State of the Ed

[sobrique]

Well, it's all got a bit convoluted really. I'm job hunting - which is all well and good.
I have had interviews, and one firm offer, too.
Which is also good.

It's getting a bit complicated though, as I also have two other interview/offers in the works. The problem is, all the options have something real to offer - it's less a question of which is 'best' as which way do I want my career to go.
One offers the 'large cutting edge enterprise' experience. Cheltenham way.
One offers the small-ish, but rapidly developing and expanding experience. Leeds way.
One ... well, it's doing IT for a university. Leicester way.

The first is the one that has sent me an offer and some paperwork to fill in.
The second... I had a second interview yesterday, and think it went really well.
The third... well, it's interviewing over the next week or so.

All of them are going to be bundled around me finding somewhere else to live, and moving - some, further away than others. All of them have some very good positive sides. The only real thing that's making me wibble a bit, is that There Will be Change. And always, when that comes... well, yeah. 'what ifs' run around in my brain, and go all over the place.

So yeah. I'm kind of positive, in the sense that there's several good roads ahead. It's just going to be somewhat hard to choose I think :).

Comments

[purp1e-magic.livejournal.com]

Choosing a place to live can be a pretty daunting experience in itself, even without the differences in career opportunities. It's worth finding people who live in each of those places and asking around about what it's like to live there.

From what I know of you, I think you'd be happier with 1 or 2 than 3.

[fishrgreat.livejournal.com]

If 1 is still with those we spoke about before, I'd still give a very cautious warning about their way of working.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. It's an outsourcer, and I've worked with that sort of thing before. Is your caution from the perspective of a customer though? Because ... well, I'm not sure how bad they'd be to work for, especially given a specialist placement.
But it's certainly something that's giving me pause for thought.

[fishrgreat.livejournal.com]

We're partners rather than customers. They seem to lack a desire to 'own' or 'do' anything, and it seems to be endemic to the company since we've had to work with them on several customers accounts. Maybe you will be the lucky one to get a team who cares but I guess it's very difficult to know!

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

That's the problem I'm going to be facing - it'll be next to impossible to really know a team, before you get in there. I think, the one I'm going for has a special consideration which makes it a bit more liable to _not_ be like that... but ... well, yeah. That's definitely one of the considerations.
Where to live is another. Cheltenham's prettier'n Leeds :).

[elrohana.livejournal.com]

Cheltenham is NOT prettier than Leeds. Cheltenham Centre is prettier than Leeds Centre, granted, but you haven't seen that much of the rest. Leeds is a fantastic city, awesomely green and full of trees, but with all the advantages of a big city that Cheltenham lacks. Oh and its cheaper to live here as well.

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

Tricky choices. Me, I'd plump for 2 or 3 everytime. Smaller companies are usually nicer to work for, and I have an inexplicable fondness for Universities.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

Well, yes. I feel sort of the same about Universities, and I have a perhaps mistaken impression that they're a fairly good employer. 38d holiday (ok, including bank holidays) a year is a pretty good start on that front, certainly.

[syntheticbrain.livejournal.com]

I think Leeds is maybe being poorly done by there. Don't forget its fairly close to lots of the nice bits of Yorkshire - though compared to the midlands your defenition of close will have to change.

Cheltenham will - at a guess - offer an experience like much else. If you are convinced that you are helping towards something important I can imagine it is transformative.

The last point applies equally to universities though in a very different way. Even if the office is like any other, campuses have a unique feel.

I'm a novelty junky without a career plan so I'd go for the job most different to my current one. This is not an approach I'd recommend.

Might the job potential for broom_stick in the various places help decide?

[malal.livejournal.com]

I'll point out that Leicester can be a reasonable work journey from Cov, I've done their city centre from your place & been happy with the trip time. M69 is pretty nice even at rush hour.

[sobrique.livejournal.com]

This is not an insignificant factor in why it's attractive. If, of course, I can secure the offer.