Well Austin HR called me today to start the paper trail for this job.

They told me a bunch of stuff about the job that I already knew, part time, two classes a day, five days a week, no benefits, but then the HR gal told me that I would be working without a contract and that ONLY full time teachers work under a contract.

I don't dig that.

I want to know what they expect of me, and what I can expect of them before I haul my ass and my stuff and my dog out there.

I've been burned before working without a contract. Hey we need to free up some cash, let's ditch the part time music teacher. Then again, if I got a decent touring gig, I could ditch them. But then I'd probably never get to work for them again.

ARGH.

Opinions?

Now you're starting to look like chocolate covered "grasshopper".

Well, what are your other options?

I guess my options are a bit limited. There's always 10 months worth of unemployment here in chicago... I'd make more money and have more time for music.

The thought rankles me though.

Yeah. I'd go back to them and push a bit. Point out that you're picking up and moving there from Chicago and that you've gotten burned before.

Yeah, I'd be concerned. But I'm conservative when it comes to picking up and moving to a whole new place.

Maybe call and tell them your concerns, ask how stable this position has been in the past (and since it's Austin with a growing population I doubt the schools are in a money crunch) and get a feel for how solid it is if they're firm on not offering a contract.

Tough crunch. Good luck.

So is there any advantage to moving, other than that you're restless in CHI? Cause right now it looks like:

Chicago
-----------
+Friends
+Girlfriend
+More time for music
+More money
+No worky
- ?

Austin
------------
-Hassle and expense of moving
-Fewer friends
-No GF
-No unemployment
-Less pay
-Chance of getting fired
+ ?

I know teaching is different than most fields but most people work without contracts or under "at will" employment. I don't see this as that unusual especially since its a part-time position. It never hurts to ask again for a contract or at least for some verbal assurances regarding their intentions and commitment to your position. I'd guess though that unless there are just no qualified people for this position in Austin and they are committed to filling it that they're going to view the risk you're taking relocating as your problem not theirs.

What Chad and Eric said. Definitely do not move without getting something in writing. Are they paying for any of your moving expenses?

Dude- move to Las Vegas- they're panicking to fill a 1,000+ teacher deficit for the upcoming school year.

Minuses:
1- Hotter than 440 yards of Hell.
2- Wayne Newton isn't dead yet.

Plusses:
1- Guaranteed employment.
2- Close to L.A. for music environment.
3- Blow jobs by credit card.

No, but as far as I know, that's universal with public schools. Interview at your own expense, move at your own expense.

Let me guess....

No way.

I drove through it twice, on the way to and from L.A. and it ain't happenin.

Hey! What's the problem with Wayne Newton?

And [/thread].

No benefits = bad

Hell, even starbucks provides health insurance.

I'd only do this if it were a side gig for some job that had benefits.

I guess it's too late to mention meth labs in every apt. complex as either a plus or a minus.

Phil,

This isn't really a dream job for you, I don't think. It is however, a ticket to move to Austin with something already lined up for employment. Its not easy to find something in a city you don't already live in. Sure, try to press your case for a contract but you're probably not going to get. So you should view this as a transition job. If you want to live in Austin and you think this isn't the only job you could get, then take it and move. You can always start looking for something more secure while working if you want but at least you know you've got a source of income for awhile. You probably feel that you'd be pretty safe for the school year unless you did something to warrant being let go, right? And realistically, how long of a contract would you expect to get anyway.

And for the record, I'm not trying to convince you to move to Austin. That's your call. I just wouldn't let the lack of a contract dissuade you if that's really what you want to do.

Edit:

on a side note, I've got chicken marinating in olive oil and lemon juice and sun dried tomatoes marinating in red wine. I'll be grilling up your chicken recipe this evening

Take the unemployment, NO MATTER WHAT -- IT'S FREE MONEY.

Move to Austin, get set up, take the job when it starts, and then bust ass/ kiss ass to get a full time gig.

Another thing worth mentioning -- with arts education getting cut almost across the board, have you ever firgured on getting a teaching certificate in something else to fall back even further on?

(i.e. you could teach English AND band -- or something)

Also, SHIT OR GET OFF THE POT

hey man, for what it's worth, i feel yr pain.
my plan is to try and work it out so that my company will let me telecommute from atx even tho we only have one rep in the whole state of texas [in dallas, no less], and most of our folks are either in ny or la. but i'm keeping my fingers crossed b/c i need a change and nyc is just getting to be the kind of place i dont want to spend most of my time in.
so it's a crapshoot - either i stay where i am and have some kind of security for the time being, or try something new and at the very least have some new experiences under my belt.
now, yr young, you have a gf, but no kids, right? just a dog? seems to me like as good a time as any if you want to do something that might be an interesting experience, if nothing else.
just my personal 2 cents.

blah blah.