Being made redundant this summer so currently spamming recruiters with my CV.

One’s come back with a role that would be a promotion but would also be a pay cut. It’s vaguely understandable with the market flooded with oil and gas engineering people that rates will be low, and it was always the case that oil and gas paid a premium (because they could, because they wanted the best, because the job is more morally dubious than water treatment, who knows?).

On the one hand, any port in a storm. I can always ask for a better package with a training budget rather than just remuneration if it get’s to the final interview stage/negotiations.

On the other, don’t want to waste time/effort, annoy recruiters, or have a CV that looks like I flit between jobs at the drop of a hat (or get kicked off projects), if another job was to come along with more money.

Job would be a ~10% pay cut even if I got the top of their band, but wouldn’t put us on the breadline by any stretch. More like the difference between replacing my 10yr old car or running it into the ground. But what oil and gas jobs there are advertised are 20% pay rises, so in real terms this one’s 30% off the market rate.

What would STW do? Sting them along and renegotiate when the oil price picks up? Or tell them they’re undervaluing the role and cross fingers something else comes along.

I’d rather be working than not.
Look at the company, not the job. Is it a company that you’d be happy working in?
And if you’re not going on the breadline, where’s the issue?
Do you need to get a job? Will the huge redundancy payment tide you over for a while?
What was the actual question?

Have a chat with the recruiter, they’ve often worked with the company before and may be able to tell you more that will sway you one way or the other!

Will the huge redundancy payment tide you over for a while?

Irritatingly, they only offer statutory plus a bit regardless of position. so the actual payout is a little under 2 months net wages. It’s a bit like leaving a tip in a restaurant, either tip propelry, or don’t, a small tip is just derisory!

So yea, I need a job!

If they offer you the job, provide them with evidence as to what the going rate is. If they can’t meet your expectations, you can always say no.

I once turned down a 20% pay rise and negotiated a 25% increase. To be fair, they were recruiting for a negotiator, what did they expect?

I once turned down a 20% pay rise and negotiated a 25% increase. To be fair, they were recruiting for a negotiator, what did they expect?

😆

A promotion but with less pay. Is this market forces at work?

I’d rather be working and earning than not. And if the rewards are comfortable then why not give it a go? In the meantime something better might turn up and you can take that instead.

So yea, I need a job!

This kind of answers your question then!

Take the job you can get now, and look to move (if you can) in future.

takehome isn’t the only thing to factor in, total benefits package / work life balance / prospects etc..

I am on a defined benefit pension and therefore to move roles I’ll need a pretty significant uplift, try factoring that into conversations with agents. I turned down an 18% increase, because overall I was slightly worse off, and the role meant fewer hours at home.

Take the job you can get now, and look to move (if you can) in future.

This is what I’m erring towards. Haven’t even had a formal interview yet but have been called by the manager writing the job description, and he even offered to coach my CV once he’s finalized the job description so I’m confident I stand a good chance.

takehome isn’t the only thing to factor in, total benefits package / work life balance / prospects etc..

One ‘problem’ is I’m already working for what would arguably be the best company in the industry from a training and career perspective, they’re in such high regard that other companies job adverts actually state “experience working for ABCD Engineering Ltd preferred” there’s just no work. And they just happen to be a 30min walk from my house! So anything (apart form a civil service pension) would be a step down from that :-(.

Fwiw tinas , o&g is in bad shape – we have folks getting 60% paycuts…..for the same job.

Id go wit 10% down for slight promotion is market forces just now…..

Any port in a storm.

Fwiw tinas , o&g is in bad shape – we have folks getting 60% paycuts…..for the same job.

Contract rates I assume though :p I struggle to feel sympathy for anyone that’s been on a day/hour rate. We’ve gone from about 2500 to <700, the bulk of that this year. Pisses me off that the company had a big war chest, then got bought out by a competitor fueled by debt, and it’s the re-financing that’s lead tot he current round of ‘cost cutting’. That combined with senior management’s weekly “we’re all in it together (apart form those of them on £4million payoffs)”, and “how the downturn is actually good for us, it makes the company ‘smaller nimble and efficient”, type crap has just made the office miserable.

It’s pretty dire though, I got put forward for this job by a colleague who’s being made redundant from a different department who’s husband is the manager at the other company. So there’s an element of the sympathy vote.

No these were staffers.

In that case they’ve my sympathy.

We’ve had effective cut in the form on unimplimented pay rises (way to motivate us!) but no absolute pay cuts apart from agency rates for the few agency guys left.