You Make the Call

If you have been keeping up with my employment quandaries, you will know that I was recently selected for a new job with my current employer, while waiting to hear about my former employers “dream job.” Well about 3 weeks ago I got the typical “We have received your application” post card, but if I am not selected for further evaluation, the card will be the last thing I get. OK. So, I was still waiting to hear about the status of my application and preparing for the police academy for the Vet’s Admin. Preparing for the Academy has been going on since late September with weight training, cardio, reading, studying, baton training, firearms, more reading, more cardio, more weight training, more studying, more firearms, and of course more reading. Typically a new hire will have 2-4 weeks of this before going to the Academy. Fortunately for me I was required to stick around and continue in my dispatcher capacity, probably until just before Christmas, when I will get my 2 weeks of “office time” to finish prepping. In the midst of one of my early morning workouts at the South Suburban gym, my phone rings. I recently purchased what I call a gadget phone. One of those phones that does every thing but cook breakfast? Yeah, I really needed that, but I wanted to be “cool” so I got one. In retrospect I do love it, especially since it plays tunes and makes calls. Only problem is that I only want to be disturbed during my workouts by my wife or son…No One Else. Of course my former employer was calling to set up my “testing” for the “dream job, I guess that my resume was good enough to be selected. Then again, I better have been selected after doing the work (without the title) for more than 3 years. So a week later I go in for my test…ironically it covers the three things that I was specifically detailed to do multiple times during those three years. That was almost 2 weeks ago. With the holiday week, I expect to hear from them about an interview in the next week.

I still have no specifics about pay, but have figured approximately what it might take me to accept the job with the former employer. The following is a short list of pros and cons in a head-to-head comparison – you make the call:

Former Employer
Pay increases are not “guaranteed”
On-Call 4 months/year
4 hours vacation / pay period to start
Holidays Off
No Overtime Required/Available
No Shift Differential Pay
Monday-Friday dayshifts
Schedule NEVER changes
Pension 100% paid by Company
Fewer choices on health care
More Flexibility
Less Money
No Badge
No Uniforms
Like my co-workers
Minimal potential for advancement
No Time in Arkansas (I've Never Been There)


Current Employer
Step and Annual Cost of Living increases
Always subject to recall
6 hours vacation / pay period to start
Paid double for Holidays
OT mandatory (Paid at time and a half)
+10% Nights -- +25% Sundays
Rotating shifts and days off
Rotating Schedule may stop, putting me at lowest seniority -- (swings / graves / weekends)
Pension paid by Company and employee
Many MANY choices for health care
Less Flexibility
Mo’ Money
Badge
Uniforms
Like most of my co-workers
Average or better potential for advancement
5 Weeks in North Little Rock

"Looks like we are tied 6-6, with less than 6 weeks to play. The upstart from Iowa has to decide on a team before the signing deadline of January 4, 2008." As far as I know that is my last day of work before I go to Arkansas for the Academy, obviously (this being the government) it is subject to change!

Educated guess, since the former employer posted the job at $4-5 k / year less than my current pay level, is that I MIGHT get an offer of somewhere around what I am currently making. Unfortunately this does not take into consideration my increase from GS6 to GS7 pay in January, my differential pay, my holiday pay, my guaranteed ½ hour OT every work day, and numerous other factors in my current pay scale. At the VA I have the potential to actually make close to $25 k more next year than I would at the former employer (of course I will be working weekends, holidays, nights, etc). My question is, are the extra bones worth the time I will spend away from my family? For those of you who have gone thru things like this, I welcome your comments.

Obligatory pic of Cassidy, with his coach!

Basketball sidebar -- Cassidy got to practice against the Varsity earlier this week. The center on the Varsity team is about 6' 10" and a nice kid. Cassidy was working against this kid and scored on him. The Varsity coach, in an attempt to motivate the big man says:

"You just got scored on...by a FRESHMAN!"

Big man mutters under his breath:

"Yeah, a big a$$ freshman!"

Now they know how I feel everyday, only with more pride. Keep rockin' the rim, Cassidy!