Job Related Q: What would you do?

em01092

So today at my internship, I was offered a full time position after finishing my paralegal certificate program at the end of March. Yay! This is such awesome news. I don't know what my pay would be yet, but it wouldn't be great, obviously. Here is my pros/cons list:

Pros:

-already there, learning how to do everything

-people are nice/work environment is pleasant

-right off the interstate

-have a connection to personal injury law due to family accident

-would be making some money (am not currently)

- they are flexible with wedding/HM schedule 

Cons:

-will be close to a 2 hour drive from FI's house (gas $)

-haven't really explored any other areas of law so am wondering what else is out there 

If you were in my shoes, what would you do? I am totally leaning towards yes, because of all the pros but that one major con about gas and distance really sucks. I think I need to get a firm answer on my pay before I make a final decision. 

chickenbut143

2 hrs each way?  or 2 hrs total?  2 hrs total isn't that far for a great job.  I say definitly wait to find out what your salary will be (plus benefits) and see if it's worth while. 

Congrat's on the offer!!

ETA: b/c i can't spell today 

meganb1977

Yay, so glad you got a job offer!  I think it's definitely your prerogative that you can't make a decision until they give you a salary figure.  You can always look at it as a stepping stone where you will gain a little more experience and get your foot in the door before you start looking for something closer to your fiance's house or maybe explore another area of law.

cdbishop

Agree with PP, if it is 2 hours each way I would say definitely not but if it is 1 hour each way it can be something to consider.  When you learn the salary, try to figure out what it will also cost in gas because your take home may not be worth it.  

I would suggest to look online or other places for positions closer to where you will be living.  I just know that commuting that far can take a lot out of you and by the time you get home you're exhausted from work and driving your relationship can suffer as well.  

rlavach

I agree that you can't make any decisions before getting a pay rate, but I'd lean towards staying. I prefer staying put in places and trying to learn as much as I can there. When I've grown past what they can offer, then I'd leave and take all of my new knowledge with me.

em01092

It is almost 2 hours each way, sorry! I should have specified. And I will be going to work/leaving work during the peak hours if the wonderful Altanta traffic! Oh goodie...

However, I can take FI's car, which gets far better gas mileage than my SUV, and the state recently made these special lanes called HOT lanes, which you pay $x for and you can get around all of the traffic thus cutting some of your travel time. 

I'm going to email my supervisor right now and ask her for some more information about pay/benefits/etc.

blgrout

Oh, HOT lanes!  We have those, but I never use them, since I work 7 miles from my house.  I'm not sure how the job market is down there, but I know round here there are not lots of people hiring, (except for Boeing), so I'd be tempted to take the sure thing and know I'd have a paying job rather than take a chance on finding something else and potentially not getting a job.  I hope that made sense, I'm a little rummy today. 

If you can handle that kind of commute, and the money is worth it, I'd say go for it!  How exciting

AmandaSC1988

I work an hour from home on a good day. On a bad day it takes me 2 hours to get home. It is not fun...AT ALL. I don't know your hours, leaving at 6am  and getting home at 7pm really drains you, not to mention  gas is on the rise and they expect $4 pr gallon (here in OK by May). You have to make sure your job isn't costing you more money than you are making.

 If you really like the job and the pay is good, and you want to keep it.... Personally, I would take the job... entry jobs are hard to come by....but try and find a place to live that is more central. Halfway between jobs. Good luck!

em01092

Update: no benefits like health insurance or 401K, but I also would not actually be full time. More like 25-30 hours a week. Pay is hourly, and my supervisor will find out what the pay rate will be asap.

rlavach

In Response to <a href="http://forums.theknot.com/Sites/theknot/Pages/Main.aspx/wedding-club-boards_april-2012-weddings_job-related-q-what-would-you-do?plckFindPostKey=Cat:Wedding%20Club%20BoardsForum:05427f07-4ba2-44d6-9271-99a7af1ee5c0Discussion:79453079-ea9e-4630-9d70-e119dd926d14Post:ca78e34b-49a9-41c2-b7e4-01dec555f9ed">Re: Job Related Q: What would you do?</a>:
[QUOTE]Update: no benefits like health insurance or 401K, but I also would not actually be full time. More like 25-30 hours a week. Pay is hourly, and my supervisor will find out what the pay rate will be asap.
Posted by em01092[/QUOTE]
My job is similar, except I work more hours. I'm a contractor, so I'm paid hourly, but I have no benefits or vacation time. If I don't work, I'm not paid. I also travel a little over an hour one-way to work (45miles). It does drain you and cost a lot in gas and repairs. My plan was to stay here 2 years and then look elsewhere. I'm hoping that a few months after we get married, I'd look elsewhere. This has been great for experience, but you can only go so far when you're contract. 

AmandaSC1988

^^ I'm contract too... My internship offered me a full time salaried positiion after I graduated, but because I am moving to FL after the wedding I couldn't accept...so we worked out a compromise.  I get paid more than I did when I was an intern, but I'm still hourly. It Stinks. But I LOVE my job, and my company... and I wish they had an office in FL.