Job Decision, need feedback

As you guys may or may not remember, I got laid off from Dell after over 8 years when they decided to close the support center here in Nashville. As I'm sure you can imagine, there are suddenly several hundred people looking for tech jobs. On top of that, this is probably the worst time of year to be looking for an IT type job since most companies have already blown most of their IT budgets by this point. Spring, I believe, should be much better. Now my experience and A+ cert helps but it is still going to be difficult. I am, however, getting a few months pay for severance plus cashing out what little I had in my 401k (about 4k after taxes).

Anyways, I have received an offer for some contract work, I would be a technical lead in travelling around the country installing POS systems for businesses. I would get paid $250/manday (10 hrs) plus $175/day for expenses (hotel, rental car, food, etc). If I spend less than the $175 I get to pocket the difference. There would also be part to another full day's worth of pay to cover travel time, etc. The company would pay for all airfare directly. The project is supposed to start in early Nov and is supposed to go into next year at which point it might be easier to find a job since companies are more likely to be hiring at that pont hopefully (then again, what jobs there are may have been soaked up by that point). This would also be my first "lead" type position (I'm assuming from that that I will have others working under me to assist me). In every other job I've always been just a "grunt" as it were. I don't know that I'm entirely comfortable in a position of authority, though I believe I can handle it without much trouble once I find myself.

It seems like a decent paying job but I'm a bit nervous about the prospect of being away from the family so much, this would be the first time I've ever traveled on business and it's liable to be hard on the kids. Although in all fairness, the last few months where I've been working 2nd shift, they didn't get to see much of me 4 days a week anyways so it might not be THAT drastic of a change.

Another concern is that since this is contract work, they won't be taking out taxes and I'm not sure how much of an extra hit I'm going to take with FICA and such and how it's going to affect the whole tax issue in general. This would also be my first time flying since 9/11 and I have to say having to go through all that crap on a regular basis makes me a bit nervous. Last time I flew was Memorial Day weekend of 98 (not counting the introductory flying lesson I took a few years ago).

I'm still waiting to get the final numbers about the + on the 4 days (how much extra) before I have to decide, but I can't wait too long, obviously, so they can have a chance to find someone else.

Edit: I would probably at some point not too far in want to get myself a notebook PC of some kind to keep with me. I would LIKE to get something nice that I can game on (like a Dell XPS) to keep me entertained, but those are also a lot heavier and I imagine I'm going to hate lugging the 10 lb beast through long airports. Not to mention expensive, $1500-3000 is what I would end up spending.

Edit 2: Oh yeah, one other thing to consider. I spent awhile a few weeks back talking with a guy who is a guitar tech for a country music star. They were in the Kroger parking lot waiting for everyone to get there and board the bus. He thought I should look into getting on as a PC tech for one of the big tours next spring. That would, I think, pay quite well too from things he said.

Avatar28 said:

Another concern is that since this is contract work, they won't be taking out taxes and I'm not sure how much of an extra hit I'm going to take with FICA and such and how it's going to affect the whole tax issue in general.

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It probably won't make much difference at all. Don't forget that as an independent contractor you get to file Schedule C and deduct anything remotely related to your work. Technically, you're on the hook for the matching portion of the FICA taxes (that's an extra 7.65%) but since you can deduct things you couldn't as an employee, you'll probably make out the same, or a little better, taxwise. And contractors always get paid more than employees for the same work to start with.

This would also be my first time flying since 9/11 and I have to say having to go through all that crap on a regular basis makes me a bit nervous. Last time I flew was Memorial Day weekend of 98 (not counting the introductory flying lesson I took a few years ago).

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This is really the big question here. Do you enjoy traveling or do you hate it? I personally can't stand traveling on long trips (i.e. anything requiring a hotel room) even for recreation, much less for work, so I wouldn't be too keen on a position like this. And I absolutely refuse to fly, period, for the reasons you mentioned, plus many more. However, that's just me. Since you're not a frequent flyer, either, the air travel is what will really take a lot of getting used to. I personally don't feel air travel is either safe or comfortable but you may feel differently. Anyway, this is really the biggest thing to think about. The other aspects of the job, such as taxes, being away for extended periods, etc., wouldn't necessarily be a show stopper, even for someone like me who hates travel. It's the need to fly which concerns me the most. Airplane accidents may be few but the likelihood of surviving one is far less than a car or train crash. If all your travel was going to be on Amtrak, or even by car, I'd say go ahead and take the job.

