Career advice/thoughts

I'd like to get the opinion of the hive on this situation.

My fiance and I have decided that we are going to move back "home" (where both of our parents live) within one year of kids--if everything goes as planned (which it might not!) that means 4-6 years from now, and it will mean that I will have to leave my current company. She is a Dietitian and would have to leave her company as well, but it is not as big of a deal for her career. We live an hour apart currently, and I am going to move in with her in 6 months.

I'm currently working for the biggest and the best in the industry. It is a great company to work for with great benefits. There is a lot of room for advancement, and a lot of different areas that I could move to--really everything is an option other than sales and manufacturing. I do not like my current position, and do not really like my supervisor or manager--nothing really wrong with them, just not my favorite bosses--but FAR from my least favorite.

Now, the problems with the job: for my education and for the position, I am slightly underpaid (in comparison only. Truth be told, the rest of the folks with my education and position are probably slightly overpaid); I don't have the highest confidence that this job will remain in the same geographic location for very long; and when I move move within 6 months that will bring my commute from 8-15 minutes to 45-60 minutes.

I have an interview coming up with another company. This company is in the same industry, but isn't even on my current employer's radar screen as a competitor. I didn't even realize they existed until a little while ago. The company ratings check out in terms of BBB, AM Best, and S&P--not great, but a company I would feel comfortable working for. I applied for the job, and filled out the [required] field for current salary and the [required] fields for desired salary and minimum salary with what I thought were ridiculous numbers, but apparently they did not think the numbers were so ridiculous. What's more, the hiring manager this position is also the manager for the field that I would really like to pursue, if I can cut it.

So the good parts of this job are more money (presumably, otherwise why would they interview me knowing my current salary and my minimum requirement), and a 19-25 minute commute (from my fiance's) depending on traffic and lights, and being in exactly the right spot to move into my "dream job".

The downsides? I'd be moving from a company that every single person on this board has heard of, to one that maybe 3 or 4 do. If the "dream job" doesn't happen, while it wouldn't be crippling to my career, it certainly would have turned out to be a bad career move on my part.

Obviously a lot of unknowns here (such as, will I even get an offer?), but I'd like all of your opinions for this hypothetical situation.

i just had to read the first few lines, the closer you can get to your support system (both families) the better your life will be, my wife and i are very supportive of both of our kids who are in their 20's and the closer they are to us the more we can do for them.......

The wrote: i just had to read the first few lines, the closer you can get to your support system (both families) the better your life will be, my wife and i are very supportive of both of our kids who are in their 20's and the closer they are to us the more we can do for them.......

This would not be closer to the support systems of our families--that is not going to happen for another 4-6 years, if everything goes as planned. As it is, it will be adding another 30-45 minutes from the families, but we can still do a day trip without much warning.

I know where you work and from when I worked there speaking with other people that had worked for numerous other companies in the industry....................I wouldn't do it.

I'd look into going independent. Yes, you will travel frequently, but you'll make deep into the 6 figures for it and can live wherever you want.

sorry my bad, good luck anyway.

Here's what I took away (it may be a bit over simplified):

• your current job has lots of room for advancement, but you're thinking your position there might move to a different location.

• You could make more money at the smaller company.

• the smaller company is closer to where you want to be.

I'd go with the smaller company. I put family before work (as long as I can pay the bills and support our idea of "lifestyle") and if you can make it happen there, then I say go for it.

Besides, if you leave on good terms, (I would explain very politely to your current boss why you're choosing to leave) then nothing says you cant go back to the bigger company if it doesn't work out.

Good luck

I don't know nothing who your employer or your profession. I see from your profile that you are relatively young. I seem to remember you graduated from college in the time you been a forum member here.

Here is the advice from the HR/Compensation guy. For the first 5 years of your career, work wherever you can learn the most no matter where that is in the world. After you have a 5 year track record, then decide where you want to live find the employer that will make that happen for you.

I know plenty of people who work for the same company as you(albeit, most of them are in another branch), and they don't speak nearly as highly of your employer as you. These people have been there 10-years or more, or in one case, was there over 5-years before not being able to take it any more.

Conversely, I work for a company in the same general industry(though in a more specialized segment) who is approximately 1000x smaller than your employer(based on annual revenue), yet we rank highly on job satisfaction and job retention, and there is certainly opportunity for advancement. So I would not attempt to correlate size vs. satisfaction or opportunity.

Do you think you'd have to change industries in order for you to be able to move "home"? If so, you may want to do that while you're young and underpaid, so that you stand a better chance of avoiding a step backwards compensation-wise to move home. Can you share some general details about what you're doing now?

szeis4cookie wrote: Do you think you'd have to change industries in order for you to be able to move "home"? If so, you may want to do that while you're young and underpaid, so that you stand a better chance of avoiding a step backwards compensation-wise to move home. Can you share some general details about what you're doing now?

