Work decisions

Matthewfalle

Option a: go for new job But means that you end up working in a trade you really don't want to be in but have more kudos, better pay, better add one, less shyyyt but more paperwork

Or

Option b: stay where you are doing a job you love with no hassles but less pay, prospects, add on joy, less paperwork.

Discuss.

lostboysaint

Whichever gives you the best work:life balance, so it sounds like option B.

ballysmate

No right or wrong answer, it depends on your own outlook and philosophy.
I've heard it said that there is always time to make more money, but no amount of money can make more time.
There is an equilibrium and everyone has to decide where the balance is for them.

prhymeate

Personally, if the money from B still provided enough that I felt I could live comfortably with then I'd definitely choose B.

tim_wand

Prhymeate wrote:

Personally, if the money from B still provided enough that I felt I could live comfortably with then I'd definitely choose B.

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^ You spend more than half your day and half of the days of your life at work, Money is nice but its no substitute for well being and Happiness, Nothing is more depressing than having to drag yourself into work everyday to a job you don't like.

Matthewfalle

Cool - thank you: exactly what I was thinking.

Now to break the news.....

veronese68

Sounds like you've made the right decision.
I quit a job that was more prestigious with better money because the company were a bunch of shiysters. Now back at the company I used to work for before that. Less pay but whilst frustrating at times far less stressful, nearer to home and shorter hours. They re-employed me whilst I was having chemo and supported me through that. They are now letting me work from home so I can look after my daughter. When it gets busy next month I can work flexi time. Oh, and the FD paid for the curry Tuesday night. I can't see me ever leaving which is a bit scary.

Matthewfalle

Veronese68 wrote:

Sounds like you've made the right decision.
I quit a job that was more prestigious with better money because the company were a bunch of shiysters. Now back at the company I used to work for before that. Less pay but whilst frustrating at times far less stressful, nearer to home and shorter hours. They re-employed me whilst I was having chemo and supported me through that. They are now letting me work from home so I can look after my daughter. When it gets busy next month I can work flexi time. Oh, and the FD paid for the curry Tuesday night. I can't see me ever leaving which is a bit scary.

Sounds like you've fallen on your feet - good work.

I was very excited when work said what their plans were but now I'm very nonplussed, which ties in with what you guys are saying.

Maintain the status quo methinks and carry on enjoying it (as you've guessed before, I'm on a pretty cushy number) rather than have to go back to a trade I've done before that a) I don't like and b) I'm bored with.

And who said Bracketeers don't know what we're talking about

Flâneur

B if you don't need/want the money or care for the promotions. Just be careful with future blocks because you wanted this.

I left a certain jewish bank because I realized I didn't have a life, never saw my friends, drank with people I didn't like, Gf's really did become dates. At times I miss the the money, but then I go actually I still have it pretty good. My bosses don't get how I work the hours I do without throwing a hissy fit. lovely state sector lol

keef66

last year I made the mistake of applying for a job at work just because it came up. They gave me the job, more hassle, responsibility, stress, but no more money. I never really got the hang of it and it was pushing me towards a breakdown of some kind. Fortunately managed to convince my boss how serious things were, and they've managed to manouvre me back into a position I can manage, while a keen, young, able and ambitious chap is being trained to do the job I couldn't.

Narrow escape I think...

chris_bass

I'm going to say A but only because everyone else is saying B!

having said that tell the people responsible for B that you are thinking about A and maybe they'll give you extra money to stay, win win!!

Matthewfalle

Chris Bass wrote:

I'm going to say A but only because everyone else is saying B!

having said that tell the people responsible for B that you are thinking about A and maybe they'll give you extra money to stay, win win!!

I like your style! Unfortunately in my current employment pay scales are rigidly fixed to next of bugger all, so no negotiations at all. I may be able to get on some fun courses that masquerade as work, but that's about it.

kajjal

I chose A as for me it gave better job security and fitted in well with the direction the industry was heading in. Luckily it had minimal impact on work / life balance. Just be a little careful repeatedly turning down opportunities as eventually people stop asking.

In the end its what works best for ypu

Matthewfalle

Flâneur wrote:

B if you don't need/want the money or care for the promotions. Just be careful with future blocks because you wanted this.l

This is exactly what I am cautious of but given that I really only a couple of years left before what remains of my puny body falls apart half of me isn't really bothered.

May just hide in a cupboard for the next 5 years and hope it all goes away....

tlw1

Go for a and treat yourself to a new bike to compensate for the increased grief whilst you train them to your work standards

Stevo_666

The only negative in your description of option a is that it's in a trade you don't want to be in. What's the problem with this trade?

Matthewfalle

It would mean going back to being a combat engineer,,Royal Engineers - job I did for a number of years previously and only did it because I was talked into it by recruiting dude.

It's dull, boring, doesn't stretch me mentally at all, I've essentially done everything this particular unit does before so there's nothing new for me to do/learn, Although the guys are a laugh it's not exactly cerebral, I can't see the point in me doing it (although it is actually ridiculously useful as nothing can function without the engineers) and TDLO isn't an engineer, so we'd nev work together again, sniff, sniff.

I'm also ridiculously proud of my current trade and cap badge.

Did I mention that I would never get to work with TDLO so it's a big no - no?

slowmart

Life is to short to fill your soul and day with stuff you don't like.

Follow happiness and everything drops into place.

