need advice on job

Flanscho

Well-known member
Hi.

Following situation. Monday I went to work, thinking nothing special, and then my company fired me. They said they have not enough programming work for a programmer, so they can't afford my salary. I work there officially for one more month, but since there is nothing to do, I'm not there.

Now, at the same time, my company told me "we got another job for you at another company, it's an awesome job, take it. Wednesday you get into contact with that company, thursday you have a skype conference (they are in Switzerland), we already discussed stuff with them".

I felt steamrolled. Now, of course, I have reasons to want that job. Once because I'd get a higher salary than at my old job, and second because I'd be unemployed otherwise in a month, unless I find something else by then (though of course I'D get unemployment money).

The new job would be no long term thing, but more like one huge project, if I'm right, in which my old company is also involved. Now, I think it's like this: my old company told the company in Switzerland "yes, we can help you with that project. We can find a programmer for you, and create some websites about this project, and so on, for enough money". So if I don't accept that job, my old company won't get that deal. That's the reason why they want me to take it. And they put me under quite some pressure. Yesterday a mail, today they phoned me to make sure I do all this. Told me to wear something nice, be more communicative during the skype conference. They even want me to have that skype conference not in my flat, but at my old company, probably so they can supervise me.
Maybe my old company thought "damn, we have no programmer for the client in switzerland, we won't get that deal. Hey, what about Flanscho? We don't have much to do for him anyway. We could fire him, and have him accept that job. If we don't give him enough time to think, and if he won't have a job, he will have to accept it."

So, I mistrust the whole thing. And I don't have time to think about it. The problem is I can't tell the guy from the company in Switzerland "thursday is not possible, next week is", because that would tell him that I'm not interested at all. And I assume that I get a bad résumé from my old company, if I don't do this. At least I wouldn't be surprised.

Also, I'm not sure whether I want this job, because it would have me be still involved a lot with my old company. And I don't really want that, after them firing me all of a sudden and putting me under pressure. Not to mention that I'd also consider studying and getting a part time job instead, or whatnot. I'd need more time to think about all this. But I have no time.

Still, it's a job. It's no bad job. It's no bad money. I'd be stupid to ignore it. Or not?

I don't know what to do.
 
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WishingICould

Well-known member
I think you should go for it. If they're impressed with your work you might get a full time job out of it, you never know.
 

Flanscho

Well-known member
I think you should go for it. If they're impressed with your work you might get a full time job out of it, you never know.

The project is about speech recognition. It's interesting, but I'd be the only programmer working on that. It's a very complex topic, and I never worked on something like that. So I'm worried that I'm not good enough for that. I read some about it on the internet, and most threads on forums are something like "use existing software, creating new one from scratch is extremely difficult, especially alone". I'd be alone, I'd have to create it from scratch. If it doesn't work quickly enough, I'd have both my company in my neck as well as the one from Switzerland.

So far I always managed to program anything I'd want to. But this one would be different. If I wouldn't be good enough, and they'd lose money because I can't finish that project in time, they could sue me for that.
 

gazelle

Well-known member
Being the only programmer to work on a project that you've never done before and the potential of being sued sounds a bit risky and kind of stressful in my opinion...If you think you could handle the stress and if making money is in your priority at the moment, then go for it ... I personally wouldn't go for a stressful situation though.
 

Flanscho

Well-known member
Being the only programmer to work on a project that you've never done before and the potential of being sued sounds a bit risky and kind of stressful in my opinion...If you think you could handle the stress and if making money is in your priority at the moment, then go for it ... I personally wouldn't go for a stressful situation though.

Well, I'm not rich, but I have no debts either. And no matter what I do, the government pays me enough money so I can just live, until I can find a job. I even considered studying again. Going to a university is free in Germany, so I'd just have to find a part time job, lucrative enough to live of it. But those decisions take time, and this is all a bit stressful.

I have tomorrow a skype conference with a person from that company, so there I will learn more. If the stuff is too complicated, I will deny the job. While I'm not showered with job offers, getting a job ain't that difficult for me either.

Thanks for your opinion. :)
 

tempelton

Member
Although corporations are certainly not people (I don't care what Mitt Romney says), they are reflective nevertheless of people's personalities. So, some behave ethically and some do not.

It sounds likely that your old company is reflective of an unethical - and goddamn disgusting - personality. However, that shouldn't in any way then lead to you rejecting any associated chances for advancement. You could come across that sort of unethical attitude and approach to treating employees anywhere.

The Swiss gig sounds interesting and the pay sounds good and, as we all have to pay our bills, I'd take it if I were you and move on and away from the old company as soon as possible.

The alternative really sucks anyway - no definite work and no money, as well as a probably growing sense of injustice about the whole sordid affair.

Taking this job is about taking control of the situation and moving on.

I hope it works out for you!
 

GraybeardGhost

Well-known member
I'm not a lawyer, and I certainly have no knowledge of German law, but it sounds to me like your present employers may be stepping over the line. If they are holding the threat of a bad reference over your head if you don't accept this new job—so that they can make money from your talents after they've already fired you—that sounds a lot like extortion. Were they to make good on that threat, assuming your record is otherwise unblemished, that could be libelous and therefore actionable.

If I were you, I'd consider checking with an attorney or a legal aid hotline, if such is available, before making any decision about your future. Your bosses may be handing you a plateful of crap, but that doesn't mean you have to eat it. Good luck!
 

Flanscho

Well-known member
Well, they didn't specifically say that. I'd just trust them to. Of course, according to law, they are forced to give me a faire résumé, and if ain't fair, Ican drag them to a civil court. Of course, they can create a fairly bad résumé that according to them is still fair, if they want to.

I'm just a bit annoyed by the amount of stress they put on me. I Mean, they fired me. Yet, today, I got three phone calls and several mails regarding this second job.
 
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