Life decision time...

Ghostman

Ghostman

Ambassador of the SuperNatural
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Over the past couple of years my feelings for my current employer has been slowly sliding. I haven't really bitched about it too much because I do very little work since I'm working from home and the design tasks I get are very simple. I get paid for the full 40 but it's simple work.

A recruiter reached out to me on Linkedin and usually I just ignore them, but this guy was different. He hit me with a "i'm different" and I hit him back with, "show me. Show me the salaries you represent before you waste my time."

He delivered. I got my offer today and now it's time to make a decision. I'm pretty torn on it to be honest. I have to sit down and really think about the advantages of leaving vs. staying. Some of them are kind of petty, like my current job, I have my own private office when we are working from there, my new place will be a desk in a 'bull-pen' type environment. My current job is a mile down the road, whereas the new place will be a :45-1hr commute each way when I have to go in. Current employer I can work from home as much as I want, but the new place will be more in-office with at least 2-3 days a week.

So what's the advantage of the new place? A 33% pay bump, and a much bigger organization with advancement opportunities. Some people tell me that there's a big advantage of being arms length from the ownership of a company vs. the big shops where you're just a cog in the wheel. I argue that the access to management is only valid if they actually listen and act in accordance with that access.

Decisions, decisions.
 
These types of dilemmas are ones that I dread for myself but for others too. However, over the years? They've become easier to answer it seems.

As AC/DC once wisely said: " Money Talks, BS walks" and let's be honest; that's the name of the game for most of us and why we do what we do. But, as Ive gotten older and been thru so much of this bullshit, the thing that matters to me most of all now is Peace of Mind ( or is it Piece of Mind as the Great Iron Maiden once said?)

End of the day: weigh your options and do the one that will make you happiest, whatever that will be.
 
2 hours travel a day
10 hours travel a week
40 hours travel a month
480 hours travel a year
That's your time and petrol gas
Then theirs the risk you may not like the new job/conditions

Sorry for the glass half empty mentality but, life is short........... Good luck which ever way you decide G-man.

peace-symbol-with-world-flags-vector-2508282.jpg
 
We all could use more money but do you need more money? You don’t say what the benefits are for both places. I took a job paying less money but has great benefits including life insurance which is not cheap when you’re 67. It is very reassuring to know my wife will be ok if something happens to me. I also like the people and the job better than the higher paying one.
 
CoyotesGator said:
Are you going to be happier at the new place?

It took me a long time to understand how important happiness is to me.
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Hard question to answer. One thing I do know, my current employer is not a place I'm happy at for the most part. They promoted one of my colleagues without even notifying our department that there was an open position. This new supervisor has zero idea how to conduct our job which is a shock they were even promoted. We have a management that is being railroaded by one of our Sales because the guy has brought in an account that tripled our business. Our company doesn't have the bandwidth to handle such account but here we are.

In the meantime, our installations have fallen to such low standards that I'm embarrassed to go onsite to fix the problems our group created in the first place. I've gone up the chain of command with all my concerns and no one has done anything to address the issues.

My big problem mostly, is that our Director of Engineering which is also one of the owners, designs around his comfort levels which is using techniques and technologies that are 10 years old. Our install group know them, but when it comes to anything outside of that, they are untrained and therefor have major problems implementing. I work with modern designs so I can't do things that the industry has moved onto because our organization can't handle it.

So, I can stay at a place that is super easy work, steady and remote work from home type stuff, at a modest income. Or, I can move on to a faster paced, higher level of company that wouldn't be as easy but could provide advancement and an actual challenge.
 
Ghostman said:
Hard question to answer. One thing I do know, my current employer is not a place I'm happy at for the most part. They promoted one of my colleagues without even notifying our department that there was an open position. This new supervisor has zero idea how to conduct our job which is a shock they were even promoted. We have a management that is being railroaded by one of our Sales because the guy has brought in an account that tripled our business. Our company doesn't have the bandwidth to handle such account but here we are.

In the meantime, our installations have fallen to such low standards that I'm embarrassed to go onsite to fix the problems our group created in the first place. I've gone up the chain of command with all my concerns and no one has done anything to address the issues.

My big problem mostly, is that our Director of Engineering which is also one of the owners, designs around his comfort levels which is using techniques and technologies that are 10 years old. Our install group know them, but when it comes to anything outside of that, they are untrained and therefor have major problems implementing. I work with modern designs so I can't do things that the industry has moved onto because our organization can't handle it.

So, I can stay at a place that is super easy work, steady and remote work from home type stuff, at a modest income. Or, I can move on to a faster paced, higher level of company that wouldn't be as easy but could provide advancement and an actual challenge.
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To be perfectly honest with you? Im secretly going through damn near the same exact thing as you are right now.

Where im in the IBEW; my payscale and benefits doesn't change if I work in my same jurisdiction regardless if I go to work for any of the 13 different contractors. It does change if I leave this area and work in another local OR if i work for one of the other companies in the area on a "shut down" job, which means a lot of overtime to complete it within a certain timeframe.

The company im with has kept me relatively close to home ( usually less than an hour) and its 40hrs a week so i see my family all the time, despite the fact they are hard to work with due to not getting the manpower i need and im left not only working the job but running it entirely. On the other hand; I just got called by another group who wants me over there and its tons more money, BUT, its upto 2 and 3hrs away and 6 days a week. Less headaches and i just go do my job but, im an absentee dad who will be broken physically.

Like you are right now; at a crossroads. But, sanity is the main focus right now and Im not getting much of it where I am, yet possibly will be worse over there.
 
