Take job offer or stay?
2I started a new job in March. I’m happy with the pay and pretty much everything about the company. I have several friends already and I like the team I work with, it’s in the suburbs, zero commute, free snacks, fun stuff, badass work space. A recruiter contacts me for a similar job that pays significantly more. However, it’s in the middle of the city (uptown in Dallas) and a smaller team, meaning I’ll have much more responsibility. I went through the whole interview process and asked several questions, but how can you honestly trust them when they tell you about the company and the culture?? The recruiter says they’re about to make me an official offer; I’m guessing it’ll be about ten thousand more.
I’m a 20-something moving past entry level and hoping to settle in with a good company for the long term. So, my ? for all of you mehmbers is, do I stay with the good thing that I already have? Or do I chase the money and roll the dice with the job culture, coworkers, etc. of the new mystery company? Any advice or stories you have will be greatly appreciated! Thanks 
- 29 comments, 64 replies
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It is a “higher” position, but where do you see yourself growing more/faster?
Now I’m one of a team that all has the same role; one is the manager. For the new place, I’ll be the ONLY one doing the role. So…I guess at the new place I’d be the manager of my own one-person department, ha. Honestly I could see growth at both places.
Personally as your fellow twenty something I’d stay where you are. The money is nice but you can’t buy happiness and there are doubtless costs that would eat a chunk of the difference like gas, parking, tolls, maintenance on your vehicle etc. You will also lose the commute time you might otherwise spend doing fun things negating much of the immediate utility of said pay increase.
@jbartus I would be tempted to take it for the pay increase, but would definitely recommend looking into added costs. The big thing that would drive me away would be an extra commute. I HATE commuting with a passion, and that alone would be a huge deciding factor for me.
@luvche21 @jbartus @haflander
First, figure out how much more you will spend for the longer commute and other extra costs that you’ll have at the new job (if you’re driving, you will have more wear on your car, etc). These costs come off the extra $10K. Also, remember your Uncles (Sam, etc.) are going to take a cut. This tell you how much of that $10K is real.
Another way to look at it is to compare the average hourly pay for the two jobs. When doing this, include the time for your commute. You may discover that the extra $10K isn’t really an increase at all. The company may not pay you to travel to work, but that time really isn’t yours either.
But given that you are happy where you are, and appear to be making enough to live comfortably, and have a short commute, I’d say to stay. But then happiness and a commute of 30 minutes (or less) for the round trip to and from work are two of my main criteria, once I’m making enough to live comfortably.
What about your passion for the two products, or the two companies, or the two projects? If both paths would lead forward, and if I could afford either job, how I felt about what I was working in and who I was working for and with would matter.
Can you check out cultural issues on glassdoor or elsewhere? Know anybody who knows anybody who has an experienced opinion?
@f00l The positions and titles are really similar. Same industry. Both companies are huge corporate types, but the new one is slightly bigger. They’re one the Fortune 500 AHEAD of microsoft, boeing, and chase. Yeah I’m sniffing around a lot of sources right now.
@haflander
So Mediocre.com is about to offer you some kinda insane job, based on your description of the company as being bigger than Walmart + The Dept of Defense?
Go For It!
You answered your own question pretty quickly. Second line to be exact. You’re happy with the pay and the company. As long as you’re making enough money to not be struggling, you’re in a good place. Your current job has a lot going for it. There are much more important things than money in life. First and foremost, being happy and enjoying what you do and where you do it. It’s quite true, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. There’s nothing worse than switching jobs just because it offers a bigger paycheck, only to find yourself unhappy with the decision down the road. If money was an absolute issue, your decision would be made for you. Seeing as it’s not, and you’re still young, I’d highly suggest staying where you are and enjoying the ride. You’ll learn if there’s growth potential and if not, then you can reconsider looking for other opportunities. If a recruiter headhunted you once, it will likely happen again and again. I happen to work at a hospital that’s owned by a company notorious for paying less than others in the area. However I still make a good salary and I truly enjoy where I work and the people I work with. I drive 75 miles roundtrip every day but I don’t mind it because I’m happy there. Being older and more experienced in the working world, I can tell you that I wouldn’t trade that joy for a larger paycheck (unless it’s truly an exceptionally big number).
