big future job decision

[Sephroth57]

Ok, so we will start off with a little background. Ive been working for this company for about 2 1/2 years, were a small buisness contracted by honeywell and we basicly do their project management for all their national accounts, meaning we organize installations of 100+ store chains that buy a contract with us for HVAC controls, etc. So its a pretty decent job, its a desk job I dont mind it. Right now im making 11.50, which isnt exactly great but for being 21 and not going to college its pretty good, plus i have PAID health insurance, 2 weeks vac, and an IRA going. We work out of my bosses house which he had an addition put on for a couple small offices. Well my boss is moving to florida soon, hes having a house built there. Everything is still in the air now but he said he will update me when he knows more so I know what im doing. Basicly roughly estimating he will be ready to move out of here and go to florida full time in anywhere from 6 months to a year. He will buying an office space close to his new house and running the buisness from there.

Now i have 2 options, I could move to florida and stay with the company, my boss didnt go into specifics since nothing is in stone right now but basicly said he could give me enough of a raise so i could live on my own down there, currently im living with my mom, im 21. So basicly i would have to find an apartment or a small house down there, I got about 10K i could use for a down payment on something.. dunno how far that will go. But basicly its move down there, get a decent raise, get out of my house and NJ, or I can stay here, try to find another job without any college degree, which is gonna be crap. I'm leaning toward florida, it would just kind of suck to leave all my friends. But then again maybe getting out of this place would be good for me. so yeah, opinions?

[Bones]

What fun is another couple of bucks an hour and your own place without your mates to enjoy it with?

Stay with mum. Keep saving. If your boss thinks enough of you to offer you this position, other opportunities are bound to come up.

[Stingray]

Florida and your own place or stay living with mom in Jersey. Boy that's a tough choice.

**kicks Seph in the head**

-S

[ChadTower]

It's a very simple thing.  It's time to move on and be a man.

Let him go.  Enroll in college.  Get an education and a real career.  Don't be that guy who is 32 and has no upward mobility.

[Bones]

Aren't there just old people in Florida? Could it be possible I have been wrongly educated by Seinfeld?

[Stingray]

Aren't there just old people in Florida? Could it be possible I have been wrongly educated by Seinfeld?

It's possible.

-S

[dogg0]

stay in NJ, start going to school even if it is night classes etc. A bachelors in nearly anything can get you a decent desk job that will pay $30,000.

[saint]

If college is a possibility then it's time to go to college. If that's not your plan, then stretch your wings and fly from the nest (go to Florida). If it doesn't work out you can move back. When opportunity knocks, are you going to answer or hide?

--- saint

Ok, so we will start off with a little background. Ive been working for this company for about 2 1/2 years, were a small buisness contracted by honeywell and we basicly do their project management for all their national accounts, meaning we organize installations of 100+ store chains that buy a contract with us for HVAC controls, etc. So its a pretty decent job, its a desk job I dont mind it. Right now im making 11.50, which isnt exactly great but for being 21 and not going to college its pretty good, plus i have PAID health insurance, 2 weeks vac, and an IRA going. We work out of my bosses house which he had an addition put on for a couple small offices. Well my boss is moving to florida soon, hes having a house built there. Everything is still in the air now but he said he will update me when he knows more so I know what im doing. Basicly roughly estimating he will be ready to move out of here and go to florida full time in anywhere from 6 months to a year. He will buying an office space close to his new house and running the buisness from there.

Now i have 2 options, I could move to florida and stay with the company, my boss didnt go into specifics since nothing is in stone right now but basicly said he could give me enough of a raise so i could live on my own down there, currently im living with my mom, im 21. So basicly i would have to find an apartment or a small house down there, I got about 10K i could use for a down payment on something.. dunno how far that will go. But basicly its move down there, get a decent raise, get out of my house and NJ, or I can stay here, try to find another job without any college degree, which is gonna be crap. I'm leaning toward florida, it would just kind of suck to leave all my friends. But then again maybe getting out of this place would be good for me. so yeah, opinions?

[Jabba]

Sounds to me like a big step to make on little or no commitment from your boss. How much more than 11.50 an hour could he offer you? 13.50? Living on yer own is expensive.

[TheVengeance]

then stretch your wings and fly from the nest (go to Florida).

--- saint

Don't f***ing tell him that!

[Stingray]

then stretch your wings and fly from the nest (go to Florida).

