h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Why do things never happen conveniently? And why is there no one I can blame for it?

Where I work, as previously discussed elsewhere on here, I was on a one year fixed term full time contract (ie hols and sicky, not a self employed contractor) which was up end of Dec this year. My then boss's boss offered me a position on another team with an 18 month contract starting this month (august) and ending Jan 2012. No pressure was applied but obv. it was a good deal for me so I took it. Said big boss is also boss of where I am now. So far, so good.

I then find out that what has happened is that this team has been advertising for new staff (externally) but didn't get anyone of the quality and experience and attitude (fitting in is a big part of things here) that they wanted. Well, they got 1, possibly 2 people but wanted 4. So to avoid losing the funding for the position, and because I'm a safe pair of hands (so they think!) they offered it to me. They win as they get the funding still and they get someone they know and who can do the work but isn't an expert. I win as I get an extra year or so of job security.

But I'm still signed up to the internal jobs notification system, and this morning it popped up with a new vacancy. The job, an oracle dba specialist, is much more my thing. I have experience of it and the role, as a specialist, includes not just database support but also being involved in strategic considerations and IT infrastructure design for the uni - all in line with our new dynamic head of IT's vision and overhaul. And it is a permanent job with the same pay grade (but with a slightly higher cap I think). All in all a job I would jump at. I may not get it as I must admit I ain;t the most knowledgable in the area as has been 2/3 yrs since I did it in anger but I have the relevant experience and knowledge and am a fast learner. So I'd really like it.

Thing is though, I'm only 1 month into this job, a job which was offered to help me and the department out. Not sure if the new position is under the same big boss I talked to before or not, but if I did go for it and did get it I can see they could be rather annoyed which would make life difficult.

Any advice? I think the best bet would be to speak to big boss and sound him out. I suspect I'll get a 'do what is best for yourself, we cant argue agin that' and to be honest that is how I feel. But I hate leaving people in the lurch and leaving a bad taste behind. And if I go for it and don;t get it then any bad feeling would make my current team working rather unpleasant.

Why couldn't this have happened 6 months down the line?

Tough call. If I were the boss, while I'd be disappointed to have to find someone else, it'd be hard to begrudge you the opportunity for a permanent position. I'd be pleased that you liked the company enough to want to stay permanently and I'd probably even put in a good word for you. But one can never tell how petty, immature or spiteful someone else is until something comes up.

I don't suppose it would hurt to approach the big boss and sound him out- I was in a contract position when my current position opened up, although I was in another department. I asked the person I worked for and she told me to go for it- I went right to my current boss and he hired me two weeks later. So it might work out for you?

Cheers PC.

I think I'll play it as 'Really want to stay here, excited by this opportunity but don't want to shove your previous efforts to aid me in your face' type thing and see what happens. Not terribly good at reading between the lines though...

Ah well, certainly better than just applying for it without giving them the heads up. And if I don't apply for it I certainly won't get it!

- sounds a good course of action.

Go ahead and try for it. By the time it's all sorted out, the first six months of your contract would have passed anyway, and you will have at least secured funding for your department

well just did that and he was very supportive and said go for it and even offered a reference!

so I shall - closin date is 5th sept so got a bit of time to rejig my CV and gen up for it. Nothing ventured and all that!

That's great! Good luck!

thankyou

Good for you!

Great! Good thing you did talk to him.