Job advice from the hive

So I'm currently working for a non profit who was the first to give me the opportunity to get back on my feet and the opportunity to probe myself once I started to mend. They do a lot of good in the world, I support their efforts and cause (enough that I'd volunteer for them at least once a month if I were to leave) and there isn't too much interoffice politics. It's about 50 minutes from home which makes transportation an issue at times and I have to work weekends.

I have an offer that's 4 blocks from home, for the same money. But it's operations level dealership related crap that I never wanted to get back into when I left it over a decade ago. There's no weekends, and I'd have nearly 10 more hours a week. But being in dealer related operations, there's no advancement, and my current schedule allows me to quietly interview on days off during the week and schedule my followup appointments during my days off as well. The downside is little wrenching with friends gets done, and there's no chance to rallycross or to attend them as a volunteer or to shoot video or photos.

So what does the hive suggest?

Current job sounds pretty good but an hour commute is just soul crushing. New opportunity sounds less than ideal but proximity is just so nice. I'd be strongly tempted to take new job keeping in mind that it is just a job and not get too invested in office politics/stresses/drama/etc. You have skills and can always keep your ear to the ground for the next opportunity.

TLDR: life is too short to spend commuting

I’ve been having a lot of these conversations with my dad recently.

The advice that he has that is relevant to this: You don’t make a move that doesn’t do at least one of two things: Give you more responsibility, OR Give you better opportunity for advancement.

This can come in different ways. Perhaps the better opportunity for advancement isn’t within the current company/position, but it will provide a springboard for other opportunities. Perhaps the responsibility aspect actually means less work, but something that you can actually own. But ask yourself, does it advance your career in any way? If not, why would you be taking it?

From what you’ve laid out here, the only real benefit is more wrenching time and closer to home. Is that worth it for the long run? I think your current position sounds like the better springboard for your future.

KyAllroad wrote: Current job sounds pretty good but an hour commute is just soul crushing. New opportunity sounds less than ideal but proximity is just so nice. I'd be strongly tempted to take new job keeping in mind that it is just a job and not get too invested in office politics/stresses/drama/etc. You have skills and can always keep your ear to the ground for the next opportunity. TLDR: life is too short to spend commuting

Yes, but he is already looking for other work. How long with the new place until he's looking for work again?

Jumping from the frying pan into the fire isn't beneficial to a career.

captdownshift wrote: So I'm currently working for a non profit who was the first to give me the opportunity... to probe myself

What mtn said. The current place sounds like something to move on from, but it sounds like a much better place to move on from than the other gig, and it sounds like moving on would be a desire immediately upon landing there... It's got no weekends and no commute as bonuses (solid ones), but everything else sounds like a red flag.

Surely there are or will be opportunities to upgrade without moving into something that'll immediately remind you why you left.

captdownshift wrote: I have an offer that's 4 blocks from home, for the same money...There's no weekends, and I'd have nearly 10 more hours a week...

This sounds like you're presently working 25-30 hours/week, and the new gig would be f/t or close to it, but with the same hourly pay? If so that sounds like about a 25% increase in income - how important is that to you and your household?

Conversely, if you'd have almost no commute, but 10-more hours/per week, that sounds like approximately the same amount of time out of the house, except for the "no weekends" part. But would they eventually want you to start working Saturdays at the new gig?

In reply to Duke:

It's a cause near and dear to my heart

mtn wrote: The advice that he has that is relevant to this: You don’t make a move that doesn’t do at least one of two things: Give you more responsibility, OR Give you better opportunity for advancement.

At the risk of derailing this thread, I disagree with this strongly. There needs to be a 3rd choice which is: happiness. The first 2 options are great for career focused individuals. Most of us are.

But there are certainly people who place value elsewhere. And for many of us that will change over time as well. Flexibility, work environment, friendships, physical strain, commute, etc. I don't know if the OP is like this, but given past health issues, I can certainly see some of that coming into play one way or another.

If I had offer on the table with a 1 hour commute, it would need to be one hell of a great offer to offset that commute.

All that said, it sounds like in many cases the switch is a wash for the OP so might as well stick it out and keep looking while holding his current job.

ProDarwin wrote:

mtn wrote: The advice that he has that is relevant to this: You don’t make a move that doesn’t do at least one of two things: Give you more responsibility, OR Give you better opportunity for advancement.