--- saint

Don't f***ing tell him that!   

We don't want you down here bro. There's nothing in Florida for you.   

Nothing but sunny beaches and scantilly clad college-age nymphs.

-S

[JackTucky]

Screw college.  Be a plumber or a carpenter.  Those guys never have to call anyone back.

when's the last time you were standing around saying, boy, I wish I had a college educated desk job guy here to help me remodel my basement so I can put a mame cab in here?

Art

[hyiu]

I guess it depends on what you want for your future...

whether you want to be a plumber, carpenter, office work, engineer, programmer,.... most work that can make a decent living WILL NEED A LICENSE OR A DEGREE... which means BACK TO SCHOOL.....

doesn't necessary mean a 4 yr college... but still, at least some classes.

11.50 an hr.. x 8 x 5 x 52... = 24k a yr....  that's not good enough in the long run...  even if your boss gives you a decent raise, I don't think it'll really cover your living alone extra costs.

ultimately, its your call, but my $0.002 cents of personal opinion thinks its a good time to prepare your resume, call your friends and families for any connections / openings... and start looking for another job.   Better yet, as many suggests, start taking some night classes that relates to the career you want.

if you start looking now, and until your boss REALLY is moving, and you still cannot land a decent job, then think of going with your boss as a backup plan... (or try to figure out a plan C)....

good luck.

[fredster]

I understand that depending on where you are in FLA, it's pretty expensive to live.  $13.50 isn't enough.  Need I mention the hurricanes?

Go Back to school.  You won't have a better time to do it and enjoy than you do now. It gets harder every year you stay out to get up and go back.

Plus, there are more opportunities you will make if you get more education.

[missioncontrol]

I thought you were going to be a proffesional gambler

[Jabba]

I moved out when I was 25. I Made sure I had a college education and a well paying job (23K/year 17 years ago) before I moved out and could support myself.

I guess different strokes for different folks...

[pointdablame]

I'd stay in NJ and go to school.  That's a big gamble to take, and if something happened down in FL and you were stuck with no job.... now you're 1000 miles away from most of the connections you might have.

11.50 is definitely not enough to live off of in FL... your boss would have to give you a $5 or more raise to make that more realistic, unless you want to live paycheck to paycheck forever.  You could possibly get an aparment with roommates in FL to save cash, but you'd have to know people to do that, or take the gamble with someone you don't know.

If I were in your shoes, I'd stay at mom's in NJ, go to school, and look for a job while you get a degree/liscense/whatever.  I look forward to having my own place, but staying with parents can take a lot of financial burden off you.  I know that I'll probably be stuck here for a year or so after graduation so that I can hopefully take a significant chunk of my loans out of the equation.

[Sephroth57]

well yeah i have been considering school, if anything id like to go for a liberal arts with a specialization in media/audio mixing, something like that. the college near me has a decent selection for these so i was thinking about doing that. but this takes a long time, and i would obviously need to get another job while doing that, my job now will last at least another 6months to a year so thats fine for now. I dunno all this change is just weird and I dont like it =\

[pointdablame]

A degree WILL take time, but it's a great path for the future.

Go to school ASAP..... work your current job until he actually moves, and look for a job while you still work there.  With any luck, you can land a job during your current employer's moving transition, and be ok.  Even if the new job isn't great, you can use it to put some cash away and pay for school.  Then, coming out of school, you'll have the degree and the capability to get a better job.

I'm not saying work at McDonald's while you go to school, but my point is almost any decent job will tide you over while you go to school.  You're living at your parent's for free or cheap, so even a lower paying job could hellp you make the transition.

[ChadTower]

That's a luxury, though.  I moved out at 17 and was not only on my own but was sending a strong portion of my money home to help take care of my little brother.  I could NOT stay at home.

I moved out when I was 25. I Made sure I had a college education and a well paying job (23K/year 17 years ago) before I moved out and could support myself.

I guess different strokes for different folks...

[Stingray]

I thought you were going to be a proffesional gambler 

Oh, excellent! You can travel the country blackjacking your way to fame & glory! Even if you lose you can still live in a van down by the river (or beach if you go to Florida).

-S

[Jabba]

That's a luxury, though.

[pathdoc2]

My experience is that education will open many doors but your attitude and outlook will keep them open.
For me it was 4 years of college, 4 years of medical school and 5 years as a resident in training. 
Thats just me and I'm on the obsessive side.
Best of luck.
Use you 20's wisely.  That decade only comes around once and you don't want to waste it.

