Hi everyone, I could really use some advice.
I graduated with a master’s in computer science last year. I have two internships and several research projects and publications. After graduating, I had a hard time finding a role and ended up taking a break. I recently started applying again and I’m getting much better responses now and I'm close to one potential offer.
I originally applied for a sales engineering role at a small company. After the first couple interviews, they told me they wanted someone with more sales experience but said they liked me and encouraged me to interview for a more entry-level sales type role instead (this role involves no technical experience). I agreed because I thought it could be a foot in the door.
They told me early on I would know after three interviews, but now I’m heading into a fifth, possibly sixth interview. Throughout the process they’ve been very positive and keep saying how much they like me. At the same time, they’ve changed the salary structure and amount multiple times and it has gone down each time.
I also made the mistake of saying I was flexible on salary early on, and I feel like that may have worked against me.
On top of that, my personal situation changed and I now need to move out of state to be with my partner. I asked if there was any flexibility to work remotely, even temporarily, and they gave me a hard no. What’s frustrating is that someone in the exact same role is currently remote, so it feels inconsistent.
Now I feel stuck. I can take the job, stay where I am with high cost of living and low pay, and be away from my partner in a role that doesn’t really match my background. Or I can walk away and keep searching in a tough market along with a growing gap in my resume.
The role might have some growth potential, but the process has felt pretty unstructured.
Would you take this role?