@cinoclav “As long as you’re making enough money to not be struggling, you’re in a good place” is a line I hear a lot, and I cant really agree with it. Too many people are stuck in situations that are “good enough”, where a small bump like the one @haflander is talking about can help erase debt, save for retirement, etc.
Not saying you should jump jobs in a heartbeat, but just because you are happy in one place doesn’t mean you can’t be happier in another.
@cinoclav Thanks for the thoughts, both of you!
@MrGlass @haflander I’d have different advice if he was 45 years old and couldn’t afford to put anything into retirement. Or if he had stated he was carrying a large debt load and needed the extra money. At his age and stating he’s happy with the current pay, at a company that seems to treat their employees well and may have opportunity for advancement, this doesn’t appear to be a “good enough” situation. This is a good situation. You’re presenting a side of an argument where one doesn’t exist…
@cinoclav I’m just finishing up eliminating my bad debt, and just starting to save for retirement. I would have been doing so 3-5 years ago, if I hadn’t spent several years staying in a place where I was happy. They were paying me enough, and I was happy there, but leaving has allowed to put myself in a far better position. I waited until major changes convinced me to leave, when I should have seized some earlier opportunities that would have changed my career.
Not saying to jump ship. A job you like is hard to find, and is definitely worth 10k/year if you can afford it. Still, I would caution against growing complacent. If you get a good opportunity, use it - even if only to improve your current situation (as i suggested).
@MrGlass You’ve essentially channeled your own path into your advice for him. But everyone’s path is different and we all have our own speed bumps along the way. Just saying, your comment above is rather one sided and seems to reflect the mistakes you feel you made in your own decisions.
@cinoclav Yes, it is a viewpoint based on my personal experience (which i don’t think was a mistake, more of too much delay in making the right decision). My experience was very counter to the advice you & others were giving and so I felt it would be constructive to offer advice based on it. I don’t feel like my case was so special, rather I expect it has to do with age/industry differences more than anything. From what the poster has said, we are pretty close in age if not in industry.
I don’t get your point about me being “one sided”. Are you saying your advice wasn’t based on your personal experiences? Or that being cautious is somehow less “one sided” than taking risks?
@MrGlass
Sounds like you were, in fact, “struggling” more than you were willing to acknowledge. A different situation than described by @haflander.
If you like where you are, ignore all the stuff about culture. You clearly have found a culture that works.
It sounds like the right play is to leverage it for more from your current position. If you started in March your about 6 months in. Thats a bit early but still not bad to ask for a raise, especially with an offer on the table.
@MrGlass I’ve considered this, but honestly, I’m kinda scared to try to leverage. I haven’t been around long enough to know whether raises are scarce or plentiful. I will definitely think about it though!
@haflander
If you wanna stay put, you could save the leverage for later: “yeah I loved this company so much, looked what I turned down” in your review.
You sound pretty employable no matter what. Congrats.
PS Is either co public or privately held?
Some privately held companies can be dream employers. Loyalty, decency, all that. Others … sigh … the opposite.
Public companies can be way subject to market and shareholder weirdness.
@haflander It can be tough to gauge when to ask. Maybe talk to a coworker and ask if others have done it and how things went?
@f00l Current place is huge and global, but private. Actually just decided for a private investor INSTEAD of going public with an IPO. New place is even bigger and public.
I can’t help you make a deicision like that but I can post a video for you…
/youtube clash should i stay
@thismyusername Ha! thanks
Only started in March? Stay. Short employment terms look bad on resumes because the one looking at it will think you didn’t work well with others and that’s why you left.
That short commute is a huge benefit; there’s a lot of uncalculated stress when a 40 minute commute turns into 1+ hours due to an incident.
