Would You Change Jobs or Stay in Current Job?

Morphio25 on 12/08/2021 - 09:33
Last edited 12/08/2021 - 12:47

Hi OzB,

Firstly a bit about myself. Mid 30's, married, looking to start a family with the wife.

I worked in the IT industry for about 10 years all up. Started on an ISP's helpdesk and worked my way into an engineering role. In the end my job was sent offshore and I was made redundant. I found another job elsewhere working with a small group of people on an IT helpdesk. That job was actually really good, the people were great but I did find myself from time to time losing patience with a few of the "slower" staff who couldn't grasp even the most basic of computing tasks.

At the same time I'd had actually applied for a job in the same place as a friend. It's essentially an admin position in the legal field. I ended up being successful in obtaining that role and made the decision to leave the IT helpdesk role. I've been here now over 18 months and it's okay. There are two pay levels in this job, I'm still on the first but will hopefully move to the second shortly. I'm not on permanent staff - just keep being giving contract after contract which is somewhat annoying.

When I was a kid I wanted to be a lawyer. From speaking to people in my current job, jobs as even a junior lawyer are hard to come by and the pay sucks in your first few years - even less than what I'm getting now. If I was to stay in this job my intention would be to study law part time which will take almost 8 years.

I was speaking to a friend of a mate the other night and he mentioned that a similar type helpdesk position as the one I was working had come up at his work (it's a university) but that it has a lot more face to face work with clients. The pay is actually about the same as the second level at the current job but the salary also comes with 17% superannuation.

So, what would you do if you were in my position?

EDIT: I should note that the current job is a government job - should that change anyone's opinion.

Poll Options

  • 5
    Stay (in Law)
  • 92
    Change (back to IT)
Education & Work

Comments

  • Muzeeb on 12/08/2021 - 09:38
    +2

    looking to start a family with the wife.

    Lol. Like there's an option who to start your family with.

    Would the new role be permanent or contract?

    • Melencir on 12/08/2021 - 10:29

      There is, it's just that the other options tend to be the ones that makes you the star of a Reddit AITA post :(

    • Morphio25 on 12/08/2021 - 12:28
      +1

      The new role is a permanent one.

      • Muzeeb on 12/08/2021 - 12:52
        +1

        No brainer then

        • Morphio25 on 12/08/2021 - 13:07

          I did forget to mention that the new role is private sector, current role is public. Does that change your opinion?

  • Daff on 12/08/2021 - 09:43
    +23

    Flip a coin, if you're disappointed by the side the coin lands on, you've got your answer.

    • Muzeeb on 12/08/2021 - 09:44
      +2

      That actually makes sense. Cheers

    • Mechz on 12/08/2021 - 11:19
      +4

      Unless you're like me and dissatisfied with both sides of the coin. Then the edge is the only place you've got left.

    • Morphio25 on 12/08/2021 - 12:29

      That deserves an upvote!

  • sagrules on 12/08/2021 - 09:45
    +3

    If the new position is permanent, take that, contracts can be suspended with little notice and that would really put you in a compromised position if your wife was heavily pregnant/mat leave and unable to help you support the family.

  • DannyC on 12/08/2021 - 09:50
    +6

    Law is one of those fields that take years to get established. As with any field you will need to start from the bottom but Law is especially difficult, esp if you are thinking of doing it part time which doubles the time to do a Degree then it'll take you a number of years to work your way up from there. Plus there is no guarantee there will be sunshine and rainbows at the end of that tunnel. So there is a risk.

    I would ask myself do I have 8-10 years to establish another career in a very competitive market while thinking about having a young family? Would I be able to support them if I do take the time to do this while getting a lower wage? If answer is no, then there is your answer.

    • 973728 on 13/08/2021 - 23:13

      This - don’t underestimate the stress of doing something new and the time that would take away from your partner and child. Not worth it, enjoy the extra time with the family and the job you are familiar with.

      But on another note, companies are screaming out for developers - no opportunity to revisit that option?

  • alexlim2000 on 12/08/2021 - 09:56
    +6

    If you're working directly for the University - they'll offer more stability (as reflected by the 17% super).
    With a family on the way, I'd say go for stability for the next few years.

    While you're with the uni, take as many technical courses as you can - they have decent training budgets. If possible work your way up in the university IT org.

    RE the admin position - let's be real, you wont be a lawyer without passing the bar - you'd need to go back to uni, and then do a few clerkships first - it is possible, but you'd really need the support of your wife, both emotionally and monetary.
    An admin role in a law firm is really just paper work. At best you could go to TAFE and become a paralegal but like IT service desk, their pay is quite limited.

  • Orico on 12/08/2021 - 09:57
    +5

    A family member was in the same exact position as you and studied law and graduated part-time. He was older than you but he had an entire family of legal professionals backing him.
    If you don't know what to do after your law degree then I wouldn't bother. You need to have a plan because firms would rather hire much younger kids than a 40 year old graduate lawyer. His personal life suffered so I don't think you should be doing that when you're trying to start a family.

    IT is booming and will continue to be in demand. Upskill in a different area of IT like data centre or cloud technology or whatever is the newest craze in the blockchain world. Cyber security will always be relevant too. I have pivoted careers slightly and I always find myself returning back to my true passion.

  • Clear on 12/08/2021 - 10:13

    You already have the experience in IT so that gives you a big advantage over many people applying for IT jobs right now. Jump straight back into it! Your experience in legal can be beneficial in IT if you were to say… work in an MSP who provided services to Law. Or even just the admin experience is beneficial.

