A decision needs to be made

I have two job offers on the table (potentially). And I do need to accept one of them fairly soon, so Mark and I can save packets of money and buy a shoe box in Bourke. Have you seen this? Housing in Sydney is less affordable than New York and London!

Anyway… Before we left, I had a very promising interview with Company X, on the strength of which I turned down the job that the anti-christ had offered me. They asked me to come in to meet the other director, which turned into a second interview (this is after I thought I had been offered the job). At the second interview, they said they would let me know in two days time – the day before we left for Vietnam. The day arrives, and by 2pm I was getting anxious. By 5pm, I was fuming. By 6pm, I was angry. I called them three times, but my calls were not answered, or returned, so I guessed that my talents were not wanted.

I had three weeks of blissful travel, during which time I convinced myself that Company X were a pack of bastards, who were thoughtless, and rude, and shortsighted, and that I really would not want to work for anyone that would behave in that manner. I contacted an old friend that I’d done some work for in the past, and he happily agreed to take me on. Even offered to negotiate my pay and conditions. Signed me up for his Superannuation fund.

And then, the day we got back, I got a text message “Are you still interested? Please call asap. Company X”.

I swore a lot. You can ask my mum. She’s heard me swearing for years, and I am sure even she would tell you that the expletives reached a new level of duration, volume, and venom. I seem to recall comparing someone to a “son of a motherless goat”. Or words to that effect.

Tomorrow I have to speak to Company X, and Company OF (Old Friend), and try to ascertain what it is that they each want from me, and what they are prepared to offer in return. I anticipate that X will require a lot of hard work and a steep learning curve, but that the financial rewards will be tidy. I’ll also have the added benefit of getting out of an industry that is plagued by low margins and stiff competition, and into an industry that has a much healthier margin, and I’ll be working for a company that has an exclusive distribution of a high value, highly sought after product. Eventually, I’ll also be out on the road, seeing clients, and perhaps even doing a little bit of work related travel. On the other hand, working for Company OF will be easy (the sort of job I could do with both hands tied behind my back while being beaten with a stick), I like the people, the money will be OK, and I’ll still get discounted Apple kit.

Both jobs are in places that are inconvenient for public transport (no commuter knitting), but one comes with the use of a company car.

I sent an email saying that I would call on monday (after I had a chance to calm down), but perhaps I should have given myself more time.