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I currently work in a call center for a company that does outsourcing for a large cellular company. Note that it's not offshore outsourcing, just a contractor. Last year, my employer opened a new center in Boise ID and offered to transfer people at same rate of pay and I accepted. I was doing pretty well, since the cost of living in Boise is much lower than where I was before. I got a nice apartment less than a mile from where I work and actually had enough to live on and was making headway on paying down my debts.
Then in February they announced that the client had renegotiated the contract and that everyone on my contract would be cut down to the same rate at the end of March. The new rate is less than when I started working at the company 4 years ago. Since I'd been there the longest, I got hurt the worst. I lost around 35% of my paycheck, and the new rate is not even enough to cover my costs of living. I also got passed over for a promotion that would have allowed me to keep my pay the same without even an interview. Suffice to say I'm not very happy with my employer right now.
I applied for another job at a different company, and I've already gotten through three parts of the application process and they've scheduled me for an in person interview in a couple of weeks. I'm sure they'll offer me the position, since I had previously worked for another contractor that worked for the same company in the past. The problem is, I don't really want the job. I've worked in call centers for 7 years now, and frankly, it's getting very old. The new job has better benefits and pays better than my new rate at my old job, but not as much as I was making before.
The new job is in customer service, and I expect the call volume is probably higher, so I'd be a lot busier and the job would be even more scripted and repetitive. It's also further away (about 15 miles) and I would probably not be able to go home for lunch anymore. My cost for gas would probably triple at least.
Over the past few months I've been studying and learning copywriting. I like to think I'm a decent writer, and I know I can do it. I've been taking steps towards setting myself up as a freelancer running a small business, but I haven't taken the steps of offering my services yet, so I don't have any income at the moment. I'm still very much in the learning stage, but working on getting myself going as soon as possible. There's definitely more money in writing copy than being a phone monkey, and I like the idea of being able to work from home and responsible for my own success.
During March my employer was offering unlimited overtime, so I worked as much as I possibly could at my old rate. For the month I did almost 200 hours of overtime. Never going to do THAT again. But combined with what I had in savings before and my tax return, I have enough for about 6 months worth of basic living expenses at no income. I'm single, so I don't have anyone else to support me. What I would like to happen is for me to be able to collect unemployment while finishing my studying and getting my business up and running. Somehow I doubt my employer is going to lay me off, and I'm not sure if I could get unemployment if I resign.
So I'm kind of looking for advice on where I should go from here. If I stay with my current employer, my savings would last a lot longer, but to be honest, it's getting to the point where I resent going to work. The new job isn't what I'm looking for, and I don't think I'd like it either. I'd lose my seniority and vacation time that I have at my current job. It's also more inconvenient and would just barely let me scape by, and the longer commute would cut into my study time. Somehow I'm sure it would just turn into another company crapping on my head.
The other alternative is to quit my current job, try to get unemployment, and use my savings for as long as it lasts if I don't get it. That would give me more time to work on my copywriting skills and to finish setting myself up, but then I'd have to hope that I have enough income as a freelancer before my savings and/or unemployment runs out.
Thanks to those that stuck through to the end of this long ass post. Any suggestions on where to go from here?
Here's a thought - keep your current job because of the short commute, cut back on your overtime, and use some of those 200 hours to try and start your freelancing. You have a cushion of money saved and could invest some of that into setting your business up (web site, business cards, etc.). If you quit and try to live off savings before you are established, or even find out if you truly want to pursue that line of work, you will eat through your savings quickly, especially because health care for individuals is so expensive (at least in my neck of the woods).
It's a big gamble if you don't have some kind of safety net beyond your savings - you're one car problem (or something) away from being in real financial trouble.
And just as a PS - starting to work on your own may make you a little less resentful of your current job, as you may begin to see it as a tool you use to enable your new pursuit.
I would take that other job that you think you are going to land, keep working, and then on the side do the copywriting business.
However, don't quit (obviously) unless you know for sure that you have that new job. Especially in this economy. I would get the new job offer in writing as well.
I would never ever ever quit working to try a new business, that's a terrible idea. You can try it on the side, and then plan it out carefully. Call the Small Business Administration office to get more info running a small business.
Working at the place you are now seems like a bad idea, they sound like they are just taking advantage of you (getting paid less than you were 4 years ago when you started? I don't think so!)
Thanks for the input, all. Scratch unemployment unless I get laid off, I suppose.
I've decided to turn down the other job and stay at my current employer for the time being, but set a date for myself to be self sufficient in my new business by the beginning of September. The other job pays more, but it would cut too much into my getting my copywriting business up and running. I wouldn't get as much vacation time, the commute would be longer and more expensive, I wouldn't be able to go home at lunch, and I'd lose all my seniority.
All I can do is just try to get myself in a position to quit as soon as possible.
i don't know which company it is that can claim to be the original call center...but when i think of call center, i think of subcontractors that rent space in an formerly abandoned building, hire a bunch of entry level people to provide services that were previously provided by good benefit companies like ATT.
For example, i worked for a subcontractor for Nextel, and we provided technical help for cell phone customers...
I think your new plan sounds like a good one, Hesster. Maf (and others) gave you great advice. Good luck to you!
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