Possible job move -- asking for advice.

OK, here's some backstory the previous gig I worked at was a weekly, where I was the only designer, and one full time writer, and one part time writer, and one sports editor, and one part time sports writer, and a publisher.

In December 2006, I was laid off the company three months after Heartland Publications purchased our paper.

So in April, I got a job at a daily 30 miles away from where I live making about $12,000 more on the year than I did before, designing on the news side, doing section fronts. On top of that, the job entails a lot of work on our Web site as well.

Two weeks after starting the job at the daily, the previous gig I worked at offered me a job back there again, but $4,000 less than the daily offered me, so I declined.

So now fastforward to this week.

Everyone at the heartland publication weekly (the publisher was transferred in april, promoting the bookkeeper to general manager) has left besides the bookkeeper and a clerk who does legals and obits and society type bullshit.

The two ad reps quit, but they hired a new one, and the two writers quit. One quit to another weekly opening up in the county to compete with us.

So this week, they call me, and offer me $2,000 more than I am making at my current job. I will have all control over the design aspects, etc.

And the other person they are hiring happens to be my best friend who works at the same daily as I am, and they want him to be the ME.

So we would be a two-man show editorial and sports wise for a weekly.

Do you think it would be worth it to make the move back to my previous job with a $16,000 jump in pay than I had there before?

 

No. All those people left for a reason.

 

John's right. Those people left for a reason.

Can you find out why?

 

No. You left for a reason. The people who left also did so for a damn good reason.

Stay where you are or move up from there. Taking your previous gig would be like stepping back.

 

all those people: Publisher was transferred; one of the ad reps went to the daily i work at currently for more money; the other went to the competing weekly starting up for more money; one writer went to the same weekly for the same reason; and the other writer left cause of disability.

I'm not going to list how much they are offering, but me and my "partner" if you will, will be making at least $10,000 more than anyone else has ever made there before, besides the publisher, which we're competing with his salary.

 

Doctor Jones,
The money aspect sounds positive and having pretty much complete control of the product with a good friend sounds intriguing as well... but didn't you say this company laid you off once already? What's to stop them from doing that again three weeks, three months, three years from now? and this time around, you may not be as lucky to grab a daily gig that, from the sounds of it, is a pretty good job...

my .02, FWIW.

 

Exactly, and that's the thing that keeps ticking in the back of my head. Since they layed me off, this is the second time they've tried to rehire me. In that time, circulation has dropped 2,000. And you're right, what's to say, but the daily I work for was bought by a competing paper in the same town 3 years ago with the intention of shutting it down.

so regardless, I couldn't have a job there, too.

 

I'd never entertain anything from anyone who laid me off. Fuck them.

 

Hey, you call him Doctor Jones, DOLL!!!!

8) 8)

The situation bit you before, it can do so again. If the pay is too much to pass up, better go in with eyes wide open.

But I'll echo everyone who said steer clear. A high turnover rate is no accident.

 

Let the powers that be at your current paper know that the old paper called and offered you a job with more money (and that it wasn't something that you had applied for). Then, if you turn it down, you've shown your loyalty to the place.

What might happen is management might pony up a couple of bucks to keep you if they think you are serious about going back.

Of course, you could get screwed by the current paper and then be forced to go to what could be a bad situation at the old one.

Good luck

 

I would definitely stay away from Heartland. You made a great step up in going from a weekly to a daily and, even though the money is right, I think you'd be taking a big step backwards in going back to a weekly, especially one that has everyone jumping ship.

 

(Just in case....)

You have seen this thread, right? http://www.sportsjournalists.com/forum/threads/43339/