What Would Oppo Do?

"OPPOsaurus WRX" (opposaurus)
07/21/2015 at 08:41 • Filed to: None

So I’m probably going to have to leave my current job if I want to get any where. This is a small company (3 working employees 5 total, i cant really say my boss’s wife or the secretary do much ‘work’) My boss brought up that I deserved a raise a couple months ago but there was a lack of funds, I brought it up again before going on vacation last week was was told the same thing. Right now I have to take side work to meet bills and I’m tired of that. We also have to bring our own TP. The commute is nice, its a very laid back office, and the day is over at 3:30. I do enjoy the work I do here which is high end residential design. The benefits, of those that exist suck, they suck hard.

!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!

I have an interview this afternoon. Much larger office (25 people maybe). the work would probably not be as exciting but there would be room to grow in the company. They might even be able to help with my testing for my architecture licence. I ride my bike to the office. The benefits would be better, (401k and such) but it would probably be 9-5 (vs 8-330)

I have also been talking with a company that does repair work on houses with major damages (think kitchen fire, roof collapse, pipe bursts, flooding...) It sounds like I would meet with people who contact the office, try to get the project, and then manage the repairs. There would be limited designing required, but I would get project management experience. I talked with a design/build office and he wants to hire me but only if I get a couple yrs of project management, so even if I dont like this one, it would only be temporary and lead to a better job. This place could potentially offer the highest pay but its commission. The base salary is more than I currently make. I start my first side job for this guy Wednesday. O and he tracks his Z07.

DISCUSSION (30)

Echo51 > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:45

>he tracks his Z07.
I’d say go for it, before long there’s company paid trackdays i bet.
/not srs

pip bip - choose Corrour > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:45

change jobs.

OPPOsaurus WRX > pip bip - choose Corrour
07/21/2015 at 08:46

i think thats a given, i just can;t figure out which one i’d go to.

pip bip - choose Corrour > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:47

dart board.

blindfold.

see how it goes.

CalzoneGolem > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:49

You have to bring your own TP? Dafuq?

OPPOsaurus WRX > CalzoneGolem
07/21/2015 at 08:51

i shit you not

OPPOsaurus WRX > pip bip - choose Corrour
07/21/2015 at 08:52

my luck i’d end up with a dart in my foot

Smallbear wants a modern Syclone, local Maple Leafs spammer > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:52

I hope not, you’d be paying to clean it.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Echo51
07/21/2015 at 08:54

when I met with him just for the side work, we ended up talking cars more than work. He was showing me a video of him doing 145 mph down the straight. The other guy in the meeting said its a blast to drive the car. I was like holy shit you let other people do this in your car?? HIRE ME!!!!!

CalzoneGolem > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:56

For future reference that is a major red flag.

nermal > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:58

Onward and upward. Go to whoever offers the combination of most $$$ and best working conditions.

Ask for a tour of the office and a chance to meet as many people as possible. Do they look happy? Do they seem like people you would fit in with? Try to get as much info about the company culture as possible, and make sure you can be a part of that.

Party-vi > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 08:59

“My boss brought up that I deserved a raise a couple months ago but there was a lack of funds, I brought it up again before going on vacation last week was was told the same thing. “

^This is a shitty thing to do for a boss. You should leave. Right now you’re not making as much as you are worth (per your boss), you receive no benefits an the only plus is that you get to leave 1.5hr early each day. Time to buck-up and land a 9-5 job (are you sure it isn’t going to be an 8-5 job?).

Also, unless you’re ready for sob stories and angry homeowners I would shy away from the disaster/insurance repair company. You know the someone’s home is their shelter, and they go crazy over the stupidest shit. Makes me happy I build for government personnel, and that’s saying something. My brother-in-law used to work for a similar company and was paid on commission, but also had a draw account he would have to dip into when he wasn’t getting any work. Make sure they don’t have some similar setup because it’s a nightmare to use $3,000 of company money and know you have to pay it back once you start getting commissions again.

Follow up with the larger design company and continue with you side work if time allows for it, or go with the disaster repair company; it sounds like either option would better suit you than your current job. Good luck!

CalzoneGolem > nermal
07/21/2015 at 09:04

I find that good coworkers can really make a shitty job much better.

