Career choices at 50

[fullspizz]

So then,
I am currently employed by one of the worlds largest food companies, but stay away from home due to distance to the workplace.
I love the role and in the 3 years I have been there, the culture has been brilliant. Lots of changes, but still a great place to work. However, I think the opportunities to progress are limited, based upon feedback and observations.
Now, I have been approached by another large multi-national food company and have been offered a position that would mean not having to stay away from home. The position looks great, pay is good, but the interviewer was very coy on career prospects.
I suppose the first question people would ask, is if why you say you are happy in your current role, would you be looking for another? This is a valid point and also part of the issue.
When I took my current role, we both (wife and me) knew what it would entail with staying away from home.
However, my son is now 9 and I have been spending more time away at work due to manager shortages. I can’t fault the salary and money, but this is not everything.
The position I have been offered means that I will be able to be home every day, but it means a 110 mile away commute every shift through heavy traffic. Travel will probably take just over 2 hours per shift.

The package will probably be slightly better than what I am currently on, but I am unsure.

The additional mileage I will be covering every week, plus time spent commuting.
Get a lot of perks where I currently work: company credit card for employee activities. Lots of overtime if I want it.
Holidays are standard.

new role,
Closer to home, but more mileage in general.
Unknown from a culture perspective.

I am still unsure as to what the best option is.
Ocuk do I stick or twist?

 

[Quartz]

but it means a 110 mile away commute every shift through heavy traffic.

110 miles? You must be kidding! If you're going through heavy traffic you're not going to be doing 60 MPH each way, more like 30, so you're looking at 4 hours travel every day. Will you be able to move to somewhere near the new workplace?

 

[morbid42]

I dont think the grass would be greener in this scenario. Be patient and something will turn up. With all the travel youll have no energy to use that extra time to spend productively with family, and long term thatll be worse than not being present

 

[Uther]

110 miles, no chance. At 50 I would be winding down big time anyway, you'll never get that time back with your family.
I'm 54 and work 3 days a week in a menial job 10 minutes from home, suits me just fine. I'm finished with the 60 hour weeks and job responsibility for this lifetime.

 

[peige]

Thats a crazy amount of miles to do every week, you will be shattered and the time at home every evening spent doing nothing more than getting over the last day.

I do 70 total a day and by the end of the week i'm shattered on a 1 1/2hrs a day in a car. Thats the max I can imagine doing and I'd be happier if it was less!

Wait for better.

 

[HoneyBadger]

As someone who currently has a 4-6 hour daily commute (2-3 hours each way) I’d say don’t do it. It’s not worth it and whilst you would be at home every day, you will have to get up early and arrive home late (and exhausted)

Unless you can secure some working from home days, if the role permits it, then I would respectfully decline.

 

[Energize]

Tesco vs Asda, how long is a piece of string?

 

[rubberduck]

Any chance of you working from home 2 days a week in the new job? If I was you new potential employer no way would I want a member of my staff doing such a long commute 5 times a week.

 

[fullspizz]

Bit of an update on this as I don't think I was very clear in the opening post.
The commute is 47 miles each way, as I found a shorter route when I went for the second interview.
The interview went exceptionally well from my perspective and feedback before I left on the day was very good.
They are just waiting for the HR person to be back in the office this week coming and then will get back in touch with me.

The job is a days based role, I currently work 4 on 4 off days and nights. The package is pretty similar to what I om currently on, but no shift work.
I have asked about the possibility of working from home 1 day a week. My son would be over the moon if Dad was home every night, as we currently facetime when I am between shifts in my digs.

I used to work for JLR and commuted 100 miles a day for 2.5 years. I didn't mind the commute so much, but when you are working almost every weekend as well as shifts Mon-Fri, it got too much so I left.
Part of me is inquisitive about the role and the company, the other part of me is thinking about my current role and how I can try to progress. I am almost 50, so opportunities will become more limited as I get older.

 

[RandomMonkeH]

My 2 pence.

I used to do about 500miles a day contracting. I now do an 22 round trip commute - and tbh that is too far when the traffic is bad. I couldn't do it now - I've found tolerance for all that BS decreases exponentially with age...
If you enjoy the work and want to push your career that is great, it sounds like this will still give you a fresh change together with the opportunity of more family time. Win. Win.

But also consider just how much time you want to spend at work - there is more to life, time goes quickly and none of us know exactly how much we have.
I'm not 50 yet, but I've already started seriously reassessing just how much of my life I want to spend for other peoples benefit.

If it is not shift work and you are salaried on a 9-5, ensure you don't get caught up in the unpaid overtime trap. Set your times and stick to them.
At one point it built up so I was doing 1500+ extra hours a year unpaid, it was never appreciated or remunerated and ultimately had no effect on career progression - and once the precedent was set, it was expected and very difficult to change.
Seems obvious in hindsight, but difficult to acknowledge at them time when you transition from a fixed hours/shifts and want to make a good impression in a new role.

 

[AHarvey]

25 mile each way commute. it's 30 mins when I'm on shift, 45-90, when it's normal office hours and that, kills me. 110 miles in heavy traffic, unless I'm on a motorbike then it'd be a no from me, and even then, 110 miles on a motorbike in bad weather, no thanks.

I'd move if the job was better.

If you want to know more about the culture, look at https://www.glassdoor.co.uk/Reviews/index.htm

 

[Deleted member 66701]

Career choices at 50? Surely you should easing off and counting down to retirement at 50?

 

[sideways14a]

I would never commute that far, heck nowt more than 10miles is my limit as ... well you dont get that time back spent in traffic when you snuff it...
Just wasted time making you unhappy.

 

[Martynt74]

Surely there must be opportunities closer to home?

If your son is 9, then i'd have thought that by the time you finish work at 5ish? and then drive home, even 47 miles is likely to be around 90 minutes and quite tiring.
You're then getting less quality time with him because you'll be tired by the time you get in, and then by the time you have tea etc it won't be far off bedtime.

If this is the first interview you've been on, i'd be looking at what other jobs are available that act as a decent compromise.