Advice Needed - potential new job.

mrsrichards · 8 May 2018 at 10:59AM

Hi all,
I'm looking for a little bit of advice.
I have been in my current job for about 6 months now and I hate it. I won't go into much detail but it's just not an enjoyable workplace and the company is still very backwards and I've been miserable for a while now.

An opportunity has come up for a dream job and I have an interview next week for it. Assuming all goes well and I get the job offer it wouldn't actually start until mid-late August and in all honesty I don't know if I can continue in my current job for that long.
The other thing in last week I went for a job interview for a local pharmacy and got an email today saying I'd been successful however I wasn't aware until the interview that the role in the pharmacy was temporary for a year as it wasn't advertised as such. I haven't yet responded to the job offer as I genuinely don't know what to do.
Part of me doesn't want to accept the offer just in case I do get the offer of my dream job and I only end up being in the pharmacy for less than 3 months, especially since they put you through training and you can get a qualification out of it. On the other hand I don't want to decline just incase I'm unsuccessful at this interview later this week and then I'm back to square one being stuck in my current job being miserable with no other job offers.

Has anyone else ever been in this situation? If so what did you do or does anyone have any advice they could give. I'm so conflicted just now and I really don't know what to think or do.

Many thanks for your help in advance!

ReadingTim · 8 May 2018 at 11:39AM

It's silly to turn down a guaranteed job offer for something far less certain - you could fail at the interview(s) or not be able to agree start date/salary for the so-called dream job, all of which mean you don't take it.

Furthermore, a qualification stands you in better stead for future jobs - sometimes you need to look at the bigger picture or consider your career path, rather than merely just your next job. How does the 'dream job' fit into that narrative?

I'd suggest accepting the current offer, but go along for the dream job interview and see what happens. If, and only if you get an offer from that will you actually have a problem, until then you're simply hedging your bets. And if you do get 2 offers, you can pull out of the pharmacy offer/job - unless you think this will come back to bite you in the backside further down the road, it's not disastrous to leave a job shortly after starting, as long as you don't do it too often!

74jax · 8 May 2018 at 12:42PM

I would go for the interview and crank it up to experience, use it to test your question technique, fine tune your manner, learn to listen to what they are saying and then when you come out think of what you didn't find out etc.

You might really like the sound of it.

[Deleted User] · 8 May 2018 at 1:14PM

I would ask for more time to consider the pharmacy job - very easy this, you need to consider the fixed term element and if you aren!!!8217;t already in that sector get detailed confirmation of just what the training involves - being FTC is a quite a bombshell to land on you late in process and it may mean they need a lackey of a temp for a year and the training could be minimal in an extreme. I hope at interview you explored why it was a FTC.

I had a telephone interview today for a standard led industry and they said it is best practise not to offer false hope over job longevity. They try to retain people but it is never guaranteed.

I would go to the other interview if able to - life is to short for regrets if you absolutely can make it.

mrsrichards · 8 May 2018 at 2:03PM

Thanks for all the suggestions folks!

To narrow things down, I'm currently working in jewellery retail but have been feeling very undervalued and unappreciated for the last couple of months. The interview this week is for a childcare trainee position so I get a qualification and a job at the end of it as well. I've always wanted to do childcare as a profession and hopefully go on to do teaching down the line.
The pharmacy job that I have been offered when first advertised and when I applied for it didn't mention it was temporary. I did ask at interview if there was a good chance of being kept on after the year was up and they said yes but it may not necessarily be in that particular branch. The qualification is a counter assistant one which I assume will give me a better understanding of medicine etc. The pharmacy were wanting someone to start very soon but I think I'd feel guilt about starting the work for this qualification which they are paying for only to leave a short time after.
Also my current notice period is 1 week and our only manager is on annual leave for 2 weeks so I literally have no one to hand notice in to! It's really not an ideal situation!

comeandgo · 8 May 2018 at 2:13PM

If you are to take the pharmacy job check that they won't take back their training costs if you leave early.

TELLIT01 · 8 May 2018 at 2:33PM

As you were unaware that the pharmacy job was fixed term, ask them for a few days to think about it. Go for the other interview but don't turn down the pharmacy job. The reality is that you have to look after number one these days. There is no loyalty from firms either. If you take the pharmacy job and are then offered the dream job you hand in your notice and leave. The only caveat is that concern raised by comeandgo.

Fireflyaway · 8 May 2018 at 5:37PM

I have been in a similar situation. I would accept the pharmacy job. I'm assuming they expect you to work some notice? Then if the other job comes through just contact the pharmacy and politely explain you no longer want the job. Stay where you are till august. You will probably start to feel happier knowing there is an end to your current job.
It happens all the time. You have to protect your own interests.

KiKi · 8 May 2018 at 7:19PM

Accept the new job - but do not sign anything - until you hear about the outcome of the dream job interview.

However, does 'pharmacy' really sit well with the 'children as a career' aspiration? Do you really want to be in a pharmacy, or medicine? Or is it better to carry on trying for other children-related roles? If you're only doing it to get out of your current job, will you really be able to stick at it for a year? Not saying you can't, just something to consider.

If you need to hand your notice in, send it to your manager's manager, ccd to HR and your line manager, if they're on leave.

Good luck with the interview this week!
KiKi

SouthUKMan · 9 May 2018 at 9:47AM

Sometimes in life you have to be assertive and think about what's best for yourself - even if it's not in your nature to do so.

You have been offered a 12 month contract - that's great news! Accept it, subject to the following thoughts.... You are within your rights to ask the pharmacy what would happen should you leave the job before end of the contract. Would you be expected to repay the training fee? Do you need to buy a uniform, or is it provided? If so, how much is the fee / uniform? You need to be armed with the facts in writing before signing a contract. Given that the pharmacy couldn't advertise the post correctly, you should feel very empowered to ask upfront about this level of detail.

Still go for the interview for the 'dream job'. If you get it, terrific - and then you'll have the peace of mind that you won't be screwed over by the pharmacy because you have their terms in writing.

People leave jobs all the time because they find something more suitable / enjoyable / better paid / closer to home, etc. Don't feel bad about it - it's just the way of the world.

jackieblack · 9 May 2018 at 9:56AM

On an entirely practical level...
In reality, 'dream jobs' can turn out not to be exactly what/how you'd imagined them to be

Advice Needed - potential new job.

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