Need a little career advice

[Chucara]

First, the backstory:

I'll be finishing my masters degree in computer science next summer, and people are already semi-spamming me with job offers. I already have a part time programming job. Said job pays 100 DKR per hour (should be paying at least 160), but it has some huge advantages:

- I can work from home
- I have complete freedom
- Come January, I will start my own business, meaning that if I decide to buy a company computer, I will save VAT(25%) and taxes (roughly 42%).

I am at the middle of a project at my current job, and I'd hate to leave them stranded, but I could potentially make a lot more money elsewhere.

What is the most important to me right now is my career potential. My goal is to wind up somewhat up the corporate ladder.

Am I immoral to ditch my current employer? (I'll provide ample documentation, but it will be a large setback for them)

How do you think a future employer would look at me leaving after little over a year?

Do you think I would benefit resume-wise from actually work at a company in the industry instead of my current job, which is in the IT department of a concrete manufacturing company.

I've also considered continuing my studies as a Ph.D. and I am currently working on a publishable article to ensure a potential Ph.D. grant.
What do you think a employer would prefer, someone with 3 years of industry experience, or someone with a Ph.D?

I know not many of you know a hell of a lot about the IT industry in Denmark, but please feel free to provide whatever inputs you desire.

Thanks!

[AcdQueen89]

the advice i've been getting is that employers prefer people with expirence over people with the higher degree and no expirence.

hire someone with good credentials but no expirence that you have to pay alot due to having a higher level degree
hire someone with expirence in the field that has a lower degree so you dont have to pay more

at least with where i'm going, alot of places will help pay for that higher degree granted you give them x-years working with them.

i dont know how this will help, but it's how i'll be taking things in the next few years.

[JC]

Fake pedantic advice: I think you should do whatever you think will make you feel you have made the right choice. 

[Night Owl]

I'm all for doing what's best for you, but you also have to consider long term effects.

If you leave your current company hanging, that will be remembered - not just by the bosses, but by everyone. You won't be remembered all that bad, mind you (people move on all the time), but you did leave in the middle of an important project. It is very possible that someone in your current company becomes a bigshot at company xyz in ten years, and may be your future boss (etc etc.) You just never know.

Not saying you owe your employer anything or any loyalty. But on a resume, "created and implemented" is a LOT more impressive than "started but left in the middle".

Trust me - finishers are valued. Everyone starts stuff. Almost nobody really finishes.

It's only till January, right? I'd stay.

[Tank]

I'd go with nightowl's advice here. We're a small country and word gets around a lot. An example would be my father who's been making a reputation as unbribable, extremely honest and always sees his job through, rough times or not. His niche is granted smaller than yours, but the example still stands, and he gets a huge pay compared to others with the same generel skills as he has, as well as some very good benefits and job-offers.

That, and personally, I'd feel better about myself by sticking it out, especially as the time-horizon is only a few months. Like Nightowl says; why risk it?

Regarding Ph.D.- do you want to do it? Because the pay will be better, and the jobsituation for IT professionals in DK isn't exactly bad *cough*omfgweneedmore*cough* If you think you can go through with it and it's something you'll enjoy, then by all means, do so. It'll open more doors for you, increase paychecks and as long as you continue working on the side, you'll still have some good experience to back up your skills when being interviewed by future employers.

[Chucara]

Thanks for the advice so far. Just to clarify: I've been working at the same company for roughly a year now, and I will continue for another six months. I'll probably stick it out.

I'm doubting a Ph.D. will actually increase my salary if compared to 3 years of relevant experience. Sure, if I want find a job that requires the expertise I will develop during a Ph.D. study, I will be paid more, but I think in a small country like Denmark, it is rather unlikely.

[Tank]

You're forgetting the job-situation. As it is, there's already, what, 6000 unfilled jobs and 100 new ones a day on average? It's tiems liek this where you can walk in and say "I have the skills. I also have a Ph.D. which will cost you extra. If you don't like it, I'll go to xxx company instead!"

[Solwyn]

I can't say what it's like in Denmark, but it seems like your need for IT people is much greater than ours. Makes me debate moving there, seriously. After the dot com bubble burst over here, investors and parent companies have been skiddish to take on new IT people. We outsource far more than we should, given the number of quality applicants in our own work pool that would gladly do IT for only slightly more (and in my opinion be worth the difference).

If I call another company and get forwarded to someone who speaks English as a third or fourth language, I might kill someone.

That aside, I don't know what it's like over there but over here the more academic your degree the more limited the opportunity each step of the process will afford you. That probably doesn't make a lot of sense, but essentially if you get a bachelor's, you open a set of doors. Each door requires further education or certification to be fully viable for a job, but you have a lot of opportunities. If you get a master's degree, people will consider you a better applicant for whatever that degree is in, but the amount of pay you'll get will only increase if you find a company that can afford you and really wants that higher degree. So if you have a PhD, your options are to work for the same amount of money a master's holder has, or teach, or keep trying to bargain your way up. Here in the states, IT companies want experience first, mainly because 90% of IT companies on this side of the pond (Mexico and Canada included) are fly-by-night and if you can manage to hold down a job for a couple years you're either very smart or very stubborn.

Probably the latter. But good luck either way! Sounds like you're in an ideal position either way.

[Tank]

Danish companies are screaming for IT workers atm, Solwyn. There's approx 6k jobs needing people to take them, with a quoted average of 100 new being posted every business day. Estimates are that up to 20k have already been outsourced :/

[Solwyn]

Damn. I should move to Denmark.

[Jeff]

Chucara, keep in mind that Owl's probably been fired from more jobs than you'll ever have.

I don't think that holding onto a part-time job outside of your preferred industry (out of guilt or out of desire to put a line on a resume stating 'Project Completed') would make up for passing on a full-time job that is closer to where you want to be.

[Solwyn]

Chucara, keep in mind that Owl's probably been fired from more jobs than you'll ever have.

burn!

I dunno though, networking is 90% of getting the job, from what I understand. I've been shot down for jobs I was overqualified for because I didn't know anyone in the company, and a friend of mine is making 3x my annual salary and doesn't have a degree of any kind (unless you count his "Diploma of Pimposity"(sic) that he printed out and hangs in his office).

If you get a rep for being a slacker that's bad. But I don't know if the IT department of your company will have broad-reaching implications outside the world of concrete manufacturing.

[Night Owl]

Chucara, keep in mind that Owl's probably been fired from more jobs than you'll ever have.

heh heh - it also means I *got* a lot of jobs, too

Funny, despite being fired so much, I have a very good reputation.

[Sweetpea]

i'd finish stuff just out of common courtesy but thats me.

i've managed to leave in a lull time between projects getting started and the real work of grants and stuff being put into place so i've done my bit but i'm not going to be starting other bits that I cant finish.

and whats right for you won't pass you by

[Chucara]

Thanks for the excellent advice everyone. Right now I'm leaning towards staying at my current job until the project is finished or I graduate. I'll be  staying (officially) on the Ph.D. track, just to keep options open, but should I get a good job offer at the end of my masters, I'll probably take it.

I would probably be taking another job if it weren't for the fact that I can get a computer at less than half the price if paid through my company. If I were to complain to the union, they would be forced to pay me more.. That's how low the salary is.