Regardless of what specific job you ultimately end up doing, going the independent contractor route is a pretty good idea regardless.

I fly a few times a year - back and forth from NY to FL. I generally travel during the week at non-peak times. I always allow time for security, I usually travel with carry on baggage only. I carry a few cameras, and some batteries and chargers, I put the wires and chargers in a zip lock bag and take that out of the suitcase. that way I do not have problems with the carry on. Flying is OK these days,

Will the company pay for travel back and forth on the weekends? If not, you should factor that in.

will said:

I fly a few times a year - back and forth from NY to FL. I generally travel during the week at non-peak times. I always allow time for security, I usually travel with carry on baggage only. I carry a few cameras, and some batteries and chargers, I put the wires and chargers in a zip lock bag and take that out of the suitcase. that way I do not have problems with the carry on. Flying is OK these days,

Will the company pay for travel back and forth on the weekends? If not, you should factor that in.

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I will have to make sure, but that was my understanding, yes, since I'm only working 4 days out of the week they would have to either do that or pay my expenses for the other three days.

jtr1962 said:

This is really the big question here. Do you enjoy traveling or do you hate it? I personally can't stand traveling on long trips (i.e. anything requiring a hotel room) even for recreation, much less for work, so I wouldn't be too keen on a position like this. And I absolutely refuse to fly, period, for the reasons you mentioned, plus many more. However, that's just me. Since you're not a frequent flyer, either, the air travel is what will really take a lot of getting used to. I personally don't feel air travel is either safe or comfortable but you may feel differently. Anyway, this is really the biggest thing to think about. The other aspects of the job, such as taxes, being away for extended periods, etc., wouldn't necessarily be a show stopper, even for someone like me who hates travel. It's the need to fly which concerns me the most. Airplane accidents may be few but the likelihood of surviving one is far less than a car or train crash. If all your travel was going to be on Amtrak, or even by car, I'd say go ahead and take the job.

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Well Amtrak doesn't come to Nashville at all, so that isn't even a possible option. The air travel honestly doesn't really bother me. I lived on a tropical island (Saipan in the Northern Marianas if it matters) for two years. We had to fly out there and flew down to Guam several times a year for swim meets or whatever. We even flew down to Guam for a school field trip (how many people can say they flew to get to their field tirp destination?). We also flew from there to Bali, Indonesia for a vacation and then, of course, a 15 hour flight (in coach, on a 400+ seat 747-400 with FOUR empty seats on the entire flight) back to the States when we came home. Statistically speaking, flying is pretty much the safest form of commercial travel there is. It's WAAAY safer than driving a car. Granted if something DOES go wrong it's pretty bad, but I feel safe enough.

I'm trying to think what kind of stuff I could actually itemize on my taxes and I'm coming up pretty much blank. A digital camera, perhaps, but that would only be a couple hundred bucks. Maybe a flashlight since that was listed as one of the requirements. Still not more than $250-300 total I wouldn't think though. I don't know that a notebook pc would technically count since I doubt I would be needing it much for the actual work.

Avatar28 said:

Well Amtrak doesn't come to Nashville at all, so that isn't even a possible option.

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Yeah, you're right about that. Besides, I don't think your employer would pay you for three days each way travel time if you had to go cross country. So long as you're OK flying the job sounds fine. I just thought to mention the pitfalls since there is a good percentage of the general public who won't set foot on a plane.

Statistically speaking, flying is pretty much the safest form of commercial travel there is. It's WAAAY safer than driving a car. Granted if something DOES go wrong it's pretty bad, but I feel safe enough.

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Commercial flying is statistically about as safe as cycling in terms of fatalities per million hours (both are around 0.5 IIRC). High-speed trains on dedicated high-speed railways are the safest form of travel bar none. Zero operational passenger fatalities in over 40 years of service, starting with Japan's Shinkansen in 1964. But no such railways exist (yet) in the US so the point is moot. The closest we have is Amtrak's mostly 125 mph fully-electrified Northeast Corridor between Boston and Washington, but that doesn't help you much anyway.

I'm trying to think what kind of stuff I could actually itemize on my taxes and I'm coming up pretty much blank.

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You might be able to justify computer equipment and some types of software. After all, you need to try out the latest equipment to stay on top of your game. Non-reimbursed auto expenses are another. Any phone calls you make which are job related is another. Save receipts for everything, then consult a good accountant (also deductible) if you're unsure. Once they do the taxes for one year, you can use that as a guide to do them yourself the following years.

"There's nothing more permanent than a temporary setup."

