Backing out of a job you just started

Critical Thinking wrote:

They'll drop you so fast it will make your head spin if they ever have any troubles with the bottom line. There's no reason you should treat them any differently.

+10

Loyalty it seems is a thing of the past and a one-way-street, i.e., for the employee not for the company. Realize that when you're young is the time to amass and invest the money that can make you secure BEFORE they decide to get rid of you for someone cheaper (of course, it's always just reorganization). You win the game by amassing the most money you can before they find you expendable for someone cheaper.

Can you elaborate on the two positions and salaries for each?

coach d wrote:

Loyalty it seems is a thing of the past and a one-way-street, i.e., for the employee not for the company. Realize that when you're young is the time to amass and invest the money that can make you secure BEFORE they decide to get rid of you for someone cheaper (of course, it's always just reorganization). You win the game by amassing the most money you can before they find you expendable for someone cheaper.

Quoted for truth. On a related note, don't get married and definitely do not have kids.

werwer wrote:

Can you elaborate on the two positions and salaries for each?

(Background: I'm a civil engineer with about two years of internship and co-op experience. I have until December 3rd to make a final decision. If I accept it, my start date will be December 16.)

Current job: Doing utility plans and coordination for a large firm with thousands of employees. Since the company is so large, people here tend to specialize in one sub-field and don't learn much about other aspects of engineering.

New job: Will be a project engineer. Since it's a small company (20-25 employees), I'll be in charge of a lot more things and will be gaining more experience. I'll be doing not only utility plans, but also traffic plans, drainage plans, structural calculations, material specifications, construction inspections, and a whole lot more. The monthly salary is $400 more than the other job.

The new job is not as stable as the one I'm in now. It's also harder to get promoted since the company is so tiny. That's why I may want to go back.

Why would he put it on his resume?

flagjr wrote:

That will look interesting on your future resume. Good interview fodder. "So, Mr. Johnson. Why did you work at company X for only 5 weeks?"

That's a tough decision. I would just be frank with your current employer and tell them about your predicament. Perhaps they will give you a slight bump in pay. With your current employer being much larger, perhaps you could get a promotion in a year that'll give you more experience and pay.

With only two years of intern experience, do you think you're really ready to be a project manager?

real advice wrote:

With only two years of intern experience, do you think you're really ready to be a project manager?

I'll be a project engineer, not a project manager. I'll be preparing the engineering plans and calculations, but my supervisor will be checking all of my work before it gets sent out.