Advice / Help / Not sure what to do.

Lunartick

Hi,

Been a member for a while, but one of those silent types reading everything in the background. I need to come out of my shell now and make my first post.

Looking for some advice and hoping someone might be able to help point me in the right direction. Apologises for the long post, as my head is all over the place trying to work out what to do.

I currently work at a local hospital in IT. It is a good, varied job and I have been the over 2 years now and learnt lots of new things. Its 10 mins from where I live, Mon-Fri 8.30-5.00, good holidays and NHS.

I used to work for a national repair centre fixing computers, but left over 3 years ago, I was there for 4 years. The job was essentially just that, repairing hardware issues. I wanted to try corporate IT support, so left to try this and enjoy it.

Now this is my dilemma...

I earn just under 17k. Now they are on about a 2 year pay freeze. I have as much going out as I have coming in, so am just about managing. Im on a variable mortgage and now they're on about interest rate rises and everything else is going up. Like I say, Im ok just now, but if say my washer went or something major then I am stuffed. Family have said they will help out with things, but I like to be able to sort my own things.

I still have friends at the workshop and they have suggested I go back there. It is agency to perm, roughly 19k pa agency, 22k pa if taken on perm. It is a 3 month to perm time frame. Because they want experienced engineers back I might be able to go perm sooner.
It will be 6am-5.30pm, 11 hour shifts 4 on 4 off, so only work 6 months of the year. Its 50 mile round trip every day, but I live near a lot of people who work there so should be able to car share.

NHS:
Good:
I like the job, quite varied and learn new things.
27 days holiday.
Mon-Fri 8.30-5.00.
Just down the road.

Bad:
Under 17k (outgoings = incomings)
2 year pay freeze very likely
No progression currently
Pending restructure, been going on about this for 18 months and still nothing, but things are happening in management and will this filter down to us.

Workshop:
Good:
22k pa
Only work 6 months of the year (4 on, 4 off)
Car share
They provide uniform etc
I know the job

Bad:
Distance
11 Hour Shifts - but would get used to them
Retail/Private Sector - how long will they be around? Id like to think a long time, but you just dont know now a days.


So that is my dilemma, try and stick out where I am or move on. Is it better the devil you know so to speak. Most of my friends have said move on, family have a few reservations as I did the job before and left.

I just dont know, HELP!

dancingfairy

Hmm - very tricky. All I can suggest is that you go through all your outgoings and trim them where possible - for exapmple you can save quite a bit by switching gas/electric, getting the best contents insurance, getting the right mobile package and not paying for minutes you won't use, etc etc - I'm not sure if you've already done this?
You could also consider heading over to the debtfreewannabe for suggestions on how to cut down or the Moneysaving oldstyle board for help on how to make the food budget stretch further.
It's not clear from your post whether you have debts you are dealing with at the moment? If so you could consider whether you could reshuffle your debts to get better interest rates or whether you could apply for credit at a lower rate and transfer debts across.

Perhaps these changes would help allay some of your fears and make up for the difference in salary? Could you do a part -time job on the side? perhaps a bit of ebaying/car booting bits and bobs or one night a week shift in a pub or repair computers for people prviately just as and when to provide a small top-up? I guess it really depends on what you want to do?
I know I haven't answered your question though - sorry.
Personally I wouldn't want to go back to a job I'd left as presumably you left for a reason and for me it would be a bit weird like I was not moving forward but stuck in a rut and going backwards but that's just me.
df

wuckfit

why not try to get a second, part-time weekend job?

getmore4less

Not totaly familiar with the IT pay stuctures in the NHS must be structured like the rest in some way with gradings and incriments etc.

Pay freeze should not stop incriments or are they getting frozen as well

what is the next step up promotions are the other way to get more money what do you need in place to be ready for it.

You say no progression where you are, have you looked at other NHS places within traveling distance?

Is there anything in your cuurent place you could try to take on as overtime or extra work things that need doing but no time.

Rockporkchop

Working 4 on 4 off isn't really only working 6 months of the year though is it? If you apply the same logic and add up your weekends, bank holidays and holiday entitlement from your NHS job, that amounts to over 5 months of the year.

The difference between £17k and £22k works out at £288 net per month. Would this be enough to make a real difference to your finances and compensate for working weekends, longer hours and shift work in a job you outgrew after four years?

If you are fed up with your NHS job you could always look for a completely different job instead of going back to your old one.

Lunartick

Hi, thanks for the replies.

I am a lot better with my money now than I used to be. I did get myself around 10k in debt over the years, but for the last 2 years I have been working to get that paid off, Im down to about 9k now. All my bills etc amount to around £800 (mortgage, council tax, electric, gas, water) month before my food and payments on credit card/loan/petrol. I am on the lowest tariff for utilities and regularly check these and also use Quidco and comparison sites. I have around £1070 after tax and this is a little more than my outgoings at the mo.

A second part time job would be tricky, as I have to cover 1 week in 8 for oncall cover at the hospital. This is usually £100 extra each time, but can only cover for holidays/illness - not a regular option.

There is no scope for overtime at really. Also the pay freeze is increments and cost of living. As yet nothing has been decided, but they need to save money and they have costed out savings of over £3.5 million if they implement a freeze, and 'We are all in this together" is what they say, so don't have to be a genius here. Increments and cost of living are worth about £1350 to me over next 2 years. In terms of progression at hospital, the next level that would be my natural progression is already full and will likely be for some time due to people not looking to move on as things stand or in the near future. Also the last couple of positions to recently come up have not been recruited into. They have not been removed, but likely next financial year due to cuts will disappear. Also there isnt really anything local to me in the NHS or general IT that would be progression from my current role, doing the same job I mean.

I also do like my job at the hospital, but with everything they are now saying and doing, they werent 12 months ago I am starting to worry about things going up and not sure about what will happen. I ask them to confirm things re the restructure and pay freeze etc, but it will all be announced in due course, but nobody will commit to a definite when.

As regards the other job, I just see it as a way out to stabilise the 'now' if that makes sense. I see my current role, whether it be as the nhs or wherever, is what I want to do it IT, but doing something I know and getting the extra cash sorts a lot of my problems out. If I am going to have a 2 year pay freeze and get roughly £300 month more in other job over 2 years that is roughly £7000, which clears most of my debt in real terms.

This is all really spinning in my head. I just dont know what to do. The workshop role helps with now, the current NHS role is preferred long term.

BackOnTrack

You said you would be stuffed if something unexpected comes up and I think that is probably the answer to your question there. Something unexpected will come up sooner or later so I would suggest going for the new role.

paulrn_2

You do need to consider pension costs even if your young, What are the pension arrangements in each post and how much will they cost you.