@narfcake Actually, I’ve been a lil deceptive about this. During the interview process, I didn’t tell them about the job I’ve had since March. I thought if I did, they’d rule me out or view me as a jumper, even though their recruiter contacted me. The commute is a big factor!!
@haflander
Yeah, the short time at current place may not sit well in the future with some others. Plus if someone checks you out thru the private grapevine, that may get mentioned. Companies might think. Did it once, will do it again.
You sound like you are positioned so that you will always have opportunities, at least in the near future. If you think that is true. you can afford to stay at least a year at the current place.
@haflander With the omission and the commute factor, stay. Changing now will make you “look bad” to both companies. And in this day and age of social connections, that can really ruin your future opportunities.
You can revisit this later, but for now, stay where you are.
I know people who have taken pay cuts for the shorter commute. May not matter now, but as you move past 20-something, time becomes a very precious commodity.
@walarney I’m 20-something and I consider time to be a very precious commodity!
i am old.
do what your gut tells you.
if you stay you will regret it.
if you tell them you will leave for more they may counter.
why didn’t they offer that to you before?
but is the new gig what get’s you excited?
you’re too young to settle in, unless you want to and you can see your current employer as a 40 year deal
i left IBM 20 years ago and have often wondered…
/youtube springsteen you never can tell
@Yoda_Daenerys I feel like you’re transferring your own feelings onto him a bit. Specifically with regards to line three. He might regret it, anything is possible, but it’s not a foregone conclusion. If things keep going well for him he might contemplate what might have been but he wouldn’t necessarily regret it.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
@Yoda_Daenerys well that’s a little embarrassing…
@jbartus yea, i see your point. i don’t mean to say what is right or true, but as you say, “what i have experienced”. i have seen/heard stories (not science) of those who stay, regretting… completely alegorical, or is the correct term anecdotal?
@Yoda_Daenerys oh I’m sure there are plenty of those, but I would contend that there is a similar litany of stories from people who left and wish they hadn’t. I generally attribute the same logic to such stories as I do to product reviews, i.e. by and large happy people don’t talk about it as much as unhappy people.
@jbartus so, what’s your suggestion? stay or leave?
@Yoda_Daenerys
Now, you have two usernames from two diff series.
Are you are company-straddler? CEO, widgits, inc, by day; customer service, hideous cable company by night? Or anything like that?
Hmmm.
@Yoda_Daenerys
I think I want not to give a solution, but rather offer perspectives and things to weigh. If one co offers 100k a year and the other $1M, or other obvious diffs, anyone can make that decision.
None of us knows the best course, except that I am concerned about the short-termer aspect. I just hope we offer thought-food.
@Yoda_Daenerys I suggested earlier that if he’s otherwise happy and leaving only for a paycheck that I’d stay, especially considering the commute and such.
My suggestion has nothing to do with my taking issue with line 3, however. Like I said, I’m sure there are just as many examples of people who left and regretted it, if not more because of the whole ‘you don’t know what you’ve got til it’s gone’ aspect. ^^
@f00l
of what do you speak?
@Yoda_Daenerys
Yoda
Daenerys
If there is a coming big screen summer or holiday blockbuster that connects Westeros with A Galaxy Far Far Away, I haven’t gotten that news yet.
@f00l hmm, All men must die, but we are not men, already know you that which you need?
/image mashup
@Yoda_Daenerys
I am not Men
I am Devo
Devo, or Devo Not.
There is no “Men”
/giphy "Daenerys Devo Yoda"
I would say (just me) do research. Test commute. You’re in your 20s. If you’re ok financially, ignore $ if that makes sense. Think long term career instead. Wanna work on the best project? For the most prestigious co? With the best people? Where you have, not the most authority, but rather the most freedom, latitude, creativity? Best chance of seeing what you do make a diff somewhere somehow? Do you want mgmt or semi/mgmt? Or what do you want out of your career besides decency, satisfaction, $?
Weigh both companies by these standards and any others that occur to you. Think really really hard about how short a time you’ve been where you are. Think really really hard about what you’d say to new co if you declined? What you’d say to old co if you left? Which makes you feel like you’ve done the right thing?
