Possible job move -- asking for advice.

[Doctor Jones]

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 bull****.

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?

 

[John]

No. All those people left for a reason.

 

[Chad Conant]

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

Can you find out why?

 

[forever_town]

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.

 

[Doctor Jones]

No. All those people left for a reason.

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.

 

[In Cold Blood]

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.

 

[Doctor Jones]

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.

 

[Shaggy]

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

 

[Norrin Radd]

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.

 

[Just_An_SID]

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

 

[TyWebb]

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.

 

[luckyducky]

(Just in case....)

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

 

[chazp]

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

What he said. Were they having money problems when they laid you off? Does this company this have money problems that aren't public? Don't do it. Stay put on this one.

 

[Hank_Scorpio]

If you have any thoughts of going back, don't take ANY sort of paycut from what you're making now.

They laid you off, you improved your job standing and now they want you back.

Look at it this way. They could have kept you for less money, instead they put stress in your life. Now, it's your turn to hold them over the barrel.

Play hard ball. I would tell them $1,000 more than you are making right now or they can find someone else that isn't as qualified as you.


And even if they did offer $1,000 more, I'm not sure I'd go back to them.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

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

To me, it's that simple.

I wouldn't trust anything from Heartland. Click on the link Ducky provided. That company put you through hell. In Utopia, no amount of money could convince me to possibly return. In reality, it would still take a lot more than $2,000 to get me to think about it.

They put your through hell. Let them suffer the consequences.

 

[Ace]

No way I would go back. What the hell good is having control of a sinking ship?

I also would not let your friendship with the other dude factor in too much. You gotta do what's best for you. Not most fun for you.

 

[Eddie_Vedder]

You gotta remember.... pay isn't the only thing that determines which job is better than the other. daily vs weekly alone would tip the scales for me, forget money...

 

[Eagleboy]

I know the opportunity to essentially "run the show" may be intriguing, but here's three things that should keep you far away:

1) It's a Heartland paper, and they're laying off people/making people quit left and right.
2) You were fired there once before; why go back and risk it again (especially with the situation there?)
3) A move back to a weekly from a daily is, to me and entirely in my opinion, a small step down the ladder. If you want to go back to a daily down the road, even with your new position, you might not gain much more ground than the position you're at now.

 

[outofplace]

It's like a scene from a horror film...I want to shout at the monitor..."Don't go back! No! No! Don't you know better than to go there!"

That higher pay rate they are offering? That just makes their decision easier if they ever decide to screw you over and dump you again. It sounds like your current situation is much more stable.

 

[accguy]

To me it comes down to one simple thing:

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

Also, if it's all about the cash, why don't you just find a bigger daily and get more money there. There are certainly jobs for designers.