Tough job decision

[Hudson_Hawk]

So my former boss just called me with some news. He just took a new position for a company and he''s looking to staff-up his new department. He wanted to know if I was interested or if I knew anyone who might be interested in going with him to the new firm. The position would be a promotion and would probably bring a 10-20k raise with it. My question is this. Is 10-20k more a year worth an additional hour commute each way? I can work from home 2 days a week so that would help. I want to take him up on the offer but I already commute an hour each way, sometimes more depending on traffic....decisions decisions...

 

[decodelighted]

Hummm ... tough call.

I tried to do the math ... 3 days a week x 2 hr/day x 50 weeks a year = 300 hours extra commuting
At 10K raise it's $33/hr ... at 20K raise it's $66/hr

How much is your time worth?
Are you happy where you are?
Would a new company be riskier?
What are the other benefits etc?

Doesn't sound worth it to *me* on the surface ... but maybe the #s will help?


ETA: those were pre-tax dollars too BTW ... figuring in taxes & extra commuting expenses (gas/tolls/further train pass etc) ...

 

[Skippy123]

I don''t think it sounds worth it. Just my 2 cents. I work all over the state and some place tried to get me to go work for them which meant an hour commute each way. I just remember the freeway has so many issues and it is so stressful. I would think long and hard about it. I would try the drive on a work day (take the day off and try it). It sounds to me that you are doing the right thing by thinking about it. Lots of people leap without thinking.

 

[Mara]

deco brings up some great points..i would consider all of that.

for me also, what is the working environment like at one company vs the other? did you absolutely love working for your old boss? if so, i'd weight that pretty heavily. what is your current boss and situation like? growth path in current position?

if you are already commuting 1 hour each way, it would double your commute. but working from home 2 days a week is a huge perk. can you bump that to 3 days OR modify your hours to where you are not heading in and heading home at commute times? aka maybe a 10:30am to 7pm schedule those 3 days you commute in? if that helps, and they really want you, you might be able to negotiate it.

i would definitely strongly consider it (and try to get more like $20k more rather than $10k, big difference) from a long-term perspective, working for the new boss perspective, career path perspective etc. is this a key promotion for your resume? that weighs a lot for me personally...i took an iffy job previously and put up with a seriously crappy boss for 6 months to get the title bump i wanted and some additional new experience for my resume to make me a bit more well-rounded, which then landed me in a great position right now where i am at, with another company.

so think about it long-term too. good luck!!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Well it''s a leap from one part of publishing to another. I would also be in a management role. I really did enjoy working for my previous boss and I''m not particularly happy with my current position (I''ve been on the look-out for awhile). I know what my choice needs to be--turn it down--but I''m frustrated because i JUST (like 2 months ago) moved out of the area that the new job is in. The BF can''t move as that would mean selling his house. I think you''re right. 1-20k isn''t worth 4 hours of my day.

 

[zoebartlett]

Could you try talking to your former boss and tell him your thoughts -- the promotion would be great but the money isn''t where you need it to be to leave your current job? My boyfriend did that when he was offered another job and his boss ended up giving him a pretty nice raise to keep him.

What kinds of things would you be responsible for? You mentioned managing others in the department, right? What else? If it''s a job that would give you a big bump in terms of your role within the firm (long term), it might be worth considering more before turning it down. In my opinion, it would be iffy if it was a $10K raise, but $20K is definitely much better.

I''d try to get more details before saying no.

 

[neatfreak]

Date: 4/30/2007 6:20:16 PM
Author: zoebartlett
Could you try talking to your former boss and tell him your thoughts -- the promotion would be great but the money isn''t where you need it to be to leave your current job? My boyfriend did that when he was offered another job and his boss ended up giving him a pretty nice raise to keep him.


What kinds of things would you be responsible for? You mentioned managing others in the department, right? What else? If it''s a job that would give you a big bump in terms of your role within the firm (long term), it might be worth considering more before turning it down. In my opinion, it would be iffy if it was a $10K raise, but $20K is definitely much better.


I''d try to get more details before saying no.

Agreed. Is there a chance you guys could move back in a few years? Or is your BF set where he is? Short term extra commute vs. long term would be a big consideration for me.

At least think about it for a few days, I really like Skippy''s idea of taking a day off and trying the commuting.

Also, is it an extra hour each way or total? If it''s an extra hour TOTAL that''s not a big deal, but an extra hour each way would be harder to justify for me...

 

[Mara]

I agree, I actually don''t think you just flat out need to turn it down. It sounds like a potential great opportunity from what you have written. To me the only downer is the commute time?

Your boss obviously wants you on his team. Try to make this work to your advantage. A promotion and a potential $20kish addition to your pocket is nothing to sneeze at, esp if you are trying to build your career and don''t like your current position.

Try to see if you can get 3 days at home. That basically negates the change in commute then. Or see if you can modify your work hours. Are either of these things you asked about? You can always get online at 9am at home and work for 1.5 hours then come into the office and work from there, leave early and work from home or similar.

If employers want you, many times they will give you what you want or close to it, but you HAVE to ask.

If you are thinking of just turning it down because it''s not what you want, then just ask for what you want. If they say no, then you still turn it down right? What do you have to lose?