Are either of these employers famous for using people up and dumping them? Or manipulating them? Or otherwise messing up lives? Lying? Setting expectations they won’t satisfy? Political crap? How do the people who work there feel about the co? How does the public or customers feel about the co? If any of that is bad: Avoid, unless they toss insane money, no matter what.
If you decline new co on the grounds that you owe your current employer more than a few months, will they take it well? Will they consider you in the future should something open up? If so, that’s s good sign about them.
Try not to do anything that makes you feel dirty. Try not to believe anything or fall for anything that later will make you feel stupid. (Not always possible to avoid.)
@f00l When I was house hunting, I ruled out going “only 20 miles” further for a much bigger and newer house because my then 45-minute commute would’ve turned into a minimum 80-minute commute.
That added time and stress cancelled out all the benefits.
@narfcake
I have a very well-paid friend who got rid of “the perfect house” (rental, he had intended to buy) w a 1 hour each way commute and moved to an apt where he walks across a park to get to work.
He is unmarried, no kids. Margaux the cat was ok w the move after a short adjust. He’s never regretted changing to a 10 minute walk to work.
He doesn’t wanna buy now, cause he thinks his startup may or may not crash and burn, varying daily.
But he has socked $ away, he could afford years of windsurfing if the co goes down.
He says his current commute is the best part of his life besides his cat.
For me, the commute would be the deal-breaker. I live three blocks from work. I can afford a Much larger house in the suburbs, but I would lose ~15 hours a week in family time.
Attempting to leverage a new job offer into more money at your current job is a challenge. My advice is this: Keep your current job. Take a meeting with your boss and let them know you’ve been approached by another company who’s offering $10K more. Emphasize that you really like what you’re doing, the company, and all your co-workers. You’d like to stay, and just thought you’d ask what they think your future at the company might be.
It’s a win-win. You prove your loyalty, not-so-subtly let them know that other companies are actively seeking you out AND offering more money, and subtly indicate that you’re interested in staying at this company for “the long haul.”
If you do turn down the new offer, do it tactifully and you’ll have an open door in the future.
/giphy storm out
@DaveInSoCal
There’s a lot to be said for a short commute. More money doesn’t buy you more time. I’d also lean toward working for a private company. If a public Fortune 500 company needs to appease stockholders they will lay off thousands without batting an eye. Private companies are more likely to make decisions based on what’s actually best for the company instead of what’s best for the stock price.
@haflander
The place I know where people are treated the best is privately held. They do have a huge market advantage (exclusive multi-state distribution license on some insanely popular products), but that are also in a number of businesses where they compete without those advantages.
They keep employees for life. They don’t give a shit about what some outside billionaire or stock manipulator thinks about HR costs. They don’t fear greenmail or LBOs or takeovers. Projects don’t get shoved aside or cancelled for no-one-ever-knows-why. Very little Corp politics of the counterproductive variety. No one who works there wants to leave. In biz more than 100 years, in the same family mostly.
This can go bad. Families can start fighting, especially if the books don’t look good. This company is more about consistent excellence and ethical behavior - doesn’t have to fight the innovation madness in that industry.
in your opinion, do both companies feel like they are doing well? Competing, innovating? Are they ethical? Is everyone, esp people at your level or above, watching their own interests because otherwise someone will do them in? What about ppl at the bottom - does either co treat them badly, even tho the higher-ups seem to be treated well? Does either place live on perma-temps? (Not Good). Do they companies offer in-house or outside training? If so, what kind of reputation does it have?
So much to evaluate. But I would ask around with whatever mentors about leaving so soon after arriving, and what that might mean to your rep. Unless you are gonna start your own gig.