You take the contract gig to make ends meet, and I can totally respect this, but imagine doing it for six months. That can be hard on a family relationship. When I was a kid, my dad worked for 3M. He'd go to Minnesota two weeks per year for training and it caused noticeable disruption in my young life. (My mom was only like 23 at the time.)

That said, I wouldn't worry too much about the air travel thing. It's a hassle to be sure, but after two or three flights I'm sure you'll be over any of your "fears."

BTW, if you're getting paid on a 1099 (which it looks like you would be), the tax rate is higher than an exempt/W2 tax rate. They call it "self employment tax." However you can take more tax deductions. You should factor in $350-$600 to have your taxes prepared professionally. Sure, you can DIY, but a GOOD tax accountant will maximize your return and minimize your odds of IRS audit. And when I say GOOD, I don't mean no H&R Block, I mean a good private practice with an actual tax accountant. They'll easily pay for themselves plus a lot extra.

Now let's look at the pay. $250 per work day. That's $10.42 per hour for every 24 hours you're not at home. Looking at it in this way would seriously turn me off of a job where you'll be busting butt in terms of travel. (e.g. Lugging crap all over the country & catching airborne diseases in airplanes.) In-N-Out Burger here in Cali pays like $10.50 per hour so long as you know how to not be rude to customers. Dude, be a Wal Mart greeter, just pretend you have Down's or something and you're a shoe-in.

I was employed on-and-off between 2004 and 2006, CraigsList arguably saved me, heh. I did a lot of freelance/odd jobs picked up from that site. Most paid on a 1099, but that was (marginally) better than no pay. I was still able to cover my basic bills plus have enough time leftover to surf for more serious jobs and go on interviews.

Our local burger joints would pay minimum wage at best..

It really sounds pretty good to me, but I don't have kids yet and can't say if it would be a good idea if I did..

I think these days, you've got to look at the bottom line: you need a job. This is a job, with reasonable pay and the potential to make a lot of contacts. Take it.

I had decided to take it, actually, but then the end client balked at the cost, so it's on hold at the moment. Hopefully I'll hear something but in the meantime I'm continuing my search. Thanks for the feedback, though, it's what helped me decide to go ahead after it. I may still get the opportunity, but I'm not going to sit around waiting for it.

Ironically, while this one fell through, it seems there is a chance that I could end up working for Dell again. I got a call from a lady at an IT staffing Agency. They were trying to fill a position at the Dell plant here in Nashville. The job would entail, as far as I can tell, testing prototype systems and software to make sure they fall within necessary specifications, for possible issues, etc. It doesn't pay quite as much as maybe some of the others that I have also be contacted on recently but it's close. And as I told the lady, "You had me at 'prototype.'" I think it would be a lot of fun, and Dell likes to rehire if possible, so that might get me an edge. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on this one, I think it's something I would really enjoy.

Good luck!! Its always nice to work near home rather than travel for work IMO. Keeping my fingers crossed for you.

Get an accountant for the taxes, and don't blow cash on a laptop for gaming until you're much more financially secure - buy a GameBoy instead. If you take the job, use it to accumulate cash so that you can find a job where you can be with your family.

thiswayup said:

Get an accountant for the taxes, and don't blow cash on a laptop for gaming until you're much more financially secure - buy a GameBoy instead. If you take the job, use it to accumulate cash so that you can find a job where you can be with your family.

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Haha. Didn't read the entire thread did you? The end client balked at the price so it's off the table for now.

I am also work on contract in Canada. I have to commute to work daily by car. I hope you get job soon. it will be hard to support a family on contract job.

I am still single and its tough. I want a regular full time job too.

picard said:

I am also work on contract in Canada. I have to commute to work daily by car. I hope you get job soon. it will be hard to support a family on contract job.

I am still single and its tough. I want a regular full time job too.

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Well I did get an offer yesterday for another contract job with the same company. There are probably going to be two different type of installs, 3 day and 5 day ones. The rate is the say, $250 per 10hr manday and $175/day for expenses. The 3 day installs would pay 3.75 mandays and 3.5 days of expenses and the 5 days would be 5.75 mandays and 5.5 days of expenses. That works out to $1550/wk for the 3 day and $2400/wk for the 5 day. I figure I can manage on around $100/day for expenses if I don't get fancy. So that's some pretty darned good money.

Although the prototype thing would probably be more fun than installing self checkout lines in a grocery store, that is an awful lot of money too. I would be able to pay off my bankruptcy pretty quickly with that and start saving some more up.