Well, I certainly wasn't expecting this!

Hi all! It's been awhile since I've posted. I have an interesting situation & I'd love to get some perspective on this.

I started taking courses this Fall through K-State's distance learning program. My initial plan was to get a certificate in Business Administration. After a few weeks I realized I just couldn't hack accounting, lol. So, I decided just to take classes here & there & not really try for a certificate or additional degree. I took Behavior Management Theory this semester & I'm loving it. I'm utilizing my company's tuition reimbursement program to pay for the courses.

Well, a job opportunity just kind of landed in my lap. I wasn't looking for it. In a nutshell, a former boss gave a glowing review of me to her friend who owns an advertising/design firm. She's looking for an account executive, & so far my correspondence w/ her sounds VERY promising that I will get this job. The thing is, my company's tuition reimbursement stipulates that I need to remain employed w/ the company for a year after receiving reimbursment. Right now, an option is to plea my case to the dean of the business college @ KSU & perhaps get a full reimbursement even though it's passed the drop period. Apparently they do this on a case-by-case basis. I have a telephone meeting with him on Tuesday.

It REALLY sucks because I've worked VERY hard on this class! I'm getting a 95% & I'm in the middle of writing a research paper that's due this weekend (yeah, I'm a procrastinator but I work best under pressure). I'd hate for all my hard work not to count. I am really not in a financial position to just absorb the cost of that class, myself. I have absolutely no idea what this new position is going to pay...but if it's substantially more than I'm making now I would be willing to absorb the cost of the class for now. However, since my meeting with the dean is on Tuesday, there's no way I'll know if I'm going to get the job before then.

Does this all make sense? Am I missing other options? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

Peguin,

Here's some free advice - check out the job and the firm thoroughly. You don't need to act on a "promising" attitude from a friend of a friend - especially if you could end up jobless and absorb the cost of the class.

 

I've already done that research. That was the first thing I did when this opportunity presented itself. I wouldn't be worrying about it if it wasn't a great opportunity.

 

You can't hack accounting but you want a job as an account executive?

Regardless, we don't always know what the future holds but you have committed yourself to 1 year with your present company for the money they have spent. I would be looking to reimburse them through either a bonus at the other company or a part-time job to make it up if you decide to take the job.

If you drop the course on Tuesday, you lose all of your work, but you don't owe the company anything.
If you don't get the job, then you're out your time you have invested.

Interesting position.......

 

Why not just ask the new company if they would be willing to absorb the cost of tuition reimbursement as a hiring condition?

 

Are you talking about salary or tuition? If salary I suggest you get the information plus details of perks such as health insurance, 401K, vacations, sick pay, pension (I think only gov offers these today), and off course tuition reimbursement --- all these are important in moving to a new job - especially at the moment. If the new potential employer really wants you they might pay your tuition bill - did you mention it toher?

If you do move ask your current employer if you can pay off your tuition over a several month period.

Incidentally the one year post-course employment period seems generous - everywhere I worked it was a three-year period.

 

I was just referring to salary. Of course I'm going to ask about benefits, but I don't think it's appropriate at this point in the process. I'm meeting w/ my potential employer soon, & at that time I'm sure we'll be scoping each other out thoroughly.

The thing is, I've worked @ my current company for 5 years. They paid for most of my Master's degree. However, they have yet to promote me after several interviews. The whole promotion process there seems very political. It's like they already have someone in mind for the position & the interview process is just a formality. And, opportunities for promotion are very few & far between. I've felt stuck for a very long time, so the idea of this new position excites me. My current job is very comfortable, though. And, my current benefits are nothing to shake a stick at. Pay is a bit on the lousy side, though.

I'm just really on the fence on the best course of action regarding school is. Linda, your suggestion of the new company absorbing the cost as a hiring condition is interesting. I've never felt like I have had the ability to haggle like that when it comes to jobs. I've always felt like them just offering me the job is doing me a favor. The problem is that it will take a couple weeks (at least) until I know if I'm going to take the job, if it's even offered to me. By then, the semester will be pretty much over. Also, I don't even know if the school WILL issue a tuition refund! If they only offer to refund, say, half, I may as well just finish the class. I've already paid for the class via a credit card & I've been making larger payments on that card to try to whittle it down. So, it's not like I'd have to PAY any more out of my pocket if I finish the class. I'd just be a little poorer for awhile.