[ScoopKW]

I live in Florida.

Anything less than $20 an hour is "hand-to-mouth" wages down here. And unless you live in a swamp, forget being able to buy a house on $20/hour.

Besides, unless you are in Miami, Tampa, Naples, Fort Lauderdale or the Keys, you don't WANT to live in Florida. If that job is in Jacksonville, run far, far away.

ScoopKW's guide to a happy life:

1) Write down a list of 10 to 20 jobs you would do FOR FREE, just because it's so cool.  (Brewmaster, Playboy Photographer, Ferrari Test Driver, etc. Do NOT omit a cool job just because you think it's "pie-in-the-sky." You will begin to notice patterns about you, and what you'd like to do.)

2) Narrow it down to a few jobs that have similar education requirements.

3) Go to school and work hard. Make sure that you're in the top of your class *AND* you intern, apprentice or volunteer to get real world experience. (At 21, you don't have any of that. I thought I did at 21, too. I didn't know diddly.)

4) Get a job doing something you love to do.

5) Live a long, happy life.

ScoopKW
Brewmaster, Parrot Trainer, Reporter and Real Estate Agent in Florida

(See how that works?)

[ChadTower]

3) Go to school and work hard. Make sure that you're in the top of your class *AND* you intern, apprentice or volunteer to get real world experience. (At 21, you don't have any of that. I thought I did at 21, too. I didn't know diddly.)

You don't have to be at or near the top of your class, really.  The internships, the co-ops... those are crucial.  I was smack in the middle of my class but my internships were stellar, every manager I had was willing to give me a glowing recommendation.  That carries far more weight than your GPA, having some real world experience and employers that will give you that neon yes hire him reference.  That is what I did, that is what has always carried my career.

[TOK]

I wouldn't sever ties with family for that amount of money, so moving wouldn't be an option to me. Don't think I'd go to any coastal part of Florida for anything less than $100,000 a year, but thats me. Just not where I want  to live at all.

Jersey seems booming, job-wise. How transferable are your skills to somewhere local that does similar work? My first goal would be to line up other employment before I lost what I was doing. I hate the feeling of things being "up in the air". What your employer is doing doesn't show a lot of respect for the welfare of his employee's. Kind of suprising since he offers you healthcare, which is an outstanding benefit for someone who works out of his house (you're a bit young to appreciate it now, but as you get older or have kids it becomes a huge deal).

How transferable are your skills to the actual trade work of HVAC? Thats a good trade to be in. Always work available, and the fact that you have to lay your hands on the work means your work won't be getting farmed out to some third world country for 8 cents an hour. Also a good field to start your own business in.

[Sephroth57]

well my part of the whole HVAC deal is automated control really, i only really deal with wires, control boards, etc. not the actual mechanics of rooftop units. there are installers out there that i work with everyday that basicly all they do is install these kind of things, its kind of a specialized field since its like an electrician/HVAC tech in one. i dont want to be a contractor though too much physical labor for me, i like my desk job being on a computer 8 hours a day lol

[pointdablame]

well my part of the whole HVAC deal is automated control really, i only really deal with wires, control boards, etc. not the actual mechanics of rooftop units. there are installers out there that i work with everyday that basicly all they do is install these kind of things, its kind of a specialized field since its like an electrician/HVAC tech in one. i dont want to be a contractor though too much physical labor for me, i like my desk job being on a computer 8 hours a day lol

Go to school for a business degree then.  You can look into management work, or at least dsek work.  You'll also have the skills to start your own company if you ever chose (even if it is VERY risky).

If you don't want to do the physical part of the work (HVAC or otherwise) look into the logistical side... management/human resources/inventory/dispatch/et al

[Crazy Cooter]

i like my desk job being on a computer 8 hours a day lol

Drafting.  2-years at a tech school & you'll start at a good wage.  Plus you can draw up cabinet plans.

If that job is in Jacksonville, run far, far away.

I have a friend moving down there as we speak.

[Sephroth57]

oh and the part of florida would be venice btw, like 60 miles south of tampa

[AceTKK]

I have family all over Florida and let me tell you the cost of living is outrageous (almost as bad as California).  My mother and stepfather are both teachers, each making ~50k/year and they're barely scraping by in a 2 bedroom house with $1800 rent.  In my opinion you absolutely could not make it there on <40k year unless you have several roommates.

