What would you do? (career advice)

[emmerse]

Here's my dilema: A couple weeks ago I was offered a full time position at the local newspaper doing ad production. I work there now part time doing non-design related work. I initially turned them down as I'm happy at the job I have now and really wasn't looking to make a move. I've started to rethink the offer. Here's the pros and cons of each place:

Pros Current Job:
Completely flexible schedule
Run my own department, no one looking over my shoulder
Expert at what I do and continue to innovate
Decent pay, and the company's future looks bright
Beer at 50% off :)

Cons:
Using Corel products and not staying on top of Adobe software
Long hours when required/insane workload at times
About at the top of the payscale / no room for advancement


Pros for the offer:
Would gain experience with the Big Three ('shop, Illy, quark)
Set schedule, no long nights
Good benefits
Would round out my resume better

Cons:
No flexibility in schedule (this is a pretty big con for me)
high production / little design
slightly less pay


Basically what it boils down to is on one hand, I'd get experience using the big three which is what I'm lacking right now in my skill set, especially Quark. I can see that as helping me in the long run. On the other, I'd be getting slightly less money and less freedom in the process.

soooooo, what do you guys think I should do? Sacrifice a bit now to boost my skills, or hold off and look for a better opportunity. Is the lack of experience with adobe going to trap me in my current position, or would you assume an employer would recognize that software programs are just tools to do the job?

thanks in advance :)

[morea]

Pros Current Job:
Beer at 50% off :)


that's all I would need to know! ;)

[Drorain]

you are in a nice design job, with better pay (currently) and learning alot with a flex. schedule.

using corel shouldn't make you worried, it is a professional design program regardless of what the diehards like me say. Buy adobe for yourself and keep current like that.

Although also consider this...health insurance, do you have it now...will you have it at the new place? and is it important that you do.

If you comfortable with your production skills, then no need to step down the ladder, but if you feel you can improve on them...well consider it

Its a see-saw of considerations

[Stever]

Sounds like you love where you're at accept you're topped out pay wise and you'd like to get away from Corel and learn the "big 3, " which in the long run will afford you to possibly make more bucs. If those are the only reaosns you are attracted to the other job, then you might want to stay at your current job and study the big 3 on the side.

[emmerse]

morea: too true. its a blessing and curse. Having keys to the warehouse isn't so bad either ;)

Drorain: have benefits here and would there too, so its push. I know I could do at least as good, but probably better than most of what they produce at the paper (everything has a bevel, stroke and dropshadow in their world). so I would see it step the side and not forward.

[Drorain]

consider this as well...those belvels, strokes, and such..they might not want to get rid of them. I work in a small business doing production and design, amazingly I have broken some of their rigid habits of design to bring more creativity.

Personally I say you are the designer, not the programs. Corel and Adobe are just tools to use to achieve your mental image. I think you can play with them on the side.

in addition what versions of the adobe do you know already? Would it hurt you to stay a year at the current job and build a design portfolio. CS3 is going to be delayed so you may not get that far behind

[emmerse]

I want to say I was trained on PS 6 and Illy 9 or 10. I imagine vast improvements in workflow have happened since then, but the basic tools are still around.

[Drorain]

yes a lot of it is the same, we're into CS2 now and some great new tools, but stuff that you can learn in a few hours of play...or in a local town training class. Those classes go for about 120 around here...official adobe training is about 300-500

[Jason Fraker]

Emmerse, I'm leaning toward taking the new job, and here's why:
1) Flexible schedules are great, but the ability to work in a fixed-schedule environment will make you a more well-rounded and desirable employee. That's just the way most jobs work

2) You will learn A LOT at this new job, it sounds like to me. Corel is a professional product, but Adobe is the Industry Standard, and it basically rules the world now that they bought Macromedia.

3) There is room for advancement, and full time status to boot. You never know when that may become a priority in your life.

It seems like your current job is better for your current situation, but the new job is better for your future. Also, Adobe software has changed ABUNDANTLY since PS6 and Illy9. Trust me. Come over to the dark side. You'll like it here. There's an auto trace button! and cloning in perspective!! Also the third element to the big three is now InDesign, Quark's funeral was a year or two ago...

[PrintDriver]

phfft. Adobe software hasn't changed much. If you know Illy 9 or 10, CS isn't a huge intuitive leap. CS2 on the other hand has a new GUI that I'm not liking. I still use the palettes rather than the new menu bar. But that's just me. Photoshop - the same thing. A couple new bells and whistles since 6 but it's not like you wouldn't know it. Like Dro said, nothing a few hours practice won't hone.

Being the 'new guy' and trying to impose new ideas on an entrenched department is not my idea of a fun time. Also, there is the pay cut. Have you tried saying, "yeah, I'll do it if my pay stays the same."? Maybe forgo the next raise cycle to prove yourself?

A flex schedule with OT is good. But so is knowing what time you'll be going home every night. I'd rather have that. OT in my job is a surprise event usually and I take every ounce I can when it's available and I have work to keep me busy. But not knowing when it's going to happen does have its disadvantages. And have you checked ot see if there really is no panic overtime, late copy, due next instant type stuff going on?

I'm not counting Quark out until V7 comes out. If once more they prove themselves to be what they have been all along, I'll wager there will be no version 8. If, on the other hand, they come back to what Quark was back in the beginning, they may have a shot. InD is still not firmly entrenched in a lot of work flows out there. Especially the newspaper industry where Quark is still master.

[emmerse]

btw, when I say flexible, I mean in that I can come and go as I please. I'm here during business hours most days of the week, but if I need to leave a 2pm one day for a doctors appt, its no problem. Take today for example: I have bit of a cold and felt horrible this morning, so I called in, let them know I would be in later, and slept off a bit more to get some needed rest. Came in about 11 and felt 100% better.

Also, my overtime is never a surprise, I usually see it coming a week in advance. I'm never "forced" to work late, but due dates require me to. Whereas the new place would be subject to surprise OT.

Also, PD: the pay would be almost identical, I wouldn't leave for less than I'm making per hour now, but at my currently job, there's also bonuses every 4 months, so that averages out to 50 cents more per hour.