincidently found openings of interest on a creative jobs board.
I am thinking it would be best to write to one of my contacts there through a personal e-mail address and let them know I'm interested in their openings. I could apply on line, but I figure that my existing relationship with them could bring me along a bit quicker in the process. As a client of their services working in the industry they serve, I feel that I am very desirable to them as a potential employee.
I'm sure some of you have been in the same spot before when looking to make a job move. Any advice? Is my direction above the right way to go? I trust my contacts there, however, there's always that fear of things slipping out and biting you.
Thanks for anything you can offer. I am excited about taking a chance at this, once all is said and done and if I get a new job I will for sure let you know from my actual screen name.
- Casio_Nova0
bump
- BonSeff0
grow a pair and apply already.
- Witt0
Lesk, is that you?
- MrD0
always keep everything under wraps.
if your present company offers you money, you should not take it.
in few months or a year, you will be at where you were.
all about moving forward.
- Complexfruit0
haha....you should use your screen name that everyone knows to ask a question or comment to your "Casio_Nova" sn to deflect any suspicion to your true identity.
But yeah I would keep everything on the hush hush and if your unhappy at your current job moving on might be a good thing. Good Luck.
- Casio_Nova0
LOL. Like I said, if things go well you'll know eventually.
- skelly_b0
Nothing wrong with doing what you're considering. Make sure the potential employer knows this is on the down low. You don't them dropping that bomb for you.
- Casio_Nova0
thanks again guys.
- mg330
It's not what you know, it's who you know, you know?
Go for it.
- flashbender0
I agree with the others so far - contact your client at the other firm, let them know you are interested and that it is on the down low. One thing to bear in mind is whether or not you have a non-compete with your current employer and if this violates that or not.
Non-competes are largely not enforceable, but if you do have one and you do wind up going to the other company you may need to bend the truth a bit when exiting gracefully.
- mg330
Just curious because I have a friend in a similar situation. If you did sign a non-compete but are leaving to work in a different industry, providing completely different services and not in competition with the company you left, does a non-compete even have anything to do with that?
- -sputnik-0
apply quietly but definitely be prepared in case it gets back to your current employer.
it also depends on whether there's someone at the new place you can trust to keep it under their hat...that's always a great thing
- kerus0
the design community is a small world so dont burn any bridges and jump at will. if need be you can put in your time and come back if its meant to be.
life is too short to be unhappy
- morilla0
I know who you are.
- mrseaves0
the non-compete thing is pretty important. however, if you are unsatisfied where you are, climb the ladder upwards, and if you get the position, just tell your employer they would satisfy you more. if they are a decent company they should understand, if not, don't waste your time anymore with them.
- skelly_b0
The non-compete is pretty much void the day you walk out the door. Especially when referring to industries that have little too no trade secrets that can be protected.
No contract has any power unless someone is willing to enforce it in court. I'm not sure any designer is worth a legal battle.
- jamble0
Nothing wrong with doing what you're considering. Make sure the potential employer knows this is on the down low. You don't them dropping that bomb for you.
skelly_b
(Aug 12 07, 17:37)+1 to the max.
- flashbender0
Just curious because I have a friend in a similar situation. If you did sign a non-compete but are leaving to work in a different industry, providing completely different services and not in competition with the company you left, does a non-compete even have anything to do with that?
mg33
(Aug 13 07, 08:46)---
The beauty of the non-compete is that it can not bar you from making a living - meaning if you are a designer, you can go design where ever... sure they can try to stop you, but as someone pointed out, would you be worth the legal battle?
Basically your current company would have to prove that you are taking a substantial amount of income from them - so this could be a little bit tricky since the new job would be a client of your current job. So if your role changes I don;t think you have anything to worry about... if you are going to the new place to do EXACTLY what they were paying your former employer for you to do, then you may have to be a little "untruthful" when exiting.
- Casio_Nova0
Hello friends. Some updates for you. Sent my resume to the contact I trust at the company I want to work at. He had to check with HR about certain protocols because, since we are a client of theirs, they have non-solicit clauses in their contracts.
We talked today, they would like to potentially interview me, but there is a catch: Due to the non-solicit clause, to even interview with them I'm required to tell my employer - my boss - that I am pursuing new opportunities, and with this specific company.
What an A-Bomb, right?
Been doing much reading about etiquette for two-week notices, leaving a job gracefully, etc. Just found out the part above this morning.
Fact is, I have valid reasons to leave. Done much soul searching and have a list of reasons such as:
*look ahead a year and see me doing same exact things, little new challenges.
*Underpaid to the tune of $12 - $15K and only anticipating annual raise of 4%.
*strong desire to get closer to career goals I had when I graduated from college in 2001
* dislike of company trying to reinvent and realign itself year after year.
I could probably go on and on.I really think my boss is human enough to understand (many current complaints are not towards her, but towards company in general). I've never quit a "career" job before and am not afraid of doing so, but damn, I hate the thought of having to sit down and tell someone, basically, that I don't want to work there anymore and am looking for a way out. Would be so much better if all I had to do was simply put in a two week notice. Truth is, the place I want to work is fantastic, would involve far more creative work than I could dream of doing right now where I am.
Well, just keeping an update here. If you have any advice on how to handle THIS new situation, that would be great. I want to do it gracefully, not burn bridges, and not get thrown out when I tell her I'm looking for something new. She's actually been out on maternity leave all summer and will be back in a week - I hate feeling like I'm throwing a massive wrench in the system, but believe me, I know I need to do this for MYSELF.
Thanks guys.
- fusionpixel0
Jaline... come out of the closet already