Need some serious job advice:

[Twistedsix]

Ok so I'm typing this mobile so I'll keep it brief.
I interviewed for a position that I wanted at a company I would have to move to a new location to work there for. Everything went great, nailed the interview, got the offer letter, and signed the lease on the new place.
The day I am packing my things I get a call from there HR saying they screwed up and offered me the wrong job. The money will be the same but my title and responsibilities will be different. (technically a lower position but at the same pay)
I'm pissed. I feel trapped now, and no room to negotiate because of already moving and signing a new lease / so forth... If they offered me this position from the beginning I may have still taken it but it would have been a much tougher choice to justify moving and so forth for a spot I wasn't head over heals for.

What would you do right now?

[Mk1Racer]

Ok so I'm typing this mobile so I'll keep it brief.
I interviewed for a position that I wanted at a company I would have to move to a new location to work there for. Everything went great, nailed the interview, got the offer letter, and signed the lease on the new place.
The day I am packing my things I get a call from there HR saying they screwed up and offered me the wrong job. The money will be the same but my title and responsibilities will be different. (technically a lower position but at the same pay)
I'm pissed. I feel trapped now, and no room to negotiate because of already moving and signing a new lease / so forth... If they offered me this position from the beginning I may have still taken it but it would have been a much tougher choice to justify moving and so forth for a spot I wasn't head over heals for.

What would you do right now?

If you would have still taken the position, I don't see what the big deal is. Did you interview for multiple positions? Will you still be reporting to the same person? Exactly how much different are the two jobs? If you've already moved, you're kind of screwed if you don't take it.

[FaelinGL]

got the offer letter

What is on the offer letter? Is it specific about the job and the responsibilities you are to assume? If it is, then you can fight for the job you want. Not sure if you want to do this going to work for a new company, but this is what they offered you.

Mike

[Twistedsix]

If you would have still taken the position, I don't see what the big deal is. Did you interview for multiple positions? Will you still be reporting to the same person? Exactly how much different are the two jobs? If you've already moved, you're kind of screwed if you don't take it.

I suppose it isn't that big of a deal since the pay is the same. It would just in tail working with a different set of people and programs. It just caught me off guard. Felt like a bait and switch. Now that I can't turn back that switch things up. (im sure that's not what happened as they have been very on the ball thus far) just caught me by surprise.

[Mk1Racer]

I suppose it isn't that big of a deal since the pay is the same. It would just in tail working with a different set of people and programs. It just caught me off guard. Felt like a bait and switch. Now that I can't turn back that switch things up. (im sure that's not what happened as they have been very on the ball thus far) just caught me by surprise.

The only potential downside that I see to this, other than not liking who you're working with (but that could be the case w/ the original job as well), is that if the position they're actually offering you is a lower grade position than the one originally offered, and the salaries are the same, that you will be higher in the pay range for the grade of the job that you're in. This could impact future raises, as the closer to the upper end of the pay range for a given grade, the lower the percentage of your salary your raise will be. But even if the percentage is lower, the actual dollar amount may be the same (or possibly higher) than the raise you would have gotten if you were in the higher grade job.

But honestly, I don't think it's a significant issue. If it was a legit mistake on their part, take it at that. Work there for a while, and then try to move to the area / job that you originally wanted.

[Twistedsix]

Easiest way I can explain it is: imagine you go to school for mechanical engineering, you interview for that position at a badass company, land the job, move. Then they tell you oh btw you're going to be a systems engineer, 3 days before you start... Frustrating is all. I mean I am thankful I have the job, its great money, and my foot in the door with this company... Just was shocked when they called

[Twistedsix]

The only potential downside that I see to this, other than not liking who you're working with (but that could be the case w/ the original job as well), is that if the position they're actually offering you is a lower grade position than the one originally offered, and the salaries are the same, that you will be higher in the pay range for the grade of the job that you're in. This could impact future raises, as the closer to the upper end of the pay range for a given grade, the lower the percentage of your salary your raise will be. But even if the percentage is lower, the actual dollar amount may be the same (or possibly higher) than the raise you would have gotten if you were in the higher grade job.

But honestly, I don't think it's a significant issue. If it was a legit mistake on their part, take it at that. Work there for a while, and then try to move to the area / job that you originally wanted.

I think you nailed it with that. I'm stuck either way. I have my foot in the door, and hopefully it won't effect my career path, bonuses, or future work. If I hate it I'll stick out my year signed lease on the new place, and look elsewhere with more work experience from a very reputable company under my belt.

[izz]

it sucks.....yeah, but you got the same pay and you already committed with the lease, maybe you work there and later down the road they promote you to the original position.....with the same pay.

[GeoffD]

Easiest way I can explain it is: imagine you go to school for mechanical engineering, you interview for that position at a badass company, land the job, move. Then they tell you oh btw you're going to be a systems engineer, 3 days before you start... Frustrating is all. I mean I am thankful I have the job, its great money, and my foot in the door with this company... Just was shocked when they called

People get moved around in companies all the time. If you're an "A" player you eventually earn the right to push back and have more control over what you do for a living. Besides, an SE is usually customer-facing and has better communication skills than an engineer in the dungeon. If you're good at it, it opens up high pay opportunities that aren't available to the grunt engineer unless they get onto the management track and most development manager jobs are really crap.

My advice.... keep an open mind until you've been on the job for 6 months. Be competent. Be a team player. Put in the extra effort. Those people get the career advancement opportunities.