Author Topic: Possible job move with a greatly reduced commute  (Read 2102 times)

Janson

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Possible job move with a greatly reduced commute
« on: October 16, 2015, 11:40:55 AM »
So I've been looking into other positions ever since my company decided a few months ago to lay off about 200 people. I've been told repeatedly by every level of management that the layoffs are done and we don't need to worry. Since I started the team has gone from 5 down to 3 and one of those 3 is being moved to a different team by management this year. I've also heard directly from the director of my department that he doesn't like the application that my team works on and he's going to get rid of it eventually. This sounds really bad, but he's also said the functionality would have to go somewhere and that the team could retrain to support the new application. In addition,  At the moment I have a really micro-managey boss and my commute is 45-50 minutes each way and the worst part of my day.

 Today I just finished with the 3rd round of interviews at one of the larger employers in the area. The team would be small, only 3 people again, and it's only about 5 miles away from home, close enough to bike. They've made a point of making sure I'm stable in the area because they want the new person to stay in the position as long as possible.

Here are the particulars as I know them. Any information on benefits is strictly from my own research since I haven't got that far yet.

Current Position: Business Systems Analyst
Salary: 49k
401k Match: 2%
Commute: 45-50 minutes, 20 miles by car
Commuting Cost: 6-7k at a cost of 30 cents per mile
Health Insurance: $180 per month, double that if I add my wife and $500 if I switch to family

Possible Position: Systems Analyst
Salary: Unknown but I'm figuring I can get at least what I make now. I would almost be willing to take a drop in pay to get rid of the commute though.
403b Match: 3%
Commute: 15 minutes by car, 25 by bike
Commuting Cost: 1k at a cost of 30 cents per mile (I'm figuring I may still need to drive on some days)
Health Insurance: Unknown, but the employer is one of best regarded hospitals in the country, so I'm assuming good

The bottom line is, I don't dislike my current employer, except maybe my direct supervisor. They hired me on as a Help Desk contractor, then hired me as an employee and promoted me to tier II, and then moved me over to the application side. I have good relationships with a lot of people there and despite the worrying layoffs they're still trying to grow the company. I'd also be leaving them in a little bit of bind with just one person (my direct supervisor) on the team.

There's still another round of interviews, and nothing may come of it. But I want to be decided before I come to that point.

Any input would be greatly appreciated!

DaveR

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Re: Possible job move with a greatly reduced commute
« Reply #1 on: October 16, 2015, 12:17:35 PM »
1.5+ hr/day commuting is brutal.

20 mi ea way * 2 * 5d/wk * 50 wk/yr = 10,000 commuting miles per year. @$0.30/mi that is $3k

$49k / 50wk/yr / 40hr/wk = $24.50 per hour.

factoring in the 1.5hr/day commuting (375hr/yr) makes it:

$49k / 50wk/yr / 47.5hr/wk = $20.63 per hour.

At $20.63/hr, those 375 hours are $7,737 per year.

Your commute costs you $10,737 a year... and that doesn't even account for your sanity during the "worst part of [your] day." I wouldn't worry about leaving your current employer in a bind. You're health and well-being are worth more than the potential bind you'd leave them in. And that bind is probably more imagined than real, given how you describe the layoffs and pending demise of your current application.

AZDude

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Re: Possible job move with a greatly reduced commute
« Reply #2 on: October 16, 2015, 12:45:41 PM »
A short commute(or no commute) is worth alot of money. I'd say like at least $10K just in convenience and time gained, not even counting the actual costs of fuel and depreciation.

Neva6

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Re: Possible job move with a greatly reduced commute
« Reply #3 on: October 16, 2015, 11:21:57 PM »
I went from a 45 minute (30 miles rural roads reverse of major traffic) commute to a 12-15 minute (4 miles) by bike or car commute 5 years ago. I will never go back to a long commute unless the pay is so ridiculous that I could fully retire after a few years of it. I just got a new job that is even closer (2.9 miles) and can't wait for an even shorter ride time.

I found that especially after having kids, the time "wasted" commuting is the WORST.

Good luck with the new position. I hope it is a nice salary boost and makes the decision easy.


 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!