leveraging a job offer?
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- duhsign
I had a quick question for anyone who cares to share some advice.
I had a job offer this week that would have me move from San Diego to LA. I am not sure if I will take it because it will be a big expense to move up there and the position only pays 6,000 more a year which I am sure I will spend just in coming back to san diego to visit family and friends. The other thing is that the job is a jr art director position, right now I am in a senior design position but in the past have been an AD for 3+ yrs. Would going to a jr position make sense? I am looking to get back into an AD position but want to make sure its the right one.
Any arguments for or against taking the position. Can and should I use the offer to push my current employer for more cash and a bump up in position. In the past I have kept quiet about opportunities but then down the road regretted passing them up or not using them to try and better my current situation. THoughts on this or experiences doing it?
- nocomply0
I don't have any advice to give on using a job offer to leverage for more cash at your current gig, but I definitely think that and extra 6K is not worth relocating to LA unless you really, really want the job or want to move.
You'll likely spend most of that just in rent and gas if you're living in LA. Plus you'd be making extra weekend trips down to SD which would also cost money. Financially I don't think it makes that much sense, but it's not always a good idea to evaluate these things just based on finances. If you WANT the job, then that's totally different.
Also, LA just pays more in general, so if you were to try to use the pay raise as a bargaining chip against your current employer they might just tell you that's the going rate in LA, but SD is different.
- IIII0
doesn't sound worth it to move;
also doesn't sound worth it to leverage. the extra $6k a year wouldn't make up for the difference in cost of living between the two cities, and the lower job title doesn't help either. trying to use it as a bargaining chip with your boss might backfire and not only not get you a raise, but also engender ill-will.
i wouldn't say anything about it unless it was an offer for a clearly superior position. which this isn't.
- IIII0
^
i once did this - leveraged a clearly superior offer to get a better salary at my current job - and it worked in that i got a pay raise, but in return my boss resented me. i left that job 6mo afterwards.
it worked out well though because since my salary was higher, i got a better starting offer at the new company (:
- identity0
in my experience there is a HUGE difference between an AD and a designer - one does not supercede the other. If you want to be an AD, take the job - if you want to be a designer, leverage it to make more money. Your boss, if he/she's a realist, will understand it's just business and its something they would probably do/have done themselves.
They OFFERED you 6K more - but I would be basing that move on a set percentage of what you currently make. I think since you're still IN-STATE, the move should require about a 12-15% pay raise from what you're currently making - now the other variable here is the work. Are you currently working at a place that makes signage for the sides of vans? Is this work you can put in your portfolio? While all my friends took the 55K/year production jobs in NYC out of college, I took the MUCH LESS/year job in Orlando because the work they were doing - and the work I'd have the opportunity to do - was better. At that time, I was 22 - no girlfriend, kids, house, etc. so it was doable.
Lot of variables I guess - do what's best for you in the long-term. The devil you know if often better than the devil you don't know - so consider that when moving jobs. Goodluck!
- manonthestreet0
If you are unsure of what you would do leverage that.
You: Hey, How's it going.
Your Boss: Good, What's new?
You: I got a job offer...
Your Boss: Er, what?
You: I was offered a job at XXXX. There are some positive aspects of moving and some negative aspects. Here are the positives. What can you do for me is this regard?- this works good over a beer/lunch... make sure you payidentity
- duhsign0
some good advice/thoughts. thanks guys.
@identity- so I am coming up on my one year anniversary at my current senior designer position which I was waiting for before changing positions. My plan is to go after AD positions since I have the experience and portfolio. I am worried that if I take the JR AD position I may be shooting myself in the foot.
your comment about the devil you know is so true. I just assume the worst nowadays so that I am not disappointed : )
- identity0
I guess its probably different everywhere. Right now I'm a senior designer - which is the equivalent to a Sr. AD within my agency.
I'd factor that in. the fact that most places make kids straight out of school "Jr. Art Directors" MIGHT just shoot you in the foot (probably will be atleast another year before a promotion) - but the biggest concern I think should be the quality of work at both places - and how much of the work you'll get to touch/own. That's what it really comes down to. Titles are bullshit - just don't make a decision that shits on your portfolio for a title with AD in it.
- i_monk0
^
I know a place that took someone barely qualified to be a jr designer and promoted him to CD. Lesson learned: Titles don't mean anything. From what I've heard the guy is just a puppet for the absentee boss who has to fly in from the out-of-country HQ once a month to justify her position.
- i_monk0
It's a $6k raise now, but factor in bonuses and future raises even a year from now and compare that to what you'll make if you stay (and say nothing).
- sandbag0
LA traffic is horrible. I have a friend who moved up to LA from San Diego for a job. She ends up coming back to SD on weekends, and does her errands/shopping down here because it takes 3 times longer in LA to get around!
- < this makes not sense.akrok
- no sense. it should say. (where's my edit button, JK?!)akrok
- Sounds like a moronanimatedgif
- akrok0
^
i live in l.a. sure traffic is bad. like most major cities.
cost of living depends also where you want to live.
there's cheaper places and very expensive ones.
what area is the work located in?- if it's in west la or santa monica, rent starts around 1600/mo. you might find a 1200/mo if your lucky.akrok
- duhsign0
yep its santa monica. I looked at the rents for a one bedroom and almost choked. Right now I am a block away from the ocean in one of the most beautiful areas in SD and I pay 1100 for a detached house with yard and garage. Roomates is an option which I may have found in south hollywood but then I would be living in hollywood. Arghhhhh
- akrok0
do they do much better work? (the new place vs. old place)
- duhsign0
its better work at the new place, I'm in house at a medtech company right now, doing good work but still for a medtech comany. New gig is for an emerging agency, still small but some good clients, retail, fashion, actionsports. Its hard to tell from their website since it hasnt been updated too much.
- SrSamaurai0
try to get a good job offer in San Diego too then you will have some real leverage
- akrok0
^
at digitar, maybe.
- organicgrid0
- perception is more important than facts : ) gotta listen to this later!duhsign
- speed_d0
I've done this a couple times at my current job....partly due to my boss telling me it was the only way to get me more money...I'm still in the same position, but my pay is up 60% in just 5 years...Funny thing is I bluffed both times and got extremely lucky. Too risky to do it a third time.
- Isn't it dangerous to lie about your salary with the background checkpinkfloyd