The irony of the situation is that the school bug started biting me in mid July, & by then it was ALMOST too late to register for Fall, so I was scrambling around trying to get my ducks in a row. Now, I'm scrambling around trying to find a solution for this mess I got in because of the darn school bug!

The perfect solution would be if I got the new job, & they offered me a considerably higher salary than what I'm being paid now. Then I could easily afford the class.

I'm just rambling. I don't have a lot of people I can talk about this with, due to the situation.

 

Let's see....you're in Overland Park and the above promotion description sounds awfully familiar. I'm guessing you work for Sprint. :silly:

 

I had the same situation: When I had a year left for my commitment, I asked the company to release me earlier, which they did with no complaint. If anyone asks, you can say it was "an offer you couldn't refuse" and that you had applied for internal promotions without success. Otherwise, I think others have the right idea...recoup it from the new employer as an employment bonus or in extra income. You get to keep the knowledge in the future, so pay for the course.

 

This made me laugh so hard . I wouldn't work for Sprint if it was the last job in town. Well...ok MAYBE then . No, I work for an international conferencing company. We're just one of many offices, & most of the positions/teams I am interested in aren't located in this neck of the woods. Most of the available jobs here are for supervisors & managers, which isn't really my thing.

 

You make it sound so easy . In this economy, can I really afford to haggle like that? Like I mentioned, in most of the positions I've been offered I feel like they're doing me a favor just by extending me an offer. I guess I'm having difficulty getting out of that mindset & accepting that I really am someone that employers would actively seek out.

 

penguin, what's the cost of the course ... $1500, $2000, $3000? If you're not going to get a pay raise, then you'll need to find a way to pay back the old company. I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Interview, offer, discussion, $. Take it step by step. Good luck!

 

The course was $1500. I feel rushed to make a decision because I'm meeting the dean on Tuesday regarding them (K-State) refunding my tuition. Remember, I've already paid for the course out of my own pocket with the understanding that my current employer would pay me back.

I keep flip-flipping on what I'm going to do. So many important factors are unknown right now, like if I'm even going to take the new job.

 

You're getting awfully excited about this new job, considering you don't even know yet what it pays. Around here, "account executive" is a fancy way of saying "salesman," and the salary is usually near nothing. Most of the compensation is in the form of commission. That's a good thing, if and only if you are very good at sales. In most companies, 20% of the account executives earn 80% of the commission dollars, and 80% of the account executives struggle to survive.

If you're used to a steady salary, it can be really hard to adjust.

 

It's not so much that I'm excited about this job (yet) rather than I'm excited at the opportunity to get out of my current job. I've wanted to for awhile, but have been scared to put my feelers out due to the economy. My current job is so excruciatingly mind-numbing that it's the sole reason I wanted to go back to school. Not for another degree...but to just start using my brain again.

I've wondered about a sales role in this position, although the job description doesn't mention ANYTHING about sales. From what I gather, I'd be a coordinator & liaison between the company and its clients. I've done sales in the past & it's really not my favorite, but I do ok at it. I would not want to ever be ENTIRELY in sales again, though. I'm really eager to meet my contact there & talk to her about things.

Regardless...I'm getting the run-around at school. I found out TODAY that the business office had made an appointment for me to talk to the WRONG GUY. So, now I have to make an appointment to talk to the correct guy. By the time I get all this sorted out, the semester will be over anyway! I'm continuing to do all my coursework to the best of my ability. I guess I'm just frustrated at all the unknowns right now.

 

Just an update to my situation... K-State didn't grant the tuition refund, anyway, and I still don't know if I'm going to take that other job. So, basically, I'm right back where I started lol. I feel ok about this. I'm still loving the course and continuing to work hard. I really would've hated to drop it. I've been one of the top contributers in the class in terms of showing up to the chat sessions and participating in discussions. I would've hated for all that to go to waste.

Thank you all so much for your input!