Can I accept ?

[vino80]

What is the name of your state?
Texas



Hi,

I have my MS degree in Comp Sci. I have received a job offer from one of the software consulting firm and they have given me an offer letter in their letterhead saying

****************************************
Dear ----,

[cmpany's name], Inc is pleased to extend you an offer effective Jan 15,2004 as Programmer/Analyst. The offer is 45k per annum and is subjected to the approval of H1. After being with the company for 6 months the company will pay a bonus of $1800 and consider a raise based on performance.

Performance Evaluation: One formal evaluation per year.One interim after 6 months

Salary and bonus reviewne per year

Health benefits and Vacation: Benefits package will be given to you on the first day of joining with us and benefits include 2 weeks paid vacation.

We are pleased to have some one with your skills join our organization and look forward to your success and growth.

********************************8




I actually I have my doubts about the company as Iam not sure they really have got project offers from clients. Now

I have the following questions

1) Is the offer letter strong enough in saying they would pay anyway (even if they have no projects) because they said they would pay me during bench also. So is this strong in saying it will pay me 45k per year irrespective of conditons? If they don't can this offer letter prove strong in a case against them?

2) Also these people want my H1 visa done with them before starting on the project? Im also paying for the H1 processing. Now Iam on OPT(optional practical training period) ,so in case my h1 visa is rejected will i loose my OPT status also?

 

[cbg]

An offer letter is NOT a contract. It is a statement of what the company intends to do at this point in time. I don't see anywhere that it guarantees that you will be paid $45,000 regardless of anything that happens. If they have no projects and have to lay you off, it is doubtful that you would be able to force them into paying you the full year's salary.

The company is required by law to be certain that you at minimum have applied for a working visa (H1) before you begin working. It used to be that you could not legally begin work for them before you actually had it in hand. Now you can legally work for them as long as the visa has been applied for. However, they appear to want the visa actually in hand and they have that right. So there's nothing wrong with that. I don't know enough about OPT's to answer that part of your question.

 

[hexeliebe]

Not to step on cbg's toes, but after reading your post I wonder why you would go through all the headaches for only $45,000 a year.

It's not a good offer.

 

[cbg]

Frankly, I wondered the same thing, hexe, but that isn't what he asked so I didn't address it.

 

[HomeGuru]

Therefore cbg addressed the post correctly.

 

[hexeliebe]

Ya, I know HG but how could I not address it? After all, I've been known to stick my head out of the outhouse now and then and point it where it doesn't belong

 

[Beth3]

Given that the job market for IT professionals still stinks, a job offer of $45,00 isn't bad at the moment. In fact, a job offer AT ALL is a good thing right now. And if he's on an H1B visa, the employer has to demonstrate to the INS/DOL via reputable survey data that that is a competitive salary for the position being offered.

 

[HomeGuru]

Ya, I know HG but how could I not address it? After all, I've been known to stick my head out of the outhouse now and then and point it where it doesn't belong

**A: I guess the methane gas got to you then hexy. By my engineering calculations, that little moon on the outhouse door is not sufficient ventilation when a long #2 is concerned.

 

[vino80]

thanks

Hi,

Thanks all for ur replies.I know 45k is not a lucrative offer but as Beth3 wrote, in this job market considering that iam a fresher with no experience and have been searching for a job for last 6months and also that my OPT will expire by Jul 2004 i thought i should consider this seriously. Anyway I would appreciate if anybody could answer my 2nd question.

Vino

 

[vino80]

I missed this

Sorry I forgot this. Also the employer is trying to employ too many freshers like (7 of my friends) with same offer. All this happened witin a week. He just conducts an interview which is not even echnical.He just goes thro resume asks us about our background and gives us offer. So does anybody know why would he was to employ so many fresheres in short span of time in a short duration?

 

[hexeliebe]

Two reasons;

He has bid and won a contract that he can't bring in under budget (i.e., profit margin) without hiring cheap labor, or;

He is making blank offers in the hopes of filling only a few jobs.

I've seen this practice many times with varying results. Usually, the scenario you describe results in sweat shops (yes, even at $45,000 a year) and translates to legal slavery.

You have to make your own decision, but when I started out as a programmer in Germany in 1993 I earned $50,000 a year and didn't know my keyboard from my ass.

And, although I respect Beth on this forum, as a member of IT for the past 10 years, I agree to a point that the market isn't what it used to be. But, there are plenty of jobs available.

Just in the past week I turned down three, and one in Vegas (ahhhhhhh so many blackjack tables, so little time) and one in La La land. But only because I enjoy semi-retirement and shovelling horse manure.

Either take the job and request a contract or keep looking.

 

[HomeGuru]

Originally posted by hexeliebe .

But only because I enjoy semi-retirement and shovelling horse manure.

**A: Ah, a job shoveling horse manure.
That gives new meaning to the phrase, "take this job and shove it"

 

[hexeliebe]

Or.....

I have a real $hit job