Which job would you choose?

I'm currently unemployed and I'm being offered these two (very different) jobs to work full-time in. Which would you choose:

A. 911 Dispatcher.Hours would be varied shifts (8 hours at a time), starting with 2nd shift (2:45-10:45P) and a good possibility of working holidays, weekends, and other shifts like graveyard etc., possible mandatory overtime. For the first year, there would be NO vacation time. Sitting all day with few breaks, if any.

Pay starts around $19/hr, it's working for the city so there are great benefits, pay increases, and pension. However, the stress of the job is VERY high and you won't have much of a life outside of work with the crazy shifts to work.

B. Warehouse/Assembly/Driver for a local hosing/hydraulic company. Shift would be M-F, 7:30A-4:30P. Company is smaller and employs only 4 people (myself would be included). Job is low stress, more physical in loading/unloading shipments, driving product to local businesses, ordering product, not a lot of customer interaction.

The pay starts at $12/hr, but there's an increase after the training period of 90 days (probably a $1 or so). There's also the possibility to learn inside/outside sales of the job further down the line.

Obviously, these are two very different positions and salary is a big factor. Job A will provide me with a high stress, possibly rewarding career and the ability to have an "in" in the city for further posting out in the future. However, I can expect to have very little of a life outside of work (which isn't much now anyway). Job B is low stress, but more physical (which I like since I've always worked sedentary jobs prior).

which would you choose? High stress and more pay OR low stress and less pay?

As someone who's planning on starting a family I wouldn't dream of getting something without a fixed schedule (obviously I would if I had no choice, but still...).

But my advice for you is, choose whatever is more fulfilling for you...I've taken jobs because they payed a crap ton of money, I've taken jobs because they had low working hours, I've taken jobs because they'd give me connections and I've taken jobs that were just plain fun...but in the end, the ones I remember fondly (and I enjoyed the most) are the ones that, at the end of the day, made me think "I've made a difference today, well done..."

Ideally, yes I would like to, but I've been unemployed going on 6 months now and there hasn't been many opportunities for me. My UC runs out in 5 weeks, so I will take one of these at least for now.

I think the dispatch job would be more fulfilling, it just seems more up my alley of skillset. However, I've thought about doing something more physical too, as I've always worked sedentary jobs and thought it might be good to change it up.

I will have to think hard about this. Obviously, the dispatch is in the lead because of the money. We've accrued a few grand in debt over the past year (new electrical, had our lawn landscaped to name a couple) and more money would make paying that debt off a lot easier. The warehouse job would put me right about where I am now and what I'm making on unemployment. So, financially, it would be more of a burden on us until that debt is paid off or my car (in 2 years).

Warehouse.....dispatchers burn out.

I would have chose the A. if it hadn't been for B. with "There's also the possibility to learn inside/outside sales of the job further down the line". So I would choose B.

First one sounds miserable, so poop on that one

B.

I'd at least give the dispatcher job a chance. If you don't like it, then quit and go for the other one.

@jasean79: I see why you'd want to be done with debt as soon as possible. Luckily I have never had debts, but it can't feel good...

B

A seems easy to burnout on

If I select option B, I'll potentially be making LESS than I am right now on unemployment. Most definitely so if I opt for health insurance. I just don't think I can take that risk at this point. If I had less debt and/or my car was paid off I'd be able to swing it.

Sure, A seems like a burnout job, but there's a good chance I just might like it. I've researched it on the internet and quite a few people who do the job enjoy it.

No matter which of the two I pick, there's going to be some "risk" involved.

Go for a warehouse job, just don't accept low pay. It's very hard work, and when driving gets involved, stress levels increase exponentially. Most of the industry outside big rig trucking barely compensates properly for it.

You should try and combine the two, and be a freight dispatcher. Privately operated dispatching businesses make tons of money with very little work (relative to the pay, it's still hard work).

A. 19/hr what yeah

911 dispatcher. Since I'm on modified duty that's what I've been doing for the past few months. The last guy they had actually got a pretty damn good job at FEMA because of his emergency response experience.

Warehousing sucks. Always.

That's what I'm going to do. After thinking about it all day I decided that there's more possibilities with the dispatcher, plus it wouldn't hurt to get to know a few people within the city...might open some doors in the future.

The warehouse was my last resort. My UC runs out in 5 weeks and the city was taking forever in getting back to me. I actually got the call because the offer was made to someone else and they declined, so I was next on list. Maybe that happened for a reason, who knows?

Dispatcher, even if you hate it then it's definitely going to help your employment prospects more so than warehouse work which will benefit you in the long run.

Dispatcher shows you've got character and skills in areas like communication, employers love that. Warehouse work is good when you've got bills to pay but it's not going to elevate you in the future.

911 dispatching would be better, I don't get the 5 8-hour day thing, I'd rather work 4 10-hour days myself, that would give me more time off per week. Too bad nobody offers that as an option.

Warehouse. Don't get weird calls, feels professional, and you get to be physically healthy. I would then switch to a higher position within the company.

I'll go for the dispatcher, warehouse jobs are easier to come by I think, and go for the pay or at least until you are burnt out than go for the warehouse. Worse comes worse your stress tolerance would be an all time high and everything else after would be a cake walk.

... Seems you can learn a lot through interaction and well when disaster strikes you know how to handle emergencies too. I'll go with that, or give it a shot at least.

Good man. Just remember, dispatching definitely sucks sometimes, but at least your entire body won't hurt each and every day.

@jasean79: Better an aching body, than a scarred soul.

Neither.

I don't take orders from anyone.

Scarred soul? lol

No offense, and correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you say you were 35 in that other thread? $12 at age 35 is not good. $19 an hour isn't much better but it is better.

Get a plan together man. You should be well into a career by now.

I was into a career, until I was unexpectedly terminated from my last job. It's been a rough six months with no work, so I'm more than thankful that I've been given opportunities and a "choice" of which path I want to go down.

No offense taken, by the way. The wage is ultimately the determining factor here, but if the dispatch job wouldn't have panned out, I would've taken the warehouse to just have work, as my UC benefits are almost expired.

If jobs are that hard up around your locale, I'd look into moving. A lot of good companies will actually pay for you to relocate. Hit Monster.com or some shit and see what's available in whatever career you've experience in.

Not an option right now. Too much here to just pack up and leave.

@br0kenrabbit: 19 dollars an hour is almost 15k more a year than the 12 dollar job at full time plus probably better benefits.

@jasean79: the dispatcher job sounds most interesting and it pays better than the warehouse job, the thing with the dispatcher job is the emotional impact of some of those emergency calls they will be pretty tough to listen to and you will have to remain calm in tough situations.

Warehouse job could be good if you could maybe work your way up the ladder with the warehouse company, the job is more physical which is good for your well being and the hours are more social, pay is not as good at the start but in time you could become a supervisor and just keep progressing.

@Sword-Demon: "I'd at least give the dispatcher job a chance. If you don't like it, then quit and go for the other one"

I don't know how it works round your ways, but I doubt they will hold a vacant job for @Jasean79 just incase he didn't like his first choice.

Both good points and definitely in line with what I was thinking.

With regards to the dispatch position, I try to think if I'm naturally able to handle horrific calls and remain calm? I honestly think I am. I'm a pretty even tempered person and definitely not emotionally driven where this would be a problem. I'm willing to give it a shot. If I don't like it then I could always look into something else. The training period takes about 6 months and there's a ton of certifications you have to earn before doing the job, so at least I'll be busy with that before delving into the nitty gritty of 911 calls.