Quitting my ASM contract as I was offered the internal role of Ass. Dir. of Product Delivery Excellence last week. Very nice scope on the role, and they offered me a package that was actually better than my contract rate so...
This Business and Moment...
- Thread starter randomshenans
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Wow, package was actually an uplift on your day rate? Congratulations dude, you still going to keep doing all the app stuff on the side?
Yea, still working on emotuit and cheezus! I had to sign their conflict of interest stuff and everything! Ha
Yep, I know, my rate was getting hammered and was coming in about 160k EUR a year, no holiday or anything, pension was about 5% (legal requirement here). They offered 150k EUR basic, with salary review next year, 15% annual bonus, 8% pension contribution (currently, sliding scale up as you get older), with 6% my contribution and 25days holiday, 5 bridging days and flexi time to earn more time off...! Can't really be too upset with that.
Soldato
A year on since I got the offer letter for my current job. I've been told by our site lead that my promotion has been approved and will be applied this time next month when I hit the 1 year mark.
Just awaiting for HR to send me their proposed package.
Wow that's some time but hell, it's happening which is wicked.
Just got my contract officially through and signed. Now I am supposed to be in my new role by 1st August, but my current boss is trying to make me continue to do my old role for some time after that to help... I really don't want to do that and don't think my new boss will be massively up for it, as it will take time away from me working on new things. Ah company politics will be fun...
Soldato
Yup! Doesn't feel that long ago I was asking on here how to approach my then manager regarding handing in my notice
I think this whole year has just disappeared though. We started the year then bam corona, now it's mid july! it's been a weird one!! Least it's all getting sorted though!Yup! Doesn't feel that long ago I was asking on here how to approach my then manager regarding handing in my notice
Wondering what training people have been up to recently?
I spent the first 10-15 years of my career doing quite "traditional big company" training (Prince2 Practitioner, working through all the ITIL certs to V3 Expert level) but recently I've done less infrastructure based work and more software based roles since setting up our own company.
I'd done Agile Foundation a few years back, but I've just done the Certified Scrum Product Owner - which cemented my understanding as I'm actually acting as a Product Owner for a client at the moment - and currently I'm in the middle of a Leading SAFe course.
I've got Certified Scrum Master booked in for the end of the month - mainly so I can better get my head around how hard I can push the Scrum Masters I work around - and I'll hopefully sort Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner in a couple of months... !
As you can tell I'm a bit of a certificate junkie - I like to make progress down the learning pathways as experience grows - and I usually end up doing 3-4 certs every couple of years.
Interestingly, on the courses so far its all people in insurance/banking or other people running small ltd companies. I guess really not a surprise as who else is making money at the moment in these challenging times.
I spent the first 10-15 years of my career doing quite "traditional big company" training (Prince2 Practitioner, working through all the ITIL certs to V3 Expert level) but recently I've done less infrastructure based work and more software based roles since setting up our own company.
I'd done Agile Foundation a few years back, but I've just done the Certified Scrum Product Owner - which cemented my understanding as I'm actually acting as a Product Owner for a client at the moment - and currently I'm in the middle of a Leading SAFe course.
I've got Certified Scrum Master booked in for the end of the month - mainly so I can better get my head around how hard I can push the Scrum Masters I work around - and I'll hopefully sort Advanced Certified Scrum Product Owner in a couple of months... !
As you can tell I'm a bit of a certificate junkie - I like to make progress down the learning pathways as experience grows - and I usually end up doing 3-4 certs every couple of years.
Interestingly, on the courses so far its all people in insurance/banking or other people running small ltd companies. I guess really not a surprise as who else is making money at the moment in these challenging times.
Still studying Security+, will be taking the exam at the end of the year.
Got free training from Microsoft for Azure Fundamentals at the end of August. Get a free voucher at the end to take the AZ-900 exam which I will do.
Man of Honour
OK so now that my security is confirmed and the only thing left is to negotiate a start date, I guess it's all good to update on what the old role was and new role is! Naturally I can't say much more than what might be found online etc.
Originally 8 years as a Technical Analyst (in-house systems/IT/project technical lead etc) for Wightlink Ferries.
I really enjoyed this role and visited the island often to explore and do my shoots and made some amazing friends/work family there some of whom I regularly hang with still but the role itself got a bit stagnant in later years with no route to progress beyond my current level as the 2nd most technically capable person there. A major change last year in shift pattern due to operational needs of the business gave me the final motivation to look at what else was out there that fitted in with my work/life balance.
Applied for and got offered a position working in digital phone forensics for the police which was something I actually applied for before the above but didn't get in because no force experience which was a pre-req back then. This time round I had transferable skills on the table and forces around the country were/are now taking on civilians who have the abilities to do it and training them up.
After some months I realised it was not for me. The technical side of it is no problem and quite enjoyable but the psychological/mental and political side wasn't an area I felt suited me as a person. I also found out this role too is stagnant for anyone looking at the long term. In order to earn more, you've got to get courses and experience under the belt then move elsewhere - Most tend to go private forensic sector where the big money is but the private sector here is very cut-throat with many of the companies that have taken people on working them to the bone.
And here we are today 6 months later about to start as a senior engineer at BAE Systems. I know there is a work family atmosphere here as a family member was a project manager for them for many years before moving to a bigger city and they would always speak highly of it!
