So now that I finally finished my bachelor's degree I've struggled to find work in my field (advertising/public relations/marketing) despite a few seemingly great interviews. Previously, I was a service technician for a mail processing equipment vendor, and worked on-site at the corporate headquarters of a large bank here in Milwaukee.

I've put the feelers out there, since I bent over backwards to leave on good terms, knowing that there was about an 80% chance I would need to come crawling back. And it looks like I have two options:

1. My previous employer has no need for more staff at my old workplace, but they are looking for a guy out in Portland, OR. Likely same pay, or a minimal raise (about $35k give or take), but the client out there is much more laid-back and easier to work with. That said, it's still a service technician position working on knee-level machines, which sucks because I'm 6'3" and I'm not looking to develop joint issues. I don't believe they would pay for relocation beyond the flight out, but as a single 25-year-old it's not like I have much stuff anyway. And Portland is an AWESOME city with clean cars, great roads, good food and bars, etc...it's also really hard to find work out there, so this would be pretty much my only ticket to get out there.

2. The large bank who contracts with my previous employer for service is looking for a manager to oversee the production floor; basically a supervisor for the employees who run the machines that my former employer provides. I guess they make a little more money ($40k ish) than what I did working for the contractor, as well as receiving production bonuses for hitting goals. This position would be more applicable to my degree, give me some management experience on the resume working for a big, well-known company, and also...no more busting myself up working on stuff! However, this would keep me in Milwaukee for the forseeable future, which isn't all bad...but I've already been here for seven years and it's getting a bit stale. If I took this position it would also likely end any chances of ever being hired again by my former employer; which may not matter too much as the mail services industry probably doesn't have that many years left in it.

So, here's the tl;dr. Do I get my old, physically stressful, mediocre-paying job back in order to take advantage of relocation to the paradise of Portland, which I likely won't have an easy shot at again? Or should I go for the job with the bank, which will probably pay more and look better on my resume, as well as being less physically stressful, at the cost of possibly burning a bridge with my former employer and being stuck in Milwaukee for a while longer? Both companies liked me a lot and would seemingly love to take me back, though the relationship was tense at times between the two. That being said, it seems like the bank side is the place to be, and my prior experience with the contractor makes me a prime candidate for hiring...

Take option #2. At 25 you have plenty of time to find a way to relocate. Having a stronger resume is going to help a lot in that regard.

2 all the way. Supervisor experience always looks a lot better on the resume. Also 35K in portland will not go really that far.

Or, no wife, no kids, no worries, now is the time to go or you may never go.

which industry has greater growth potential in the future..

It makes no sense to go into an industry and acquire skills that are no longer in demand in scale.

Option #2 offers better experience that will make you more marketable in the future. You can always relocate later...

Option 2, no questions. Having been a copier service tech for 14 years(and honestly spent more than 50% of my time doing IT & management duties) you DO NOT want knees like mine!!!

Fueled by Caffeine wrote: which industry has greater growth potential in the future.. It makes no sense to go into an industry and acquire skills that are no longer in demand in scale.

Dingdingdingding

Option 2. The management experience IS transferable to other industrires.

bmw88rider wrote: #2 all the way. Supervisor experience always looks a lot better on the resume. Also 35K in portland will not go really that far.

+1

As an aside, while portland may seem awesome, it has the one of the highest incidences of depression in the USA.

The more you know! The running theory is because of how often it is overcast.

HiTempguy wrote: As an aside, while portland may seem awesome, it has the one of the highest incidences of depression in the USA. The more you know! The running theory is because of how often it is overcast.

I would be curious to see if that was true 10, or 15 years ago--my hypothesis being that there is an influx of people who think that moving to this awesome city is going to fix everything, but they get out there and are still dealign with whatever inner demons they were dealing with in (insert city here).

Option 2 all the way. If you go to Portland it will be same E36 M3 different place. The job will get stale and then what? More opportunities taking the new job.

Thanks for the tips, guys. My gut feeling was that #2 was the way to go. I reached out and they are very receptive to hiring me on, hopefully I can make it happen!

My brain says you should probably stay in Milwaukee (never thought I'd give that advice) but my heart says bail to Portland since it sounds like you really want to try living there. it's always easier to find work again once you're in a new town for a while working. There's no reason another bank in Portland won't come to see you in the same light as the #2 option potential employer. Worst case, you're only 25... you could always move back or move somewhere else if Portland doesn't work out.

Case in point, I moved to Alaska for a summer job in 2012. Three years later I'm married, employed full time at a better job than I thought possible when I left Maryland, and building a house in Fairbanks and all around loving life.

no wife, no kids, no worries, now is the time to go or you may never go.

this

OPtion 2.1.

Stay for the better job with better experience and better money then sit down and work out what you really want and where you really want to live /work /do. Then bust your but looking for a position that meets those critera then jump on it.

Am I way out of touch or does $35 or even $40k seem low for having your Bachelors.

Way out of touch unfortunately, at least in my experience. Hell if anything $35k is high for a fresh out of college grad. The only thing most people get with a degree is a pile of debt and maybe a few good memories. College is the new company store. /rant

skierd wrote: Way out of touch unfortunately, at least in my experience. Hell if anything $35k is high for a fresh out of college grad. The only thing most people get with a degree is a pile of debt and maybe a few good memories. College is the new company store. /rant

Fresh out of college I was making $35k. Ended up joining the military instead and now make more than double. Did that at 25 too, lol. Really if I was making $35k that is what I would do is join the Air Force or something and get a security clearance job. Would do it again.

Wish I would of joined at 18 and did college at the same time. I would be several years ahead of where I am now. Doesn't matter what the degree is, just get some kind of job that is transferable to the civilian market that requires clearance. IE. military contractors. My friend works for the DOE as a contractor for nuclear energy, works in an IT field, so it's not just DOD either. Clearance is a good extra $20k easy. In fact they have complete retards here with 0 experience where I work that get OJT because it just costs so much to get one for already skilled, but non clearance, workers.

It was funny, when I was getting out people saw on my resume degree and military experience + security clearance it was like a jobs firesale.

I took the "safe" job fresh out of college making about the same as in your first post, and got bored within a year. Fired off a ton of applications, and landed a job that more than doubled my salary. Granted, I now live in a much more expensive area, but I do not regret my decision in the least.

My experience; things are different out west. Leave, get established in Portland, make your way to living in Bend. Keep in touch with ladies in the eastern half of the country. Love the way you are able to live outside the American Norm.

Which overall job scenario makes you happy when you think about it? If you are honest with yourself you probably answered #1.
Life is to short to be unhappy and work at jobs you hate. Yes you won't like the work, but you'll like where you live and then you are there so you have opportunities to find a better job in a location you love.

Sooner or later you will be stuck in a job and/or location you hate and you will be stuck there pretty hard. Don't hasten that occurrence, you are young, get out and enjoy the world ;)