At the risk of derailing this thread, I disagree with this strongly. There needs to be a 3rd choice which is: happiness. The first 2 options are great for career focused individuals. Most of us are. But there are certainly people who place value elsewhere. And for many of us that will change over time as well. Flexibility, work environment, friendships, physical strain, *commute*, etc. I don't know if the OP is like this, but given past health issues, I can certainly see some of that coming into play one way or another. If I had offer on the table with a 1 hour commute, it would need to be *one hell of a great offer* to offset that commute. All that said, it sounds like in many cases the switch is a wash for the OP so might as well stick it out and keep looking while holding his current job.

Hey, the advancement could be personal advancement. And in the next part of my comment, I had the following:
"But ask yourself, does it advance your career in any way? If not, why would you be taking it?"

The answer to the question "why would you be taking it" (assuming it isn't advancing the career) could be it makes me happier. If that is the case, wonderful. I don't think it is the case (other htan the commute), and it sounds like despite the short term mood boost it will not be a long term solution.

It can be difficult to know if a new job will give you happiness until one gets into it. I've certainly been fooled.

In reply to captdownshift:

With all the E36 M3 you've been through, do what makes you happy. berkeley the hive.

It sounds like the current gig is about perfect apart from the commute. This new possible opportunity sounds like the only good points are the commute and schedule (for now). If the current environment is a good one apart from the drive, I'd say stay there until something genuinely good presents itself, rather than just something close to home.

Full disclosure: due to soul-sucking politics and drama dragging me down into the abyss, I'm considering doubling my commute right now.

+1 to what AngryCorvair says!!

AngryCorvair wrote: In reply to captdownshift: With all the E36 M3 you've been through, do what makes you happy. berkeley the hive.

This.

Driving sucks. Working weekends sucks.

But ProDarwin said, sometimes there is more than just a paycheck or a commute that keeps us at a job.

My wife gets paid well, has great flexibility and works for a good organization. She's consistently moving up the chain, which is good too. Thing is, she has absolutely no interest in what she does. She'd prefer to be back in the world of refugee resettlement and humanitarian work, but that's a bad place to be right now.

So the lack of interest is offset by the lack of stress.

You may find that the job that's only 4 blocks away still comes with more than 2hrs worth of stress.

I'm pretty new here so I don't know the back story and I'm not sure I qualify as a member of the hive but I'm going to weigh in anyway. I hope you don't mind.

You obviously need to be responsible but for me job satisfaction and a sense of doing something worthwhile are the most important things when evaluating a job. I spent five years making really good money at a job that I hated and when I started doing something else for significantly less money life was so much better. My wife, who is much more type A than I had a similar experience.

If I were doing something I like, with value, working with people I like I wouldn't give that up for a shorter commute and more time off. Besides, jobs where you can probe yourself are really hard to come by.

In reply to petegossett:

Both gigs are full time, 40hr a week. Current one basically every weekend day (ugh) unless I put in to have off, which so far they've been good about request. Other than compensation, commute and weekends there isn't much to complain about as long as my body holds up. There are some physical aspects that I'm questionable regarding long term ability due to various repairs. There's also a clear line of advancement and tangible performance measures.

The other offer has a manager who's a box of tools, features the typical beat down dealership network lifers and advancement isn't clear cut would possibly end up dealing with insurance adjusters on a regular basis. Which, along with anything in dealer operations, has zero interest to me. The lack of weekends and distance, and the fact that I'd have roughly $200 additional in my pocket in toll and gas savings, are the only reasons it's being considered.

All that being said, I'd say it's only a 5% consideration at this point. If it was a accounting position within the dealer's corporate office, I'd be there, but on site administrative duties, not so much. The current gig also offers much better healthcare should my wife choose to move on from her employer once she completes her certificate program.

In reply to XLR99:

You did a pretty good job of nailing the current and likely future if I were to accept the offer.

In reply to captdownshift:

How much of the work do have to be physically present for in your current gig? Can you work from home a couple of days per week? I had a gig that I really liked that where the office was 50 miles away. I took full advantage of the "work from home" technology and only had to drive 3 days per week.

Keep the non-profit job.

You like driving so the drive isn't an issue.

You hated what you did.

Why leave something you love to go back to something you hate? Unless the Hour 30 minutes in driving difference a day is killing, stay.

Keep looking.

I would hate to work for a "box of tools" even if I could walk to work.