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Ive just been offered a job building PCs, but....

tezza192

I applied for the position of system builder/technician at my local computer shop, I didn't expect to get the job - I basically applied for the hell of it just to see what happens. I sent my CV and filled it with the portfolio of systems I have built over  the years. Anyway I got a call to come in for an interview, and the interview was 2 parts, a sit  down talk and then i was put in front of a desk of components and I had to build the PC, POST it and install windows/drivers which wasn't a problem. Anyway after that I was offered the job there and then. 

 

Problem is - after salary negotiation  the best I can get is about 3K less than what I earn at the moment  which is the most they could stretch to - I do earn decent money but I work a job that I don't really care for. Being a PC enthusiast this would be doing  something we all love every day and getting paid for it.

 

I dont know what to do, I have told them Ill let them know by Wednesday. 

 

I could still live alright on the money offered but what do you reckon I should do?

 

 

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Is that 3k including benefits? Benefits make a huge difference.

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Jobs aren't always about the money... If you aren't happy, you may compensate with toys.

 

If you are still there after 2-3 years re-negotiate, maybe you will stay the same pay, but gain 1 week of vacation...

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6 minutes ago, Aytex said:

Are there benefits with your current job and this new job?

No real difference in benefits, the change in salary is the main issue

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I would take the job, maybe you could get some free parts, or discounts?

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1 minute ago, SCHISCHKA said:

building PCs goes nowhere.

Look at what happened to TV repair technicians.

The salary will not go higher.

It is not as demanding as systems engineering.

This is a stoners job.

This is true, but why not do what he loves for a while, and look for a new job a few years down the line?

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is your local shop stable financially?

is there a lot of competition in the area?

how much traffic/sales the store has?

how many systems you figure you're gonna build each month?

 

more and more people order laptops these days, or order components or pre-built systems online...

 

How SAFE long term is that job?

Doesn't feel like a job with advancement / promotion opportunities, at best you'd be what... shop manager? engineer/tech handling warranties and rmas?

 

you hate your current job so much to move to this one?

making systems can get boring after a few weeks, esp. when most will be with cheap psus and cases and lousy cable management that may irritate you all the time

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2 minutes ago, Aytex said:

Do what you love then, 3k is 3k, if you will trade doing something you love for 3k would you do it?

3k per year, I assume. Which is not "paying 3k".

 

OP, 3k is the immediate difference. What about prospects of future income? Prospects of a future career? Or simply staying in the same job or similar till retirement, at least? Or getting a different job in the future thanks to this experience?

Basically, what do you get now, and what is the "continuation value" (the present expected value of what it will mean in terms of future income, work enjoyment, job security, etc) of each option?

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2 minutes ago, Jrock said:

This is true, but why not do what he loves for a while, and look for a new job a few years down the line?

I was working on a list of positives, but i've only come up with one so its not really a list:

If you can get into the sales side of the business you can have a very financially rewarding career where you dont have to get your hands dirty.

 

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That's about $250 a month. For most people that's just gas money or even basic utility services (Gas, Water, Electricity). If you live with parents/roommates or don't commute or pay for utilities, it isn't a huge downgrade. 

Depending on your career goals it can also help with your Resume. Experience is what many employers like to see. If you're more skilled in more than just one specific branch of work, they may like that. Another thing to think about is if a potential employer in the future questions why you left your current job for one with a lower paying salary. It's a bit unusual, but depends on a case by case basis.

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2 minutes ago, ionbasa said:

 Another thing to think about is if a potential employer in the future questions why you left your current job for one with a lower paying salary.

This can go two very different ways.

 

You can impress the employer saying you switched jobs to do something you like, and are moving into something you like even more, or they just wont pay you very much :/

 

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10 minutes ago, ionbasa said:

That's about $250 a month.

Or $8.22 a day. or $34,701-$38,423 in 10 years, depending on how pessimistic-optimistic you are about the returns on safe assets. 

Is changing the unit of measurement suppose to make it different?

 

Quote

For most people that's just gas money or even basic utility services (Gas, Water, Electricity). 

 

It's also a brand-new overkill rig, including monitor and maybe even desk or chair, every year.

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Just now, Erik Sieghart said:

It's a fair assessment, as most people pay their bills on a monthly basis, or evaluate it on a monthly basis.

It's a way to cloud your judgement. If $100 a month sounds too different from $1,200 a year, you are succumbing to a fallacy.

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37 minutes ago, tezza192 said:

I applied for the position of system builder/technician at my local computer shop, I didn't expect to get the job - I basically applied for the hell of it just to see what happens. I sent my CV and filled it with the portfolio of systems I have built over  the years. Anyway I got a call to come in for an interview, and the interview was 2 parts, a sit  down talk and then i was put in front of a desk of components and I had to build the PC, POST it and install windows/drivers which wasn't a problem. Anyway after that I was offered the job there and then. 

 

Problem is - after salary negotiation  the best I can get is about 3K less than what I earn at the moment  which is the most they could stretch to - I do earn decent money but I work a job that I don't really care for. Being a PC enthusiast this would be doing  something we all love every day and getting paid for it.

 

I dont know what to do, I have told them Ill let them know by Wednesday. 

 

I could still live alright on the money offered but what do you reckon I should do?