Ignore every single thing either co does “like MS” or “like Google” or "like Silicon Valley"nor “like Wall Street” or “like Goldman-Sachs”. Those are nice enough, but just candy after a meal, or marketing, nothing more. Some companies use their yoga and football and music rooms and climbing walls and candy walls and unlimited vacations and “strategic thinking” and “big-name recruits” and sophisticated new-age new-think mission statements and company codes of conduct so conceal and cover the facts that they are horrible places to work and intend to lie, manipulate, corrupt, exploit everyone and are already failures or also-Rams way back in the pack. Thing whether everything you hear might be just like a time-share pitch. And just as good an investment. “Look, we’re like Google/Apple/IBM/GE/other-admired-company”.
Yeah. Until you look behind the curtains. Some are legit. Many good or ok. Many disgusting.
Anything a company says about its products, vision, tech, viability, or solvency is bullshit unless external quality analysts and qualified ex-employees agree.
If you work in any high end financial areas, esp investment banking, that’s as weird as tech. Really do homework.
Diff industries may have diff expectations about how soon you can jump. Can you ask college buddies or ppl in your field who don’t work either place?
Some recruiters are liars and worthless. Others excellent. Others decent and competent. Just like companies.
If either co is in questionable shape, will the stank stay on you if you go there, or stay too long? If the co, or your division or area is a mess, will you be able to demonstrate that you did great work that made a diff anyway? You don’t want ppl to look at you and see less quality, just cause your co’s rep us troubled. That can rub off onto employees.
The bet advice I can give you is money isn’t everything. Unless you are in a situation where you have to move it may not be worth it. You are happy with your boss, co workers, office and the company as a whole-there is a value to your happiness. Only you can decide if it is worth $10k or not.
I can tell you from personal experience a negative work environment is not worth all the money in the world. I would suggest checking glassdoor.com, see what others are saying about your potential employer. Also, if you know someone that works there ask them. Don’t trust the headhunter, they have a financial interest in you accepting the position.
I personally left a company where I had worked 10 years. I left for a badly needed 25%pay raise. It was one of the worst decisions I ever made. The new company was toxic. I lasted 53 weeks and would go home most nights crying. At one point when I couldn’t find another job (bad economy in 2009), I considered quitting and becoming a door greeter at Wal-Mart…it would have been better even though I would be broke.
Either way good luck and I hope you are happy in the end, regardless of the decision you make.
@tinamarie1974 OH NO. I am going to accept an offer of another place for about 30% more compensation. I hope this does not happen me
@connorbush hopefully you will be fine
I literally had a worst case scenario. I wish you wealth and success in your new adventure 
I just went through something extremely similar. Started a new job in April, everything about it is great, then got offered a promotion for $10k/year more in our other office. It would be a longer commute and I do have the benefit of knowing the morale at the other office is pretty bad. I decided to turn it down. $10k/year isn’t worth my happiness.
Read about the company at glassdoor
If that new job turns out to be a bummer you will need to stay there a while anyway as otherwise you will get a reputation of not staying at jobs and that will make you less hirable down the line.
There is something to be said for a pleasant work place where they like you. Also if you can learn more where you are rather than be an “only” that is worth something. If you are an “only” you may be viewed as not easily replaceable (depends too on how hard it is to fill that job and how rare the skill set it) and that can get in the way of promotions at some places.
Figure out what the pay raise will get you after taxes, subtract from that whatever the current wear and tear on your car cents per mile (above and beyond your current commute) is. See how much extra time it will take you to get there and back. Then decide if you will net enough to make it worth it; if the time loss of the longer commute is worth it; if the pros and cons with respect to not only learning on your current job but promotion potential etc. is worth it in the long term… and of course if you need the money (vs just want the money) that may be a deciding factor.
@Kidsandliz
I like your economic eval suggestion.
If it were me - if I take the $10k and then subtract taxes, commute costs, gas, wear-tear, and value-loss for the car, it might be pretty close to a wash even before I value the lost time i spends commuting. The commute time and cost could be somewhat handled by moving, if I’m not tied by home ownership it a lease or whatever. I could move, but uptown Dallas is way pricy. That might make the “raise” into a financial loss even if I gain back the vehicle costs and time costs. And pricy real estate means that much else - esp restaurants and groceries - is pricy too.