Home is Chicagoland. So, no, I would not have to change industries, although I am not against it. General information is "business analyst" in the finance industry. Insurance/banking. The dream job, which remains a dream until I actually study for, take, and pass the exams, is an actuary.

I read the 1st two sentences and I have to stop you now.

This exact situation - moving near family when kids are born - is how dreams die. I grew up in this redneck cesspool and all I ever wanted to do was get the hell away from here. I did. Then I got a job where I traveled a lot and the little voice (mrs gps) started saying things like "I wish our parents were closer when you are gone". Unfortunately, I listened. Instead of saying "Take the car (or plane) and go visit" or getting a different job, I moved. It was the same poor decision-making on my part that leads men to sell motorcycles and buy minivans. It was short-sighted. Kids don't need babysitters forever and parents get too old to watch them unless you are around anyway.

Raise your kids somewhere awesome. If you choose well enough - support will come to you.

If your plan is still 4-6 years away, and you know it, then stay at the current job until that time. Otherwise you'll have a bunch of 1-2 year positions by the time your ready for the big move.

I'm in the opposite situation. I've got a few 1-2 years positions, but I'm not ready to settle down yet in the area where I've got my current stable job. I'd like to be out of here within well...1-2 years. It's kind of a bummer too as I really enjoy the job and the people I work with, but I'm ready to move south or west.

2 things:

1) I would agree with GPS in many cases, but Chicagoland is not a redneck cesspool. Moving back there is not the end of your dreams. If it were rural-ohioland or bumberkeley-usa, I would totally agree.

2) Unlike much of the general populous, you know your E36 M3 about saving and that's awesome. Take the better job, pocket as much as you can for the next 4-6 years until you move. 4-6 years given your savings rate is nearly enough to retire.

Just moved my family from 4-5 hours away from my parents by car to 4-5 hours away by plane. Am I insane?

Probably, but being near family never stopped me from trying to provide a better life for my kids. So here is the deal, take the job for more money. Then move to your old company when you go to chicago. Enjoy making a ton more than you did before.

In reply to Giant Purple Snorklewacker:

That's pretty damn good advice.

I'd add to by saying that being 45 minutes away from grandparents would not be close enough to warrant moving someplace I didn't want to live.

My fiance's parents want to become snow birds, and bounce back and forth between Florida and Pittsburgh. If that dream comes to fruition for them, we will actually share property with them, or buy property very close (with 15 minutes) of them in both places.

A lot of you seem to be missing something here, so let me make this clear.

I am from Chicagoland. I live and currently work in central Illinois, 2.5 hours away from home. The job I am interviewing for is another 45 minutes farther from home, but I will be moving there in 6 months anyways.

The only reason I mentioned moving back home in 4-6 years is to show that I will not remain with the company I am currently with for more than 4-6 more years.

I got ya. So you'd be increasing your current drive time for 6 months, until moving closer to the new, better paying job.

I just moved after 1 year at my last rental to decrease my drive by 15-20 minutes, so moving to shave 45 minutes off your commute isn't a big deal. Especially if its an increase in pay and you plan on being there for at least 4 years.

"they" say you should jump jobs every 24 - 36 months for the first 6 - 8 years out of school*, because (1) changing companies gets you a bigger raise than staying inside, and (2) you will learn more than just "job" stuff (ie you'll be exposed to different organization structures, different management styles, etc). GPS, Fueled, and Type Q each offer good advice. Follow the money. Raise your kids somewhere awesome. Learn as much as you can, and establish a track record.

All I have to say is get while the gettin's good. You can't make ludicrous spur of the moment let's berkeleying go decisions once you have kids. If you can get froggy, get somewhere better, and get a sweet gig, do it. I'm STILL kicking myself in the ass for not upending my life several years ago, and now I'm stuck in the middle of the berkeleying tundra because I managed to set our lives up here.

AngryCorvair wrote: GPS, Fueled, and Type Q each offer good advice. Follow the money. Raise your kids somewhere awesome.

Definitely agree! When I graduated from college I looked for the best salary and working conditions I could find. That meant moving 3 hours from home. I had planned on moving back if I could find the right situation but I never did. I have been here since 1966 because I could never find the right work situation back there and now there is no family left there to go back to

Update: Had the interview. It went well, I would be surprised if I do not get either a request for a 2nd interview or an offer. She said that they should have had all the interviews completed by tomorrow, but had to cancel some on Monday and Tuesday due to the weather, so they might not be ready to make a decision until next week.

This is still hypothetical because there is not an offer yet. I think I would really enjoy the job, and it would put me in a good spot with where I want to go with my career in terms of the job itself. Assuming that the offer comes in at what my minimum salary requirement was, I will have a really hard time deciding. It is a good spot in terms of position, but I would be concerned about my prospects after this company as compared to my current company.

If they come in higher than my minimum salary, the decision would be much easier. Or, if there is no offer, that is the easiest decision at all.

I suppose this is not a bad spot to be in, just a difficult one.