Wish I had some grand words of wisdom to lay on you. I don’t. In nearly 50 years in the workplace, I left two jobs because I wanted to. Once in ‘74 and then two years ago when I retired. In between I got laid off twice. 2001 when the business where I worked closed the doors for good. Then when I got bit by the last recession in 09.

I guess the question would be….. How unhappy are you now? And will leaving let you be happier? From former coworkers that have left for new jobs…. Pretty much all have said the grass ain’t greener. Doesn’t mean they regretted the change, but the new will where off. It does become a just a job. There will still be drama. And…… there have been a few that did ultimately wish they’d never left and found themselves hating the new place more than they hated the old place.

It is a conundrum for sure. I for one hate change and am not good at it. Probably why I stayed behind a parts counter for the majority of my adult life. It was easier to not change.

Good luck with whatever decision you make.
 
Clem said:
2 hours travel a day
10 hours travel a week
40 hours travel a month
480 hours travel a year
That's your time and petrol gas
Then theirs the risk you may not like the new job/conditions

Sorry for the glass half empty mentality but, life is short........... Good luck which ever way you decide G-man.

peace-symbol-with-world-flags-vector-2508282.jpg
Click to expand...

I drove 68 miles a day, one-way, to the studio in Hollywood for 7 years. That's 680 miles a week, 35,000 miles a year. The only part of this equation I didn't like was the traffic.
 
Ghostman said:
i very much do.
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Ha! I knew it!

I work in the AV industry, as well. I totally get where you're coming from.

I've done everything from cable pulling to rack fabrication to control system programming. I don't really work in the field anymore, but currently work for our business development team and I am our AV systems engineer. Essentially, I do AV system design, respond to the AV technical portion of RFPs, and develop AV system pricing.

I work almost exclusively from home, too. Going back to the office would be a real point of contention for me. Also, we do have a great installation team that does top-notch work ... aaaand no one tells me how to do a design. I am free to do things however I want that will best meet a customer's need, within their budget.

So, I personally don't have the same complaints as you, but I've seen a lot and have witnessed your frustration.

But, a company with poor installation practices and that uses an outdated design approach does wave a red flag to me. How well does the company seem to be doing financially?

I have a saying, "Whether you get thrown overboard or go down with the ship, you're still gonna get wet." If you have any doubts about the company's financial stability and given the other issues with poor installation and out-of-date design, maybe making the change is a good idea.

Perhaps, you can make the case for working from home the majority of the week with the new company? Does there seem to be any flexibility with that? Maybe negotiate and accept less of a salary than they offered for more telework?
 
Good luck either way. There is a lot to consider.
33% is a big jump in $$ but the added commute hours take away from "living" vs "working" life.
And yes, the benefits package comparison is as important as the pay rate.

If you are the last one in, would you be the first layoff in a slowdown?
The economy is, .....well it depends on who you talk to.
 
jtcnj said:
Good luck either way. There is a lot to consider.
33% is a big jump in $$ but the added commute hours take away from "living" vs "working" life.
And yes, the benefits package comparison is as important as the pay rate.

If you are the last one in, would you be the first layoff in a slowdown?
The economy is, .....well it depends on who you talk to.
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I took a $2,000 a month pay reduction from my studio job, but I now have a 9 mile commute and I'm home before 5 pm everyday.

It did require some juggling, because the pay cut was significant, but we invested and saved when the $$$$ were plentiful, so we are in a good place now.....although I do miss the extra $$$$$.
 
smitty_p said:
Ha! I knew it!

I work in the AV industry, as well. I totally get where you're coming from.

I've done everything from cable pulling to rack fabrication to control system programming. I don't really work in the field anymore, but currently work for our business development team and I am our AV systems engineer. Essentially, I do AV system design, respond to the AV technical portion of RFPs, and develop AV system pricing.

I work almost exclusively from home, too. Going back to the office would be a real point of contention for me. Also, we do have a great installation team that does top-notch work ... aaaand no one tells me how to do a design. I am free to do things however I want that will best meet a customer's need, within their budget.

So, I personally don't have the same complaints as you, but I've seen a lot and have witnessed your frustration.

But, a company with poor installation practices and that uses an outdated design approach does wave a red flag to me. How well does the company seem to be doing financially?

I have a saying, "Whether you get thrown overboard or go down with the ship, you're still gonna get wet." If you have any doubts about the company's financial stability and given the other issues with poor installation and out-of-date design, maybe making the change is a good idea.

Perhaps, you can make the case for working from home the majority of the week with the new company? Does there seem to be any flexibility with that? Maybe negotiate and accept less of a salary than they offered for more telework?
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm an AV system designer, by job title. What that means now is that I'm the Designer, programmer, commissioner, CAD drafter, and support tech as well it seems. Our main client is huge. Global huge, but we stay in the States. We have cookie cutter systems which our team is very versed in installing, so what essentially has happened is our installation crew have fallen back on only one type of installation. Anything outside of this, they are slacking big time. That's where I dwell.

We have 4 designers, 3 if you don't count our new manager who doesn't know their a$$ from a hole in the ground. The others are all 100% enveloped by this large client. That leaves me to handle the other jobs of five other sales people. These are almost completely unlike our big client so the system designs are unfamiliar with our tech team. We are so buried in work, that we can't afford any down time to train up these teams to bring them up to date. It's a catch 22 honestly.

Funny thing is, I reached out to a couple of former coworkers who have come through this new outfit. One asked me, "hey can you come to dinner with myself and my Engineering Manager before you make a decision?" :D
 
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