  • Ocker on 12/08/2021 - 10:25

    How long did you spend working offshore and were you made redundant at that location or back in Australia?

    • Muzeeb on 12/08/2021 - 10:55
      +3

      I don't think op went offshore. His role did. This is going to be very common in the next few years with covid.

      Company board…

      "You mean they are more productive at home? We don't need an office for them? Do they even need to be in Australia? Let send these jobs offshore then. That will get the shareholders off my back for a while"

      • Ocker on 12/08/2021 - 11:07

        Rite you are

  • brendanm on 12/08/2021 - 10:26
    +1

    8 years is just the study part. Though nothing stopping you from taking the new job offer, and studying law if that's what you really want to do.

  • dogboy on 12/08/2021 - 10:52
    +1

    Why do lawyer's love social media influencers? Because they are no longer the most despised humans on the planet.

  • holdenmg on 12/08/2021 - 11:17

    Does the "similar type helpdesk position at a university" have Law Degrees if you study there Part Time??

    • Morphio25 on 13/08/2021 - 12:43

      Yes they do. I would probably look to study online from home though.

  • brad1-8tsi on 12/08/2021 - 11:22

    university.
    Good conditions. Room for promotion outside of the job you started with

  • Drakesy on 12/08/2021 - 11:26

    You won't get a job as a lawyer acting as an admin grunt, they won't even see you on their level. Yes the network would be useful at the end of the day, but 8 years of a lower paying role for the off chance that they might hire you when you come out of law is a bit gamble.

    Make the most you can until you finish your law degree.
    Taking a pay cut would not be worth it.

    • Morphio25 on 12/08/2021 - 12:35

      I would continue working the job I'm currently doing while studying law part time. That would give me the same base wage that the IT role offers minus the extra super. It'd be once I finish the degree and find some sort of legal job (whether that's as an associate, duty solicitor etc) where the pay drop would kick in.

      • kanmen on 12/08/2021 - 13:37

        Can you go for the new job and study law-part time while doing that? That way you have a back-up if once you finish your law degree you decide you want to stay in IT and then you'd have a stable job already.

        • Morphio25 on 13/08/2021 - 12:46

          I definitely could do that. I guess the one advantage of my current role in that regard is I get to network with a lot of different solicitors which could assist in getting a role in a firm once I finished the degree.

  • Quantumcat on 12/08/2021 - 11:30
    +1

    There is a shortage of people qualified in IT and a huge oversupply of law graduates. That's why they make the UAI for law 99. Not because you have to be smart but to try to limit the number of people studying it and not leave hundreds without a job on graduation. I know three people who studied law, only one managed to get an actual job as a lawyer. The other two have been struggling for years and years. Don't study law. Waste of money and time, you'll never get a job in it. If a super intelligent 25 year old can't get a job with a law degree there is no way you will be able to as a 40 year old.

  • rektrading on 12/08/2021 - 11:35

    OP, if you've patience and the right mindset then you should follow your passion.

    I work in an industry that is in desperate need of smart, innovative, open-minded people with IT, legal or tax compliance experience. This industry will dominate the IT job market, news, legal, infrastructure development, financial markets, tax compliance, etc, for the next decade or two.

    You already ticked the IT box so why not add a legal and/or tax component to your skillset? People with IT + legal or tax skills will get fast-tracked in this industry. People with international legal or tax experience will get first picks.

    Btw did I mention that you can work from anywhere in the world at any time 24/7 365 days a year? The possibilities are endless.

    • ngengerous on 12/08/2021 - 13:50

      May I ask which industry?

  • Almost Banned on 12/08/2021 - 11:41

    The first piece of advice I give to people asking me about becoming a lawyer?
    Don't.

    • Morphio25 on 13/08/2021 - 12:46

      Can I ask why?

      • Almost Banned on 13/08/2021 - 18:51

        Long hours, lots of stress, demanding bosses and clients, high burnout rate, and the pay isn't all that great unless you are a senior lawyer in a big firm.
        Imagine doing your job and someone is paying another expert in your field to attack everything you do constantly. That's the law.

  • samyall on 12/08/2021 - 12:28

    Once you're in with a uni you will have WAY more opportunities to move around and make the role something you really want. All of that with absurdly good conditions and benefits. Go for the uni for sure.

  • pharkurnell on 12/08/2021 - 12:49
    +1

    Stay (in Law)
    Change (back to IT)

    What horrible choice.

    • Morphio25 on 13/08/2021 - 12:47

      I'm literally qualified for nothing else other than IT, unless you count the cert IV in retail management I did when I was younger but let's be real no one gives a s*** about that.

      • pharkurnell on 13/08/2021 - 14:27

        My next step will be into something where you can leave work at work.

        Couriered for while, then drove local/interstate trucks ~15 yrs, IT 20+, next step want to be a forklift driver, on the wharf would be bonus, although they are being replaced by unmanned units.

  • morse on 12/08/2021 - 13:22
    +1

    A few things to consider:
    - What are the parental leave arrangements for either employer? They generally aren't great for men, but could be worth considering
    - Is the university position permanent? be aware the sector is in dire times and there has been lots of job losses recently
    - you'll get a lot of these "slower" people with limited computer skills at unis too.
    - what are the options for WFH? or is one job less of a commute that the other?

    • Morphio25 on 13/08/2021 - 12:49

      That's given me a few things to think about. Both jobs are in the CBD so there's no less commute for me. If anything the uni job is actually harder to get to given I drive in each day. It would probably mean going back to going in on the train but that's not so bad.

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