Long term goals wise, I love all things space so if in time I can get my foot in the aerospace division door then I'll be extremely chuffed
I guess any advice to others unsure about their career paths etc, many people will almost certainly have built up the skills needed for their ideal roles but may not realise it. A lot of skills are transferable between sectors even if the task they helped completed were totally different, the methodology is sill the same. Consider those sorts of aspects of your current role and see how it could fit in to a new role you're looking at and then market that as your USP in an application!
Any decent employer will see those aspects and bring it up at interview and you will be able to talk about it confidently as it's something you already know well.
Originally 8 years as a Technical Analyst (in-house systems/IT/project technical lead etc) for Wightlink Ferries.
I really enjoyed this role and visited the island often to explore and do my shoots and made some amazing friends/work family there some of whom I regularly hang with still but the role itself got a bit stagnant in later years with no route to progress beyond my current level as the 2nd most technically capable person there. A major change last year in shift pattern due to operational needs of the business gave me the final motivation to look at what else was out there that fitted in with my work/life balance.
Applied for and got offered a position working in digital phone forensics for the police which was something I actually applied for before the above but didn't get in because no force experience which was a pre-req back then. This time round I had transferable skills on the table and forces around the country were/are now taking on civilians who have the abilities to do it and training them up.
After some months I realised it was not for me. The technical side of it is no problem and quite enjoyable but the psychological/mental and political side wasn't an area I felt suited me as a person. I also found out this role too is stagnant for anyone looking at the long term. In order to earn more, you've got to get courses and experience under the belt then move elsewhere - Most tend to go private forensic sector where the big money is but the private sector here is very cut-throat with many of the companies that have taken people on working them to the bone.
And here we are today 6 months later about to start as a senior engineer at BAE Systems. I know there is a work family atmosphere here as a family member was a project manager for them for many years before moving to a bigger city and they would always speak highly of it!
Long term goals wise, I love all things space so if in time I can get my foot in the aerospace division door then I'll be extremely chuffed
I guess any advice to others unsure about their career paths etc, many people will almost certainly have built up the skills needed for their ideal roles but may not realise it. A lot of skills are transferable between sectors even if the task they helped completed were totally different, the methodology is sill the same. Consider those sorts of aspects of your current role and see how it could fit in to a new role you're looking at and then market that as your USP in an application!
Any decent employer will see those aspects and bring it up at interview and you will be able to talk about it confidently as it's something you already know well.
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Man of Honour
Cheers!
They're quite massive with divisions all over the south si not sure if I'll ever bump into your mate sadly but who knows!
They're quite massive with divisions all over the south si not sure if I'll ever bump into your mate sadly but who knows!
It's getting frustrating now. This market should be an ideal one for us to recruit into - we headhunt for distressed debt and special situations firms - but not being able to interview people face to face, combined with new staff joining from home being an unattractive situation, has meant that things are slow going.
I'm giving notice on the office today - no point having it as the landlords aren't confirming whether we'll get any kind of discount should there be another lockdown, plus for a reduced rent they want us to agree to not being able to give notice within the first 6 months (and a 6 month notice beyond). The junior guys are doing OK, but it's a very difficult environment for them to headhunt into given their lack of experience. Over the last year I'm now personally responsible for 75% of company revenue, whilst the other three have done 25% between them... and not covered costs as a result!
Hoping this should pick up, and we're seeing somewhat increased activity, but it's going to be a slow burn. Not helped by my house renovations burning through cash at a painful and alarming rate!
I'm giving notice on the office today - no point having it as the landlords aren't confirming whether we'll get any kind of discount should there be another lockdown, plus for a reduced rent they want us to agree to not being able to give notice within the first 6 months (and a 6 month notice beyond). The junior guys are doing OK, but it's a very difficult environment for them to headhunt into given their lack of experience. Over the last year I'm now personally responsible for 75% of company revenue, whilst the other three have done 25% between them... and not covered costs as a result!
Hoping this should pick up, and we're seeing somewhat increased activity, but it's going to be a slow burn. Not helped by my house renovations burning through cash at a painful and alarming rate!
Man of Honour
Agency or direct?
Soldato
Their thinking is, it's always worth a shot in the dark for senior level people - and they're not necessarily wrong. BAE would be an interesting one to work for if I was willing to relocate down South. Congrats on the role mrk.
Totally agree with this. I think a lot of people now days move and change sectors/careers/paths way more than people did in the past. All experience is good experience... well... haha
Ah mate, hope things ease a bit and you can fire through it all. I'm sure you will do it!! Keep it up man!
Man of Honour
Yup keep a positive outlook on everything and you'll magnetise to positive things that will come your way, maybe not immediately but always eventually!
To be honest, I had my first wave of anxiety since the whole pandemic began. I'd overlooked a couple of payments out from my company bank account - VAT, personal and upcoming corporations tax - and had a slight panic about what the firm's finances might look like in six months' time! That said, I always make these napkin calculations on the basis that we don't generate any revenue between now and then... which is highly unlikely as things are going ok in general.
I'd hoped to have the same looking balance sheet as I had two years' ago - but having bought a house one year and then renovated it this - but I now expect to be a fair bit lower than that. I think I just need a few things to move - we're in limbo on a load of work stuff and on the house renovation. Hopefully in a couple of weeks time things will be flying again.
Good to see you got offered the full time role - very good package to be on in the current climate!