Seattle, Job interviews, potential move... Help, NC!

[Jessi]

This is paraphrased from my LiveJournal, so I apologize to the couple of you that will see this twice, more or less! But if you guys could give some feedback, even just a little bit, that would be fabulous!

See, Lindsey and I are desperate to get out of Kansas. We hate it here. Well, we absolutely adore Lawrence, but we hate everything else. We hate living so close to my in-laws (Well, I do xD), we hate living in such a bigoted state, we're tired of the Midwest, we're tired of it being hot and crappy and just generally blah about life here. Lindsey has been looking for jobs in our target areas - Seattle, Boston, Portland, Washington DC, Baltimore, etc, with little luck.

Well, we haven't posted about it much here, but anyone who follows my LJ or Facebook knows about this: Lindsey had a job interview today in Seattle! She had the initial phone interview on Friday, and it went so well they invited her out for a live interview today. We coughed up the money for her plane ticket (which wasn't THAT bad, really..) and she is now in Seattle, hanging out with two of our old RO friends. Meanwhile I am home alone in crappy old Kansas with no one to keep me company :c ...but that's not what I need help with.

Her interview was at 2:00 local time, and she called me about an hour later to let me know how it went. She insisted it went really, really well. The guy interviewing her was genuinely interested in her and they got along rather well. They discussed salary, moving out there, when she would start, what her job would entail, how they would get her started as a Japanese translator for the company, etc. All very good, very positive news.

The only thing they didn't discuss is actually hiring her. Apparently the person who actually does the HIRING is away for a week, and she won't hear anything until mid-to-late next week.

This opens a whole new can of worms. Sigh. I think I've figured out what we're going to do... but any input from you guys would be wonderful.

See... last Monday at work my boss told me he wanted to get things rolling on getting me promoted to the salary manager position recently opened at our store, which we had discussed BEFORE all this happened. He's been putting it off since then, waiting to hear if I'm staying or going, since he obviously doesn't want to promote me if I'm going to turn around and leave. The problem is, I can't really ask him to wait another week, maybe a week and a half. We are very, very short staffed as it is and very desperate to get new managers in. We already need to hire at least one, to replace Justin when he leaves in July, plus another because we're already down one. The problem is - he doesn't know if he needs to interview someone to replace me, or to replace Colleen. He's already been very patient, and I just know he won't want to wait until the end of next week.

So that leaves two options, really.

Option One:
I go to work tomorrow morning and tell my boss that Lindsey's interview went really well, and we're going to look positively at it, and he can go ahead and begin the interview process to find a different assistant manager.
Pros: I won't be 'stuck' trying to hold up to my end of the bargin if Lindsey gets a job, my boss will finally be able to get our schedule back to normal, and I will be able to simply transfer to another Petco as a department manager for the time being if we move to Seattle, just long enough to find a new job. Also, and this is perhaps the biggest pro: it will be easier for me to find a job I will like in Seattle than for us to stay here and Lindsey find a job in her field in this area.
Cons: Assuming a lot about Lindsey and this job. If Lindsey doesn't get the job, I'm stuck working at Petco as a department manager, a job I've come to despise. We will still be stuck with our same rate of pay which isn't very good. I hate my job more than ever when someone is brought in from outside the company to have a job I should have had.

Option Two:
I go to work tomorrow morning and tell my boss that we do not know the outcome of Lindsey's interview, and because we are not sure what is happening and it's really getting down to 'crunch' time, I will go ahead and take the assistant manager job here and we will stay in Lawrence regardless of the outcome.
Pros: We have job security here in Lawrence where I will be making an increased salary while Lindsey continues to look for jobs.
Cons: If Lindsey gets the job in Seattle, she will have to turn it down, which would really suck. Reflecting a pro from before, it means she will be having a much harder job hunt. Her salary raise for us moving to Seattle is significantly larger than my payraise for going to salary manager, even with the increased cost of living. We are stuck in Kansas where we hate it, regardless.