Matthewfalle

Slowmart hits the nail on the head!

tangled_metal

I'm in a job I no longer like but is secure and fits well with family life. I'll be here for a bit I think. Still I'll be on a really good training course soon so it'll get really interesting. Then a few years before I can leave for a better paid job with the shiny new qualification.

It's a gamble making career decisions. You have to make them and live with the consequences. I've tended to avoid them but that's left me in a rut that's comfortable but without challenge. The one thing I'm not happy about is that I'm not learning. I believe in lifelong learning. I'm just not doing this hence I'm either going to do this training at my current company or I guess I'll have to move on. However my career has, like the OP is leaning towards, been about staying in my comfort zone rather than move for a challenge. A job which gives me a private life not mostly about work. It is rare that I bring work home with me, as mental baggage (stress) or actual work.

mr_goo

Option B Sir.
I've been chatting to a director of a firm who was interested in recruiting someone with my background in construction sales. No indication of salary until they had interviewed other candidates. Job was 4x work load I currently do. Less holiday. More hours. They also wanted, daily reporting back to office (micro management...No Thank You).
I am sure that the pay would have been much much more than I am on. But to trade money for time with your family/friends? It's a non starter.

tim_wand

Matthewfalle wrote:

It would mean going back to being a combat engineer,,Royal Engineers - job I did for a number of years previously and only did it because I was talked into it by recruiting dude.

It's dull, boring, doesn't stretch me mentally at all, I've essentially done everything this particular unit does before so there's nothing new for me to do/learn, Although the guys are a laugh it's not exactly cerebral, I can't see the point in me doing it (although it is actually ridiculously useful as nothing can function without the engineers) and TDLO isn't an engineer, so we'd nev work together again, sniff, sniff.

I'm also ridiculously proud of my current trade and cap badge.

Did I mention that I would never get to work with TDLO so it's a big no - no?

I was a R.T.G ( Radio Telegraphist ) and the on set of Ptarmigan ( God that dates it ) meant the death of long range H.F communications and particularly C.W. I was offered promotion through Yeoman of Signals Course if I transferred trade to being a Data Op ( Hand Bag ). I turned this down because I couldn't stick the Trade! Funnily enough I always wanted to be a combat engineer and the Recruiting office talked me into being a Electronic Warefare Operator to begin with ( I scored high on the Recruitment centre tests / Purple book trades). In the end I took a training role with the Infantry. all blokes I know who took the Yeomans course promOted to W02 and then became Data Ops ended up leaving/ one even committed suicide.

Stevo_666

Matthewfalle wrote:

It would mean going back to being a combat engineer,,Royal Engineers - job I did for a number of years previously and only did it because I was talked into it by recruiting dude.

It's dull, boring, doesn't stretch me mentally at all, I've essentially done everything this particular unit does before so there's nothing new for me to do/learn, Although the guys are a laugh it's not exactly cerebral, I can't see the point in me doing it (although it is actually ridiculously useful as nothing can function without the engineers) and TDLO isn't an engineer, so we'd nev work together again, sniff, sniff.

I'm also ridiculously proud of my current trade and cap badge.

Did I mention that I would never get to work with TDLO so it's a big no - no?

What/who is TDLO?

Fair point if you don't like a job don't do it as you spend a lot of time doing a job. That said all the stuff about stress and hours I find is often not what people make out - as in the higher you climb the proverbial greasy pole, the more you can control your own hours and the more you can delegate the crap. Shyte trickles downwards and credit trickles upwards as they say and the biggest causes of stress are work overload and not being in control of what's going on - both of which are usually more controllable the higher you go.

Also as you get older, if you are in a position to make the decisions about who gets cut/fired/etc that is a good situation to be in.

So perversely the better I do the less stressed I get. Win win.

pinno

Option C: Something completely different. Be your own boss. Set up a your own consultancy business... become a PT?

Stevo_666

Pinno wrote:

become a PT?

Depends what PT stands for. One interpretation is more female oriented.

pinno

Stevo 666 wrote:

Pinno wrote:

become a PT?

Depends what PT stands for. One interpretation is more female oriented.

I might have guessed you would mention 'a little agricultural problem'.

Personal Trainer.

Stevo_666

Pinno wrote:

Stevo 666 wrote:

Pinno wrote:

become a PT?

Depends what PT stands for. One interpretation is more female oriented.

I might have guessed you would mention 'a little agricultural problem'.

Personal Trainer.

Depends if he likes being a bit skint I guess.

pinno

All he needs is a celeb.

Matthewfalle

Thank you very much everyone - this mornings reading ("drilling shins to save skins" - catchy title, eh) has completely confirmed that I ain't moving for nobody, ever, innit.

Piano - I'm very much liking your logic though

Again - thanks to all.

joelsim

Tough choice. I made it 3 years ago, totally fed up with being a 9-5 er (more like 9-8 er).

It's been very very difficult financially especially as I'm split up so have 2 lots of kid maintenance plus a London mortgage on my own, got into plenty of debt (£20k plus at one point). But things are starting to work out better financially now thankfully.

Working for myself is so much more rewarding, yes it is far less money, but I don't ever get that Sunday night dread any more. And I get afternoons to watch racing.

No brainer.

pinno

It doesn't matter what you do for a living - you have to have a work/life balance. I took a different route to achieve just that and although I have suffered a financial penalty, I wouldn't go back to a standard work routine.