Tale of Two Cities

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2004
Tale of Two Cities
3
Mon, 08-28-2006 - 9:20am

Hi all,

I have been wanting to move to another city (City A) for a very long time now. I work in a specialised field and where most of those jobs are based at head offices, which are in the city that I currently live in (City B).

I applied for a public relations role in City A recently at a company in a related industry. After a telephone interview with the recruitment agent and HR Manager, I had an interview with the Vice President of the company who was visiting my state. I felt trepidation at the thought of meeting him as I emailed a few people who had previously worked at the company and he seemed like a total wanker and ar$ehole. The company has a high turnover as well and currently has four key positions in the Marketing Team open – not a good sign. I got feedback from the recruitment agent saying that he said thought I was inexperienced, young and I should tone my personality down. It just left me with a bad taste in my mouth about City A.

Fast forward a few days and I get a call from a company located at City B which is a direct competitor of this company I worked for. They couldn’t be any more different. This company did not use a recruitment agency and had asked around in the industry for recommendations, which is why my name came up. I was asked to send my resume to the Marketing Director which I did and he called me straight away and asked me in for an interview. The Marketing Director and one of his Product Managers attended the interview. They wore jeans, were really relaxed and laid back and couldn’t care less about what I looked like, all they cared is about what I had to offer. I had the interview which was very pleasant and he called me that same day to ask me for another interview and offered me a job within four days. It amuses me that I was inexperienced for the same role at City A yet perfect for the company located in City B which is a faster paced city with more experienced applicants. I believe the other company is still looking for a PR Manager.

I just don’t know what to do. The job I was offered seems like the perfect job with the perfect boss and marketing team in the wrong city and it’s a long drive from where I live. However, it does give me the chance to travel with journalists overseas, which is something to look forward to. I love everything that City B has to offer career wise but it’s such an expensive city, I can't afford to buy property there, I find people unfriendly and I just don’t feel an attraction to most men I meet. In City A, I can actually afford to buy a property there, the people are easy going and friendly, the standard of living is good, the men are gorgeous and down to earth and it’s just a fun, happening city to live in. I just can’t find a job there. I even asked whether I could perform this role in City A and was told it would always be based in City B which may change if they get to know me better but who knows ……. Argh!!!!!!!!!

I just see myself heading in a direction where I am going to have a great job with no friends, no boyfriend and no life. On the other hand, perhaps this job in City B can open doors for me and a change is as good as a holiday? I just don’t know what to do. I’ve wanted to live in City A for so long but I feel that doors are constantly being slammed in my face whereas City B is welcoming me with open arms. Is God trying to tell me something? Is it my bad attitude about City B? I have really tried but I just feel really depressed and unhappy here.

I have to make a decision tomorrow and I feel sick about this. Please give me some direction. Does someone have a crystal ball handy :-p

Feisty

Avatar for cl_shywon
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-20-2003
Mon, 08-28-2006 - 7:50pm

I think sometimes life yells at us what to do, yet because of preconceived plans, we ignore it.

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-19-2006
Wed, 09-06-2006 - 2:10pm

Sometimes things happen for a reason. Finding a new job is not easy and if this one came so easily for you and seems like such a good fit, then why fight it? You will never know what will come if you don't act on it. Take this job, gain more experience and then try to move to city A. Nobody says you have to stay there (city B) forever. You also might find that you like the people there more then you thought.

As for the same job in two cities, one thinks you are experienced and the other doesn't. You might not have been experienced for the job in city A. A lot of the times, the same job has very many different repsonsibilities, regardless if the title and industry are the same.

Sometimes, you have to go with the area that is working for you. It might not have been initially what you wanted, but will end up working out so much better for you. There is always a reason that is not obvious in the beginning but usually after a while, it will be clear.

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-17-2004
Wed, 09-06-2006 - 6:53pm

Kcole68,

Thank you for your response. How are you doing in your job search?

I decided to take the job in City B because as you say it came so easily to me, I thought all the team were great and I am looking forward to working with the Marketing Director, it was a step into management and it pays $12.5k more than my current job with a 10% bonus based on sales. I did some further research on the company and their parent company are struggling financially and I spoke to my current boss about it. He said that as we are experiencing cost cutting at our organisation and it's already started with two freelancers sacked, that he couldn't guarantee my job so it seemed like a really good time to leave. I currently work for two magazines and I will be working in PR at the new company so I will be in contact with them to organise promotions and publicity.

In regards to being told that I was inexperienced for the job in City A, essentially I am inexperienced as I haven't worked in PR for a long time. However the whole essence of PR is to build relationships in media and to gain exposure for the people/products you are promoting and the company in City B understood the importance of hiring someone who works in media and their last PR & Promotions Manager was an ex editor of a magazine so I have big shoes to fill. On the other hand, the PR contact for City B has never contacted our two magazines for any reason and our freelance writer who specialises in their particular product does not even know who the PR contact is so I take his comment with a grain of salt. I think he wanted style over substance and now we are rivals which worked out very well, I'm going to show him exactly how the job should be done. In City A because there are less opportunities, the market is very competitive and they think the applicants should crawl up to them whereas in City B where there are a lot of opportunities, I had companies calling me for job interviews which happened in the case of this job opportunity which is why it was so easy to get because I have a good reputation in City B.

I do want to work in City A but when you get treated like a second class citizen in a smaller, less developed city and you get treated like a queen in a fast paced, ruthless, more developed and harder city, it does wear you down after a while. I have decided that I will work at least nine months in this job and then start looking for a job in City B. It is not ideal but with the company struggling globally, it may be the get out of jail free card I may be looking for and I will be able to use that as a reason for why I want to move on. In that time, I hope to make more contacts in City B to make my transition there easier. With the extra money I will be earning, I will have a sizeable deposit by that time to buy an apartment in the more affordable City B. I think a chance of pace at the new company might just what I need to get myself out of the rut I currently feel I am in.

Feisty