Should I change jobs?

[WV86]

Hello,

I'm turning to the internet to get an outsider point of view on my job situation.
I have been working for almost 8 years for the same company, an engineering company in construction. The job is good, I like the work, the pay is OK. Only con is the distance. It's in the big city 50km (30 miles) away from my home. I commute by train, this is the fastest way to get there since a lot of traffic on the roads. Travel time is 15min bike ride to train station, 40min train ride, 15min walk to office, so in reality about 1h15min one way. Workday of about 9hours in reality, So about 11,5hours away from home for 3 days a week, 2 days a week work from home.

So far so good. Last year I got a kid. This changes things. Less time to spare, but situation stayed manageable to the limit sometimes. Now I got a job offer to work in the engineering department of a contractor in construction. The job is for a large part similar to my current job. The pay is similar, a bit more but with higher upwards potential. Pro is that it's only 15min one way by car with almost no traffic, but I'll have to buy a car. Con is that I'll have to be more flexible qua hours and longer working days most of the time. But the commute is so much shorter that longer working days not necessarely mean always longer away from home. There is no option to work from home. Extra info, I live in a more rural region where there are not much interesting job opportunities for what I want to do. So this opportunity to work closeby is kind of rare. Moving is not an option for the family.

I'm not sure what to do. That's why I ask the opinion of the forum. What advice can you give me? Or what would you do?

Thanks in advance for the reactions.

[thd7t]

This is a tricky question, because you don't get into specifics much.  I really value the time with my small children and as they've gotten older, their schedules became pretty fixed.  If I were away from home 11.5 hours per day, I would have very little time with them. 

I work in a similar field and have always enjoyed site work and working more on the contrator's side, but that is a personal decision. 

[CNM]

I'd probably go with the new job.  I really dislike commuting, though.  Also the new job sounds like it has more opportunities for advancement and higher earning.

[robartsd]

I'd likely take the job, but be sure to explore non-car commute options (or would you need the car while at work?). I imagine that 15 minutes by car is likely not more than 30 minutes by e-bike (same amount of active transport time you currently commute) or an hour by bike unassisted.

If you do need to get a car, can you get a signing bonus that will offset that cost?

[WV86]

Thanks for the fast reactions.

I was thinking the same to go by ebike at first. For some days it is possible but there are also days I need to go to construction sites. Then I would need the car since the distances would be too great to use a bicycle.
Signing bonus is a good idea, but probably not obtainable since it is not commonly used here. I have enough savings for the purchase of a used car, but it would be better to not use them for such a spending.

I also like spending time with my small kid. That would also be one of the main reasons to change jobs.
The commute in the current job is not so bad, being active a bit plus on the train I have time free with access to internet. I consider it more leisure time. But time with the kid is very important.