OPPOsaurus WRX > CalzoneGolem
07/21/2015 at 09:06

haha yea I wasn;t aware of this until I went down to the secretary and asked where they keep the TP. Shes like ‘o we all bring our own’ I thought she was joking so I just stood there until she explained that she wasn;t joking and we really bring our own. When I started working here it was literally the only place I could find that was hiring.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:08

You are my wife.... Wait. That came out wrong. You are in the same boat as my wife - ready to start testing for her license, stuck in a low-paying job with no room to grow, starting to get frustrated with her circumstances....

On the positive side, her job gives her the freedom to deal with the “family” issues (i.e. doctors appointments, school activities, etc.). Now that she is in the fifth year without a significant raise and with the recent announcement that health care premiums are going up, effectively reducing her overall salary, she is in the market for a new job.

Think about taking the job that makes you happy. There’s a lot to be said about having a great work environment. On the other hand, make sure there is room to grow, even if it is just going up a position or two. Without room to grow, you will be unhappy and looking for another firm in a couple of years.

CalzoneGolem > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:09

Well now you have a question to ask and a funny story to tell in interviews.

Justin Hughes > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:14

Or worse, one of these.

Kinja'd!!!

OPPOsaurus WRX > TheRealBicycleBuck
07/21/2015 at 09:16

Yea, it definitely sounds like the same thing. The larger firm seems like it would be more stable but probably not as relaxed of an environment. the second option could possibly bring more money but might be a more stressful job but I really like being in residential design and construction even though its more project management. It could also lead back to a great design/build job. Its further away but I would also get a company car (Scion box) for the day and I would get out of the office a lot. The first I’d be at a computer 99% of the time.

Echo51 > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:17

Best boss ever!

OPPOsaurus WRX > CalzoneGolem
07/21/2015 at 09:17

haha i’ve done that but i get nervous mentioning that, that the people will be like all we have to do to get this guy to work for us is give him TP.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Echo51
07/21/2015 at 09:30

right !?! I’m tryin not to chose a job based on that because I still have a house and family to support. That company would still offer better pay tho.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:33

My wife is an owner’s rep for a large public entity. Her background in building rehab makes her a great fit - she oversees the architect and the contractors on both rehab/expansion projects and new construction. The down side is the salary and having to use her personal vehicle to go to all of the projects.

If you want to move up in salary, you will probably have to work for a large firm doing commercial and government work. Residential is like winning the lottery - you are catering to the 1% and those folks aren’t building new houses all the time. Commercial and government work is steadier, pays more, but you have to learn to be mobile - it’s fairly common to see folks below the partner level jump ship to the firm that won the big contract. The same thing happens in the engineering world. I’m one of the “old” guard in our office, and I’ve only been here 8 years. With the exception of one CAD tech and a couple of the bridge guys, the only ones who have been here longer are the two fellas that run the local office.

Rico > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:41

Bring my own TP? Any company that can’t afford tp for employees also cannot afford to give you a raise.

I vote to leave.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Rico
07/21/2015 at 09:47

i do to. its which path to take that is the question. Larger company, more stable, or take a slightly different career path, possibly better pay, and come back to design in a couple years.

Rico > Party-vi
07/21/2015 at 09:55

I once worked for a company that had a draw system. During the down time it fucking sucked but since I knew I was going to get another job fairly soon I stopped giving a shit drew as much as I needed, then I quit.

Rico > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 09:57

Little more info on this company and what you’re responsibilities might be:

OPPOsaurus WRX > Rico
07/21/2015 at 10:05

they do multi-family and public schools. I’d be a draftsman (AutoCAD) at first and hopefully quickly move to project architect / manager.

The other company I’mnot 100% sure as we didn;t get into detail too much but I would be meeting with clients to get them to hire our company and then running that project.

Rico > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 11:46

Are any of these commission based? Would the second company be commission based? Are you working with insurance companies with the 2nd company or are you meeting with people who have already been paid out by insurance for whatever disaster they experienced?

OPPOsaurus WRX > Rico
07/21/2015 at 12:27

the first larger office is typical salary. The second is commission, but the base salary is more than what I currently make. I’m not 100% sure how the payment works. One think I did make sure is that I would not be making sales calls. They said all the jobs are from people who contacted the office. I would imagine the insurance is involved somehow.

Rico > OPPOsaurus WRX
07/21/2015 at 12:39

Just be careful. Dealing with insurances in any capacity whether it’s home insurance, life insurance, car etc. can be a hassle when it comes to getting payment. They literally drag their feet on everything even when things have been completed for a while.