As someone who has (fairly) recently passed the half-century mark…
Talk is cheap. If you don’t have trustworthy, fresh, and independent confirmation about the environment at another company and love the place where you are, stay.
Companies used to value loyalty more then they do now. You’re smart to regularly re-evaluate whether your current company properly values your contribution.
Time, both short term (commute) and long term (duration at a company) is perishable. It accelerates as the years go by.
Be happy. But do not chase money, things, and prestige - they’re also perishable. They matter far less than family, relationships, and personal fulfillment. Do what fullfills you and “making a living” will follow.
@RedOak Having turned 47 last week, it sounds like we’ve taken the same life lesson. The teacher was a real bitch.
@cinoclav
Yeah but still Hot For Teacher
Demand a raise. When you don’t get it, stand up, do a slow twirl, and say, “Take a good look while you can. You won’t be seeing this hotness around here much longer.” Then smack your bum and strut out. Then take the other job and get PAID.
@medz That will get you a bad reputation by doing that and you never know when, in the future, that will come back to haunt you because you never know when you will cross paths with that person and anyone they told about how you quit. There is something to be said for quitting gracefully and with class.
@Kidsandliz
@medz I don’t even care whether you’re being serious or sarcastic, because I laughed pretty hard at this.
@haflander Mostly kidding. I just accepted a position where I traded a long-time comfortable job for a new job with no commute and a bit more money. I made my exit more gracefully than described above. I’m a dude, so the imagery of the twirl and butt smack approach is particularly funny to me. I don’t think I would have made the switch if I was going from no commute to commute. $10,000 more is better than I’m getting at the new job, though…
@medz smart ass LOL
I am having a similar issues. $13,000 more offer plus a 401k and company car (my job is mostly driving for 10 hours a day). Unfortunately, I do have to go as I am not happy with my current pay–I wish I did no have to go.
I’d say, if you can stay where you are and have the ability to grow there, do it? The commute costs, time costs, and uncertainty might be worth the difference.
This article analyzes your decision process. http://blog.indeed.com/2016/05/05/fortune-500-top-companies-to-work-for/
Me, I’d stay there, and find out whether any of your predecessors have been headhunted out.
All other things equal, I’d give up 20-25% of my salary to have the 2-3 hours I spend commuting each day back to spend with my family.
@JerseyFrank Wow, that’s a big %. So that’s worth it to you to sacrifice what you would have been able to save for retirement, rainy day, debt repayment, not to mention the higher standard of living?!?
@haflander
Calculate in all of the $ commuting costs and the 1/3 % change in compensation might start to look way smaller.
…
Likely does not apply to you so much at this stage:
If you have a family, the costs of an extended commute include possible actual notable $ costs of putting a bunch of extra duties/work onto the spouse (thus altering the spouse’s career choices and opportunities, and happiness) plus the costs of hiring people to do the things neither you nor the spouse can manage since your jobs/commutes/obligations are so demanding.
Also can include other actual expensive $ and time costs, if your relationship gets into trouble, or your kids have issues that cost money and these probs would have been way less likely if you’d been around more.
…
I have heard repeatedly from personal finance experts: once you get into a permanent relationship, or have children: if you wish to be prosperous, take incredible care of your family relationships. Divorce and/or living in a troubled family are, apart from other ethical, happiness, and character considerations, very expensive $ wise.
And troubled relationships at home can really hurt productivity at work. That stuff can cost people their “edge” esp in demanding environments; and other people at work might decide someone just doesn’t “bring it” anymore.
@haflander I started “going” this morning at 6:00. It’s now 10:19.
6-7:15 - Shit, Shower, Shave, Get Kids Ready for School
7:15-9:00 - Drop Kids Off at School, Commute
9-5 - Work
5-6:15 Commute
6:15-6:35 Warm up leftovers while kids at gymnastics
6:35-9:30 Cub Scout Leader Meeting
9:30-10:00 Drop wife’s car off at mechanic
10-10:19 - Talk to Cub Scout Den Leader about starting meetings again this Friday; send email about a Harvest Moon Hike out to group.