 

 

i would do it. do what you love and you will get more forfillemnt you of it + you can screw with PC hardware all day.

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7 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

It's a way to cloud your judgement. If $100 a month sounds too different from $1,200 a year, you are succumbing to a fallacy.

I don't pay my bills yearly (other than taxes). So, it wouldn't make sense to talk about yearly difference in salary. You need to look at finances on both a short term (monthly/weekly) basis, and a long term basis depending on how you utilize your assets. To look at only yearly would not be fair. Unforeseen events or payments that could happen 1 month may not seem like a big deal in the yearly term. An example of such would be an unforeseen medical expense or even a traffic violation. If you only judged the yearly income, you may think you have enough money to deal with it. But on a monthly basis, you may not have the assets to cover the unforeseen expense. It's how people end up living Month-to-Month or end up being delinquent on scheduled monthly payments.

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4 minutes ago, SpaceGhostC2C said:

It's a way to cloud your judgement. If $100 a month sounds too different from $1,200 a year, you are succumbing to a fallacy.

I gotta side with this.  Most people can be easily focus on 'monthly budgets' and it's important to have your budget WORK every month but things go a lot farther out than one month.  I could have stuck with the lowest student loan payment rate and instead I made the payment high and increased it aggressively with every raise.  I 'spend a lot more every month' on my loan but I'll have saved THOUSANDS in interest by bringing down the principal as fast as I can and I'll stop paying entirely after Nov 1st.  In less than three years payment time, my student loans will be repaid.

 

This is also how people can be easily duped into payment plans.  People are TRAINED to only talk about the 'monthly cost' when selling you a car or something else that will require payments and talking about how much you will pay in interest overall, getting that will be like pulling teeth.  They stand to profit a lot more if you only think about how much it'll cost you 'every month'.

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Just now, AshleyAshes said:

I gotta side with this.  Most people can be easily focus on 'monthly budgets' and it's important to have your budget WORK every month but things go a lot farther out than one month.  I could have stuck with the lowest student loan payment rate and instead I made the payment high and increased it aggressively with every raise.  I 'spend a lot more every month' on my loan but I'll have saved THOUSANDS in interest by bringing down the principal as fast as I can and I'll stop paying entirely after Nov 1st.  In less than three years payment time, my student loans will be repaid.

 

This is also how people can be easily duped into payment plans.  People are TRAINED to only talk about the 'monthly cost' when selling you a car or something else that will require payments and talking about how much you will pay in interest overall, getting that will be like pulling teeth.  They stand to profit a lot more if you only think about how much it'll cost you 'every month'.

While that is true, it does not apply to monthly expenses not subject to interest rate. In the post above I mentioned how it is important to look at both the large scale (yearly) and monthly income. People with good money management skills do both and plan out their assets. For example, my savings never dips below $15k. But at the same time, My checkings has enough to keep me comfortable with monthly utility payments and a little extra for groceries, gas,necessities. I plan out all my payments in an excel sheet and time any payments I have to make in loans (I only have about $1.5k worth of student loans remaining). If I were to make the minimum payment, it would take years to payoff. Where's at my current payment rate, it would take less the 8 months.

 

It makes sense to think large scale for loans and debts. Not so much for monthly utilities which acure no interest (other than a late penalty fee), nor do you have an option of making large lump payments to utilities since it also varies month to month (eg: water, electricity, gas). There is also unforeseen payments that only happen once. If you don't have enough savings for it, you may have to make hard choices.

▶ Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. - Einstein◀

Please remember to mark a thread as solved if your issue has been fixed, it helps other who may stumble across the thread at a later point in time.

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1 minute ago, ionbasa said:

While that is true, it does not apply to monthly expenses not subject to interest rate.

The way I see it, $3k a year is almost three months of rent.  And I live in Toronto where it's fairly expensive, it's more than three months worth of rent in a lot of places, most places even.  Three months of rent extra per year, that's a lot of money.  It only stops being that if you try to mentally wrap it around your brain until you tell yourself 'It's only $8.22 a day' but despite that, $8.22 a day is three months of rent per year.  

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8 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

The way I see it, $3k a year is almost three months of rent.  And I live in Toronto where it's fairly expensive, it's more than three months worth of rent in a lot of places, most places even.  Three months of rent extra per year, that's a lot of money.  It only stops being that if you try to mentally wrap it around your brain until you tell yourself 'It's only $8.22 a day' but despite that, $8.22 a day is three months of rent per year.  

Move to sauga, rent is wayyyy cheaper lol

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Just now, Jrock said:

Move to sauga, rent is wayyyy cheaper lol

My commute time is also a cost that I must consider.  I live 10 subway stations from work. :)

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Just now, AshleyAshes said:

My commute time is also a cost that I must consider.  I live 10 subway stations from work. :)

Oh true.

 

Im on the edge of oakville, someone at my work takes 45 mins on the go train from east york lmao

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Just now, Jrock said:

Oh true.

 

Im on the edge of oakville, someone at my work takes 45 mins on the go train from east york lmao

Yeah.  So for $135 a month I have unlimited TTC access.  No parking spot at the apartment, no paying for parking at the garage under the office, no insurance, no gas, and no long commutes eating up more of my day. :)  But that's what works for me.  People have different priorities in their own lives.

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