Split decison.
Okay, well I've made a decision. Kinda.
Since I have no other offers after 50+ resumes sent - I feel foolish turning this down. With this job I will get in the field, and not have to relocate my husband and I. I called back and accepted the position while making it clear and being honest that I was really looking for a fulltime position however I liked their school and it was a great opportunity to get experience. They have to know that not offering benefits means that their employees won't stay long, right? I made it clear that insurance was a concern for me. Hopefully, they will 'earmark' me for an upgrade in hours or position in the near future.
All hope at a FT job is not lost, though. While hemming and hawing over the offer, I got another callback! I have a job interview for next week! Its actually less hours than the 39 hour PT job I've been talking about, as its only 37.5 hours a week, but thats FT at their company. So, you know what that means....Full benefits, baby!! I'm psyched.
So, my decision is pretty much to extend the decision, by telling them yes. (For now). I hate doing this. I feel dishonest, but I don't want to tell them no and burn that bridge and risk not having anything. But at this point I have to look out for myself and my family and not limit myself to the first offer that I get. And this girl needs some insurance! After all, when it comes down to it, business is business, right? And no one else is looking out for my business.
Update: Through the wonders of Facebook, I found out that a friend of mine has a friend that used to work at the community college (the PT offer place). I emailed her, and upon hearing of my offer, she warned me that their HR processes takes forever. While this is usually bad for most people (if they are unemployed and waiting to start working) this is GREAT for me, as it will buy me more time to apply to more places and hopefully get more offers.
In the future, you would benefit yourself more (and make a stronger ethical standing as a professional in a small, closely knit field-especially if you are trying to stay in a small area) by asking for an extension of the deadline instead of accepting while knowing you are going to continue to actively search (or accept, but openly and clearly state "I am still searching because of my concern about benefits, but I am excited for the offer".
ReplyDeleteRemember that in Student Affairs it's not 9 degrees of Kevin Bacon -it's 2.5 degrees!
Also -job offers will still come open through May and ACPA (with it's own monster job search plethora) is still coming up -so don't "freak yourself out" too much about timing & getting things set. Speak with a mentor or professional in the field you admire & have a good relationship & get their advice -it's invaluable!
Thanks for the feedback! I wasn't sure if I could accept but yet still say I was searching.
ReplyDeleteI am feeling extra pressure, as the grant funding for my current position ends this month.