10:19-10:25 - Fart around on Internet.
10:25-11pm - Sexy Time.
Yes, I’d give up 20% of my salary to be done with that list 3 hours earlier. Tomorrow will be a different list of shit, but it will be about the same load. Sometimes it ends at 9. Sometimes 2am.
Speaking of which, I’ve got foreplay to get to…
@JerseyFrank Thanks for the details! I see where you’re coming from. I’m young and single but definitely still value the time I’d get from a short commute. I just got a dog so I can understand all of the time it takes to be a parent.
@haflander as it turns out, I’m an asshole for moving the thermostat down from 79, so I had 10:25-11:00 free.
@JerseyFrank who in god’s name wants it that warm in the house?
@haflander oh, and having a dog? Child’s play. Not even in the same ballpark. Though I do understand, and I’m not offended. Skin is jersey-thick.
@jbartus Well, we normally keep it at 78 in the summer and 65 in the winter. When it bothers us, we move it in the desired direction. 90% of the time, we are ok. But today while I was off in the woods refreshing Scouting skills to teach our son and his peers, 78 was too frosty. When I came home and said, “79!?!? That’s unreasonable! You know what’s reasonable? The upper end of room temperature - 72,” and proceeded to set it to 72, I apparently did something that left me here talking to you.
@JerseyFrank I suppose this is the type of stuff I have to look forward to in married life
Abby (dog that literally just farted) and I are chillin at 77. I usually leave the AC off in Texas when I can tolerate it, about 90% of the time. Sorry something so mundane ruined your sexy time and you’ve been relegated to passing the time with mehmbers!
@JerseyFrank I’m familiar with your predicament. Every day there’s a new definition of asshole behavior, except I’m not told what it is. Most of the time - apparently - I fit the criteria before the end of the day; you know what that means (sad trombone).
@haflander @JerseyFrank You two are killing me. My thermostat is currently set at 68. Granted, we don’t have a basement and the house is built on a slab so upstairs is markedly warmer, hence the downstairs being set so cool. The gf is typically warm all the time so she has no complaints. However, since I installed a wifi thermostat, I do have the option of remotely killing the a/c if she pisses me off. She is clueless how to adjust it.
@cinoclav
I foresee long happiness and contentment.
Oops.
@f00l We’ve had that. Now I only foresee misery and contempt.
@compunaut /image mission accomplished
The commute is a big factor in my mind. Maybe not at 20-something, but if you have or will have a family etc, it makes a big difference in my experience. I went the other way, was working farther away and took a job much closer. I am much happier overall. I also went from one of the largest privately held companies, to a much much smaller privately held company, so it’s not an apples to apples comparison.
If your goal is as you say, to find a company to settle in long term and you are happy, then their is really no reason to leave. You need to understand your potential and ability to move up at your current location. Do they do a lot of promoting from within? Do they only promote up to middle management? Are the higher ups all outside guys?
That will help you understand if taking the 10k more now could cost you even more $ in the future.
However a lot of times, jumping is the best way to get a raise. You establish your new baseline quickly. Sometimes with big companies you are slated to make a certain amount regardless of how good you are. So the only way to get a significant increase is get a promotion or jump ship.
If you’re a good worker and interview well, if you don’t like it after a few years you can find another job pretty easy. Maybe even at your current company at a higher position. Companies value employees that have both inside and outside experience.
The good news is your choice is between taking two jobs at two large, most likely financially stable companies, could have much worse decision to make.
@MrMark Thanks. In my opinion it’s choosing between two good options. (decent $ + good place) vs. ($ + mystery). So that’s why it’s a hard decision. For my last change, it was easy, because the company sucked and the new place offered a much higher $. I definitely feel blessed to have good options and enough $ for the moment, which could turn into more than enough if I choose the new place.
@haflander
Can you explore what expectations others have in your industry and position about how long you should give a new job/company before you consider a move? In some industries, this could be a big deal.
@f00l Has an excellent point. My industry, 6 months is an OK amount of time. My wifes, she would be burned anywhere local.