I suppose there is an "Option Three", where I tell my boss to go ahead and promote me, and then if she gets the job I turn around and say "OOPS NEVERMIND MOVING TO SEATTLE", but I cannot bring myself to do that. Not after working with Gabe for nearly five years. I respect him quite a bit. He's been a wonderful boss and I just wouldn't want to screw him over like that.

After talking to my mom on the phone (as she was the one who brought up the whole 'Lindsey can find a job easier in Seattle' thing), I am leaning towards Option One, as is Lindsey, but we need to talk about it some more tonight, after she's had dinner with our friends out there and settled down a bit. Still, I would definitely appreciate some input from all of you. What would you do? What makes the most sense? What do you think?

[Silver Link]

Since you respect your boss too much, option 3 is definitely out of the question. It would be a jerk move and you're too respectable for that


If you both feel that strongly about how her interview went, then go with option one. Even if she doesn't get the job, you still have your job to fall back on and that's better than having her turn down a job that would greatly benefit you two

[Usul_Princess]

Hmmm....I weighed your options as well. I would wholeheartedly, no quesitons asked go with option 1, and move to Seattle if Lindsay gets the job, and accept the transfer without the promotion. Maybe your boss will put in a good word about you being promoted in Seattle. Being stuck in the midwest myself, I understand your desparation to move elsewhere. I think that you'll enjoy a new (probably more tolerant) environment. I'm glad you bought Lindsay the ticket. I think it's worth the risk.

[Wingsrising]

Is there an Option Four, lay this all out for your boss and let him decide whether he's willing to wait or whether he wants to go ahead and hire someone else for the assistant manager job?

I mean, if there's a real crunch you're probably right that he won't want to wait... but you never know.

[Alicorn]

I'm late in posting but by the off chance you check this before going to bed I'll put my 2 cents in.

I like Wings option 4 idea. It wouldn't hurt to lay it all out for him and see what he has to say. Not much to loose there. But if your not for that one I say definitely option 1. It would suck being stuck at that position and salary (saying Lindsey didn't get the job) but say she lands a job somewhere else then it'll be that much easier to up root and leave.

I shall think positive for you both and hope for the best! **sends positive vibes your way**

[Wingsrising]

I thought I'd add: certainly it sounds like you should leave if she gets the job, and that you should be honest with your boss about the fact you're going to leave if she gets the job.

[Joey]

After pondering for awhile, I'm still feeling like option 1 is the better option. I feel like option 2 is giving up too good of a chance and could lead to a lot of regrets, regardless of whether Lindsey gets the job or not. And it really does sound like things are in favor of option 1 turning out really well.

Although I also like the sound of the hypothetical option 4. Gabe has always sounded like a pretty cool dude, I feel like he'd understand.

[EofS]

I'm also on option 4 - make it Gabe's choice. From what I've heard you say about him, he seems like a decent guy. I know what it's like having a disrupted management structure - when I moved to my current job we were in the middle of a period no Top Boss which lasted 6 months, then we had one for less than a month before he left, then we were without one again for 4 months, then we were settled for 2 months, then Under Boss left and the recruitment process to replace him took 4 months and finally we have stability and direction. Which is my way of saying that if there's been a long period of disruption one more week might not be preferable, but it's also not the end of the world.

Are you already acting up in the assistant manager's position? Could you offer to continue to do so to cover the recruitment process if you do then have to leave? Worst case, you have to stick around in Lawrence a week or two longer when Lindsey's already in Seattle. Which will <i>suck</i> but does at least make a safe gamble.

If you can't do option 4, then option 1. It's a gamble, but I think it's safer odds than option 2. But I do think being open with Gabe is your best bet. "I really want this assistant manager's job, but I have to recognise that this is such a great opportunity for Lindsey. She thought her interview went really well but we won't know for another week. I don't want to mess you around by saying 'sure, I can do the job' and then leaving you in the lurch, but equally - as I'm sure you can understand - if Lindsey doesn't get the job, I would love to be the assistant manager."