-Ace-

[RayB]

Don't make any decisions without firm numbers and commitments. Get it in writing. It's what they call a "letter of intent". That covers you a bit in case you move out there and get screwed by the boss.

What exactly is your job? $11.50 is nothing. I've heard of receptionists making more than that. Girls folding clothes in mall stores make around that much. Nothing sucks more than living check to check, especially if you want to better yourself.

I moved out at 17, worked fast food while going to college. In hindsight I'd have had a much better education if I would have lived at home and not have to work (as much) to pay rent, etc. I didn't finish college. Went to California for a job. That decision I DON'T regret, but I was paid enough that I could get a 1 bedroom apt in a nice area. Then I lucked out by working with people who partied way too much. 21, Cali, parties every week. Can't beat that!

In some ways your situation sounds similar, though I don't know what your job/skills and future aspirations are... If you're the type with "skillz" then I would think you'd already have a much higher pay than what you get now. So maybe as others are saying, it's time to acquire knowledge/skills. Also consider maybe your boss wants you out there because you're CHEAP? Research what the average pay for your job is. Research what a 1-bedroom costs down there. Find out what kind of area it is. Find out what your boss is willing to pay. When I made the big move, rent was about $700/month, and I was paid $14.50 / hr. I lived check to check. It would suck if you went out there, then later lost your job and couldn't find another one.

[ChadTower]

Drafting.  2-years at a tech school & you'll start at a good wage.  Plus you can draw up cabinet plans.

Computer Science.  Start at 60 grand.  Make 75 in four years.  Make 100 in 10 years.

[NIVO]

hey seph, what are your chances of the boss considering letting you work from home with the company still? Most times, a second line and net cost would be covered as an expense for your job. You could still stay around your family/friends and even goto a locla community college/night school if that is what u wish. Perhaps ask your boss about the possibility of this option.

[jhanson]

Computer Science. Start at 60 grand. Make 75 in four years. Make 100 in 10 years.

That used to be true.  Not so much anymore.  Unless you're talking rupees.  In that case, it's still true.

[ChadTower]

Computer Science. Start at 60 grand. Make 75 in four years. Make 100 in 10 years.

That used to be true.  Not so much anymore.  Unless you're talking rupees.  In that case, it's still true.

I see computer science grads come out all the time and start in the mid to high 50s.  I have made the hiring decision a few of them myself.  A strong, fully trained, software engineer still makes that kind of money.  It's the half trained, 2 year part time educated IT guys that can't find work anymore.  Guys with 4-5 years of full time computer science education (as I did) are still fully employed.

[jhanson]

Computer Science. Start at 60 grand. Make 75 in four years. Make 100 in 10 years.

That used to be true.  Not so much anymore.  Unless you're talking rupees.  In that case, it's still true.

I see computer science grads come out all the time and start in the mid to high 50s.  I have made the hiring decision a few of them myself.  A strong, fully trained, software engineer still makes that kind of money.  It's the half trained, 2 year part time educated IT guys that can't find work anymore.  Guys with 4-5 years of full time computer science education (as I did) are still fully employed.

Sounds like the market's a little different in your area than mine.  Here, you have guys with 4 year CS degrees and 10 years of experience having a hard time finding anything other than contract work.

[ChadTower]

Sounds like the market's a little different in your area than mine.  Here, you have guys with 4 year CS degrees and 10 years of experience having a hard time finding anything other than contract work.

Where are you?  That's where I was a couple of years ago.  I'm in MA, one of the largest tech corridors in the US, so we could have recovered more thoroughly than where you are.

I am a guy with 5+ years of CS and about 10 years experience.

[GameOver]

GO TO SCHOOL!  (did ya hear me?)

Hands down it'll be one of the best decisions you'll ever make.  Do it now while you're at home with a great support system and little to no expenses.  It gets MUCH harder to do later on.

Yeah it would be cool to have your own place, but you'll be MUCH MUCH MUCH better off if you go to school.  Doesn't matter what for, just pick something you like.

Leave your job.  Go to work for a bank or some other big corporation.  They'll pay for you to go to school AND you'll get valuable work experience AND a paycheck while you're at it AND references AND contacts.  Not to mention some of the best benefits you'll ever get along the way.  And I bet you'll make more there than you do now.  Plus you'll get free checking!   

[spiffyshoes]

UPS and the USPost office are good jobs to get without a degree.