I’m old
. The choices I would make today would not reflect those of my 20s. You didn’t mention whether you are married or have kids - I’ll assume not. I grew up in the Chicago 'burbs and mostly missed out on the ‘city/downtown’ experiences that my parents had. At your age I’d have preferred living Uptown even if that meant living in a dump (I have some DIY skills) or having roommates. Keep in mind that in many situations, living in the suburbs means the longer commute.
I left my first job (large public defense contractor) after 7 years. The work was fine (even exciting, at times), but in the last 2 merit cycles I’d received poor raises even with exemplary performance reviews. That motivated me to start looking for another job. I was offered a similar position at a similar company, but the pay bump was equivalent to 4-5yr of my past raises; I couldn’t turn it down. That kind of increase isn’t just a bonus; it sets a new salary baseline for the rest of your career.
I’ve stayed at that company for over 20yr. But (and it’s a very big but) I highly doubt that much of today’s (and future) employment will include anything like that kind of ‘long term’ stability. Except for self-employment or starting your own business, I’d guess that the best way to maximize a career is to plan on changing company/job every 7-10yr.
TL;DR: You’re only young once, but don’t waste it either. Good luck on your decision!
That commute would be the deal breaker for me.
If I had a job I liked with no commute, it would take a hell of a lot more than $10k to make me leave.
Don’t forget to check on car insurance costs (assuming you have a car?). The difference between urban and suburban can be astonishing, and there may also be a bump as a result of increased mileage.
I once left a job I really liked to take a job that paid me nearly twice as much after you factored in the bonus. It was one of the worst decisions I ever made. A longer commute, less fun workplace, less fulfilling work. Now I’ll never let money influence my career decisions. Life is too short to spend it chasing dollars – happiness is a much more important factor to consider.
Now I’m self-employed. Some years Ali do pretty well financially, some years I do truly terribly. Despite all the uncertainty and occasional poverty, I’ve never been happier in my professional career.
That’s my two cents (which also happens to be how much money I might make in a bad year).
@rv617 I had a little of the same. Took the high paying / big title job with a 50 mile each way commute. Put 60,000 miles on my car in a year and a half. Left and took a 15% pay cut and went back to my previous employer and love life. Now being asked to consider a role that would put me back at the salary I lost…without the commute.
A few folks hinted at this line of thinking, but I don’t think I saw any threads that covered it completely. When I consider a new role/job, I always think about the position it puts me into for 3-5 years out. Promotions are where the real money is. If you have aspirations to climb the corporate (or even non-corporate) ladder, consider the runway the new role will provide, not just the immediate impact of a salary bump. A few folks commented on thinking about the impacts to your resume of being seen as a ‘job-hopper’. I 100% agree. The job-hopper tag will come when you look for the next company to work for - not this one. I interview/hire a lot and when I see a resume with a lot of different companies, I worry about whether I could keep the person happy and generally push them down the list of candidates. As for me, I’m currently considering my next role. It’s with the same company, so on a resume it can be ‘hidden’. I’ve worked for 3 companies in my career, but have never held a role for more than 22 months (and I’ve been asked to take apply for every new role that I’ve held). The new role however will require me to relocate the family. Taking the move puts me in an incredible spot for the next promotion and a 30%'ish bump. This role however wouldnt be a significant increase. Like you, I’m weighing all of the considerations. I work from home now (zero commute), I’ve lived in TX for 5 years (so far i’ve lived in 12 states and 2 countries so not a huge deal to move), reduction in travel (hopefully from 50%+ to <25%), great role (I enjoy what I am doing today, but will get a really cool role), promotability (likely within 12-18 months) and impact on family (3 daughters - 8th grade, 6th grade and 1st grade). All factors to weigh and not an easy decision. I will say this, when you have fewer factors to consider (no kids, no spouse), I always say chase the role that moves you up the ladder the quickest because later in life you might not be so willing to sacrifice the family needs for a role change. Good luck!
I’d go with the job that has me spending the least amount of time staring my dashboard every day.