*Crosses fingers for the best possible outcome*

[Fjorab_Teke]

I echo "Option 4, but if not, then option 1." Option 2 is letting a great chance slip away. I assume you and Lindsey want to stick together.

Seattle would indeed have lots of opportunities. It might suck leaving behind everything you've known, but i've found that if things work out well, modern technology makes for easy access to home. And if you have the money to make a living plus some, which is more likely in Seattle than where you are now, plane/train/bus/etc. tickets aren't so bad once a year or so.

And yes, probable political climate too, you might be happier there for that. Though i'm still all "woohoo!" about surprising social/political advances being made in various states.

On the downside, if you all move in the next few weeks, i certainly won't be able to swing by to see you during my August trip. But if we're still in CA for a while, we'll be trying to make a trip up that way at some point.

[Jessi]

I think everyone's option four is actually what I meant by option one, heh. My entire idea was to tell my boss something along the lines of, "Lindsey's interview went really, really well, but we won't find out about anything until next week at the earliest. I know we're in a bind, so if you need to start the hiring process for a new assistant manager, I understand, but if you think you can wait a little longer, that'd be great, too." After talking to Lindsey a bit last night on the phone, I think we've scratched option 2 off our list completely. I guess I'll see what happens when I talk to my boss this morning, heh.

Oh, and E, I've already taken over some of our old assistant manager's duties, like being in charge of store events and adoption clinics, but a lot of I actually CAN'T do unless I'm officially promoted - like interviewing for associate positions and associate reviews. The computer won't give me the option to do that when I log in right now because I'm a department manager, so Gabe is having to cover all of that along with his normal GM stuff in the meantime. And Lindsey and I really, really do not want to move up to Seattle separately; I don't want her to have to drive that long way by herself (granted, her dad is going to drive our moving van, but a long drive like that is still desperately boring by yourself), especially with all the animals, and we'd have to vacate this apartment ASAP to make our landlord happy. Her job would start on July 26th, and we'd want to be up there at least a few days early so we can unpack and explore, and it's going to be a 3-day trip to get up there.

[Kantark]

Option 4/1 here, too. You'd put the ball in his court - he may even decide to wait for the outcome of Lindsey's interview before making his decision. Good luck to you both over the next few days!

[Jessi]

Sorry for the lateish update - I had to go get Lindsey from the airport yesterday, and I started off my day today with some dental work, boo. Had to get a few cavities filled and also get an old filling taken out and a new one put in. My jaw is quite sore :c

BUT. The good news is I talked to my boss and he, in a round-about way, worked everything out. The conversation mostly involved him asking me how the interview went, me telling him and adding "But we won't find out until mid to late next week..."

He responded by asking me when Lindsey's start day would be (July 26th) and said, "Hm, so we'd have to have someone in here to start training on July 1st..." Then kind of gave me a look that said "So you better have it figured out by then cause that's all you get", heh! I didn't bother to say thank you because you could tell he didn't want to admit he was doing me a favor ;)

So everyone keep your fingers crossed that Lindsey will found out GOOD NEWS and we will be moving to Seattle! I could certainly do without this 94 degree (34 c!) weather + insane humidity we're having here today, and every day until next Saturday...

[thelonetiel]

Seattle is absolutely wonderful Jessi, I'm totally keeping my fingers crossed for you guys!

I'm not up there currently (I actually just left last weekend) but if you need contacts up there, let me know and I can probably help out. Is such a brilliant city, I cannot vouch for it enough. I'm kinda bummed to be back home.

Hopefully everything works out for you both, it sounds like it probably will!

[Jessi]

So today Lindsey finally made contact with the guy who interviewed her... only to find out the stupid recruiter guy who actually DOES the hiring hasn't talked to the interviewer yet. So now they're saying Lindsey won't find out until next Wednesday.

That really throws a wrench back in the whole freaking mess.

[Cranberry]

Ugh, I hate that... it's normal for a company to take longer than they said they would to get back to you, but yeah, it sucks. At least they've given you a set day this time. I still think she's going to get the job.