Need to make a job decision

[iamdjdz]

I say job in terms of career but potentially one could affect my desired career.

Basically I have worked for a large supermarket chain for a couple of years and have been simultaneously studying BSc Computing and IT with the OU. I have another year or two left of the course and ultimately I want a career in IT.

About a month ago I went for an interview for a franchise of car showrooms and got offered the job. Initially it was advertised as full time but once we got talking it was agreed that during my notice period I would work part time and then get a full time contract. So I was given a casual zero-hour contract.

The job I went for was for a data coordinator but is less database management than pulling together data for marketing and cleansing data.

Meanwhile in the supermarket a supervisor position has come up in my department and I've been told that if I apply (which I did) I would get it but my manager is aware I've been looking elsewhere and has put off the interview until tomorrow on the promise that I let him know tomorrow if I will take the job or not as it is no point them sending me for training etc if I quit - it also isn't possible for me to work both.

The car sales manager has been telling me that he will sort out a contract for the last couple of weeks and told me yesterday he will let me know yesterday but didn't and promised to call today but didn't. So I'm assuming no full time contract.

I can't afford to jump ship for zero hours but I have no idea what to do and if the experience would look better for IT jobs in the future than a supermarket supervisor would.

Any advice or help? I know it's very last minute. Thanks.

 

[AHarvey]

From a personal opinion, I'd avoid any positions based a round a sales environment, especially at a car dealership. Zero hour contract plus the fact he's been messing you around be failing to provide a contact out is huge warning signs for me. Also consider, you'll be on probation in a new job and you could easily find yourself jobless.

If I was you, go for the supervisor position as long as you can still meet your OU time requirements, and if time allows look for a local company doing what you want to do and email them. Ask them for work experience, even if it is a few hours a week unpaid. You'll gain better experience as well as earning an increased income.

I'd also consider supervisor experience over any you'd get compiling data in what is essentially an admin role.

 

[Iron-man]

Personally if your looking for something in IT as your preference(and your currently working towards it) and as you have mentioned the car dealer manager has let you down a couple of times already and you haven't even taken his job then I would be leaning towards sticking with what you know until your in a position to move in to the sector you are working towards.

But as always the choice is yours

 

[Iron-man]

I can't afford to jump ship for zero hours but I have no idea what to do and if the experience would look better for IT jobs in the future than a supermarket supervisor would.

.

I would personally have thought that neither job would look better than the other in terms of future employment in computing.

Final bit of advice from me would be take what is going to be more secure and allow to finish your end goal of the Learning

 

[iamdjdz]

Just to add I have started work in the new job and am doing both at the moment part time which I can't keep doing.

 

[Iron-man]

Just to add I have started work in the new job and am doing both at the moment part time which I can't keep doing.

so is it still a zero hours contract now your in there?

 

[iamdjdz]

so is it still a zero hours contract now your in there?

Yeah - that's what I've been asking the manager to confirm when I'm going to full time basically. He knows I can't hand in my notice until he tells me.

It's also not sales I'll be a cross between IT and marketing/aftersales. But seems more of an admin role really than IT so not sure I think there will be aspects I can draw upon for interviews and application forms.

 

[iamdjdz]

Holy thread revival Batman!

So an update...

I kept both jobs going as long as I could then decided to opt with the Asda supervisor role. I found out that there was a freeze on recruitment just after I had started and I had been left on zero hours as they couldnt make me full time. This was due to the company being acquired by a much larger chain (Sytner). I was given my new laptop and left it in a drawer in the middle of July.

My manager called me back for one last meeting to meet the IT guys who were taking over and I made sure I could get the time off in Asda as a last chance at the job and a bit out of curiosity. I was informally interviewed and offered an IT field engineer role covering the North of England (Scotland and North Wales). Naturally I accepted this and was offered a higher salary than I initially would have been willing to do it for. Company car etc too.

So I left Asda a week later and have been working here since. In fact I'm sat in a restaurant having dinner while working away in Swansea! Enjoying it, has its moments like all jobs but what I've learnt about IT over the last year while still studying with the OU has been amazing.

Moral of this story is... ...I don't know but it worked out pretty well.

 

[randomshenans]

Sounds like you kept all options open and played it well. Well done!