Should I take the offer?
 

Hi all ,

I am a diploma holder from a local poly working for past 5 years, currently working as a Senior Associate engineer earning 2000/month. I am doing a partime degree in IT and communication from UNISIM and will be graduating 2012 June with a nonHonours degree.

My current employer told me that they will offer 2.6k/month after my graduation if I intend to stay with them, but have to sign the offer now. Is it a good deal? Or should I wait till I graduate and look for other opportunity. By the way I work in software testing field.

Please give your opinion.

I don't see why it's not a good deal, unless there's bond of 1 year or more. Sign it!

It would be helpful if you can let me know what is the break clause in your contract before I advise.

-If there is no bond to it, just sign 1st. You can tender any time by serving 1 month notice.
-At the same time, you can still lookout for better job offer which pay you higher than $2600.

hmmmm... With the title "Senior Associate engineer" i always assume the salary is at least 3k but for you getting 2k after 5 years working, is kind of demoralizing. No offense. I can only assume you're working in a SME company. Correct me if I'm wrong.

With the current economic downturn, plausible future inflation and influx of foreign talent, i suggest sign first (I assume there's no bond). Be alert and keep a look out for better opportunity.

Good Luck!

Thanks for the reply...It is an MNC not SME :-( ..the reason they say for my current salary is that i only have a diploma and they have a cieling for diploma pay..sigh !!!! The new offer they gave me comes with a 1yr bond where if i want to leave i need to pay 1 month salary to them.

I am confused, just today i read in newspaper that next year graduate salary going to rise...I told them that i need time to think..Is it wise to sign if it has a bond to it ????

My recommendation is for you to take up the offer.

A few things you need to take note:

1) The offered $2.6K is marginally higher than that quoted by the newspaper if $2.596k

2) That news article quoted from Hay Group, a management consulting group whose primary clients consist of MNCs and civil service. This has the effect of skewing their data upwards than what an average person would experience if it included SMEs.

3) There is great economic uncertainty going ahead. Locking down now at least provides some measure of assurance on your future prospects.

4) Break fee of 1 month is not a lot and managable if anyone really makes you a very tempting offer next year.

5) In any case, based on your experience, I doubt any employer will offer you beyond $3k when you get your degree.

1 month bond just take first. if you get an offer above 3k, few months can pay back already. if you grad from unisim and cannot find job fast, easily can be at on in front of your computer for few months... lose few months of 2.6k pay.

How much do you expect with the degree + experience?

talk with ur boss the ammount you expect like above, + 15% (assumed 1 year increase)

try to be insist on your demandand play around with the 15% or converting to extra incetive or allowence. if they can offer your intended ammount, stay for 1 year and at the same time hunt for new opts.

a bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush

5 yrs 2K? Think better take that signing. That means 600 up in about 9 mths, then after 1 yr bond u leave and look for 3K, negotiating from a 2.6 standpoint. almost 2 yrs to get 1K increase. If you don't sign this, you probably need to jump twice to get 3K in less than 2 years.

But I think more importantly, the "bond" isn't even really a bond. 1 mth salary if you leave? What about if you give 1 mth notice? That's normal in every perm/contract job what. Don't tell me you have to give 1 mth notice AND salary?

Yes is one month notice and 1 month pay..or 2 month notice period..I talked with my manager and HR last friday and they offered 2.8k as basic and a performance review after 6 months. Also the 2 month notice period reduced to standard
1 month. Finally I signed the offer letter :-)

Thanks for all the replies.

It's not the amount of money that will make you stay, it's the interest. You have to like the job otherwise even if they offer you 3k, it would be meaningless.

Btw, is your company sponsoring your course and the reason for the bond?

amazing.

2K to 2.8K, with even further reduction on your liabilities in the contract, and with explicit mention of performance review 6 mths after. All this because you will officially graduate from UNISIM at that time?

Good job!

Interest is cheap, no $ no talk. Average guy only has 15 years career life till 40 before stagnate, fired, second calling etc. Try to make as much money as you can, interest can come later in life.

I think 1 semicon company here fired more people than the whole banking industry combined in the last decade. Maybe some of these jobless chaps are the ones moaning in this forum.

A lot of people like to say they choose job base on interest and not $, but very coincidence most of these people suck at climbing the corporate ladder and low performer. They get stuck in crap jobs not because of interest, but because nobody want to offer them anything, then try to convince others they are staying for “interest”

Care to share which sillycon compnay is that?

Like a couple of posters have mentioned, valuing interest over pay is short sighted and selfish. Without sounding too harsh, its a fairytale sold as an argument to the naive.

First off, interest is not inherent. It can be developed. You may have a few dream jobs (general manager of a soccer team, pro soccer player etc), and a few jobs you will never do (i.e. grave digger, sewer cleaner etc) but most jobs fall in the grey spectrum and for these u can develop a liking or interest for. You know how in school u can either do well in a subject cos u like it or u can like a subject cos u work hard at it and become good at it. Same thing for a job - interest is not inherent and unchanging.

Second, if u stay in a low paying job cos u enjoy it, and turn down higher paying opportunities cos they do not align with your interest, you are selfish in letting your own agenda deprive your family from a better life. Thats an unacceptably selfish decision.

So why has this argument become so popular? Basically its an argument that HR uses to convince employees to accept their middling circumstances and not move to greener pastures. It's our job as thinking people to expose the argument for what it is, instead of accepting it and parroting it to other people.

Yes.......

Well said. Of course HR in any company will always try to sell rubbish like interest, culture, development opportunities etc. to psycho employees to stay and also keep cost low. Easily contented employee = cheap.

Usually the ones that are diao there nobody headhunt them, no promotion, little increment etc like to spout the “interest” excuse. Funnily they are also the ones who usually bitch & moan whole day, ask them don’t like just move on lar, they fall back to the universal excuse “I have interest in the job and like the culture here”.

Well done. Wise decision.

We wish you all the best!!!