Need some guidance, heads a mess

Steveocee

Steveocee

Steveocee

Soldato
Joined
5 Nov 2011
Posts
5,529
Location
Derbyshire
Hi all,

I have a conundrum;

Current situation:
In a job, it pays OK, I have not a lot to do day to day and it's driving me up the wall! I live 600 metres from the place and the out of hours on call work isn't too bad although can be annoying and the customer base can sometimes be extremely difficult.

Option 1:
Have found new job at a place which will utilise my current niche skill set to it's fullest, they guarantee I'll be busy and on paper it would be a "dream" job from where I am. the problem is that it is an hour away on a good day. the company have already offered vehicle and fuel to compensate my travel though. 25% increase in pay as well as certification in the courses I've showed interest in.

Option 2:
Current place don't want me to leave, have said they will try to make me busier. Are not offering any more money however there "could" be possibility in 6-12 months time. It's round the corner though so no commute.

Bottom Line:
Apologies for blandness. It comes down to the question really of is an hour commuting a nightmare? I don't know, the motorway isn't great and I've seen google maps estimating between 50 minutes and 1hr 20 minutes so far.
Do I gamble on my current place and the possibility of things getting better in the future or could it be a tactic to get me to stay with nothing behind it?
 
Do you have family / children? Time spent with them is priceless. If the new place is an hour away on a good day then what's it like on a bad day? What is the cost of moving?

You don't give figures, but you need to do your sums carefully.
 
What sort of hours is the new job? Any flexibility, or being able to work from home occasionally?

An hours commute isn't too horrendous, but really depends on whether that's actually moving or stuck in traffic most of the time. If work is flexible with your hours, you could always aim to start early/later to avoid driving in peak rush hour.

Is there a train? Sometimes kicking back on a train for an hour can be quite a nice way to wind down at the end of the day.
 
I hate my 1hr+ commute and would like to work closer to home . If you enjoy the job this may not be an issue but you will lose quite a bit of free time in the new job.

Can you generate any new business yourself that you can do in the quiet time at work?
Maybe justify a pay raise that way?

Definitely make sure you stay on good terms with your current employer if you do move on.

Difficult decision, good luck
 
I have a wife and 4 children.
It’s an hour on a good day with primarily motorway speed traffic.

Moving will be difficult as we need a big house and the one we have won’t sell for a lot due to area.

Flexible working has been offered, hour either way of a 9-5.

There is no train option.

At my current place my most recent project and product from it has diversified business and generated a huge profit in a short time.
I am crying out to get 2 certifications through so we can push further so we have accreditation in the field we are in rather than relying on the “raw” push.
 
Don't forget that a company car may be taxable. Moving from 8.5 hours a day (including lunch) away from home to perhaps an 11.5 hours is going to be very difficult for your family.
 
Quartz said:
Don't forget that a company car may be taxable. Moving from 8.5 hours a day (including lunch) away from home to perhaps an 11.5 hours is going to be very difficult for your family.
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I was in a similar place 3 years ago. Good job, good money but a bitch of a commute. Was leaving before my little one was awake and getting home at bed time best case, often after. I moved to a lower paid job locally and it was probably the best decision I have ever made. My pay is now roughly what it was but there's no such thing as bonuses at the new place, but we only spent those on frivolous things anyway :p

Quality of life cannot be quantified imo
 
Steveocee said:
"could" be possibility in 6-12 months time.
Click to expand...

Walk.

Ignoring the fine details (tax etc), basically your new place is offering you 25% pay bump, certifications, which I assume are not cheap if its a niche area of work, a 10k upfront bonus (car) and a more engaging level of work.

Unless you current place is struggling, they would match the 25% bump if they were serious in retaining you at a minimum. If they are struggling, then id be looking to move anyway.

However, an hours commute either direction while it doesnt sound too bad, can quickly be a 3 hour commute if theres an issue on the motorway.
 
1, if only for the use of your skills. Yes, a long commute is a pain, but worth it for a better job. It seems to me that you already know this is the write choice, but like most people you are still reluctant to leave the devil you know.
 
Could you perhaps take on no1 for 2-3 years then use the seniority, experience and certifications to look for something closer to home/WFH contract?
 
Truth is I’m so torn. It is a bit of better the devil you know to a degree but I don’t know how or if I will cope with the travel times.

The vehicle from the new place will be commercial so tax will be around £60 per month so I won’t be worse off for the increase (I also have similar now).

I was thinking a couple of years in the new place and then look to move closer home.

When I started speaking to “new” place I originally approached and asked about WFH but it quickly escalated to a centrally based position due (hopefully) to what I can bring with my skill set.
 
I used to work 1hr+ away from home then got a promotion and I'm about 7-15mins away from home now and the difference is like night and day. Save so much time travelling, which has made me a lot happier.

Saying that I'm waiting for another promotion within the next 6 months which will get my commute back up to 45mins or so but it's for a 25% salary increase so I think it's worth it as much as I love my current setup.
 
Steveocee said:
When I started speaking to “new” place I originally approached and asked about WFH but it quickly escalated to a centrally based position due (hopefully) to what I can bring with my skill set.
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Negotiate. Ask if you can WFH Monday and Friday to cut down on the commuting.
 
I am a strong advocate against commuting and having a good quality of life balance with work, but even I am finding it hard to vote against you choosing option 1 here.
 
So if you decide to stay they're going to increase your workload and not pay you anymore for doing so? I realise its convenient but I have no idea why this is even a question for you.
 
Rids said:
So if you decide to stay they're going to increase your workload and not pay you anymore for doing so? I realise its convenient but I have no idea why this is even a question for you.
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This - who wants to have more work, with no increase in pay, and possiblly more money in the future (read no changes at all)
 
Option 1 seems a no brainer.

Option 2 is the less career orientated option but more time.

Could think about it how are each roles going to position you in 5 years time? An idea of pay may help identify new take home vs cost.
 
Option 1 seems better however if your bothered about the commute cant you maybe arrange to take a couple of days leave and then do the commute for yourself when you would do it and see what it is like. maybe that will help you.
 
1. Advances your career/skills and eventually you may be able to move to somewhere closer to home doing the same role with the experience gained. 2 hours a day travelling for years on end would do me in but for a couple of years if it puts you in a better position is a no brainer.
 
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