Author Topic: Which job would you have took?  (Read 4258 times)

tindel

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Which job would you have took?
« on: July 14, 2018, 10:47:29 AM »
I have had three electrical engineering job offers in the last 9 months.  They are as follows:

1.  125k + up to 6% bonus, promotion to Staff Engineer, 10% 401k match, with relocation package across town (~50 miles).  3 weeks vacation + 9/80 schedule + 1 week paid holiday shutdown.
Aerospace job.  Not much room for career growth but would get my own lab and would literally be pushing the cutting edge of technology in a world class one-of-a-kind facility.  Much of the work would be within a small R&D group providing solutions for large and small programs within the company and to high profile clients.  Only EE on the team.  Delivering concept solutions to other groups, not final designs.  Flexible schedule with work from home possible as appropriate.

2.  108k + up to 30% bonus, stay at Senior Engineer level, 8% 401k match.  RSU's eventually.  3 weeks vacation + 2-3 days unpaid for holiday shutdown.
Satellite office of a well respected integrated circuit company.  Test engineer job testing new integrated circuits for product release in a rapidly growing product line.  Lots of room for growth both personally and professionally.  Located about a mile from my home.  More of a roll-playing position to start.  Promises of promotion within one year with a 15% increase in base (not in writing) upon successful completion of first product release.  I'm guessing that the bonus percentage would increase as well.  Cutting edge by the very nature of the business.

3.  140k + up to 6% bonus, promotion to Staff Engineer, 3% 401k match.  Remote work.  3 weeks vacation + 1 week unpaid + 1 week unpaid holiday shutdown.
Aerospace job designing power supplies - not really cutting edge, but challenging.  Need to be on site in CA at least once a quarter for 1-2 weeks to test new products.  Primarily work from home, but I would get my own office and lab space within about 30 minutes from my home.  High profile job with lots of opportunity for large success on company critical products.  This is the first remote job I've ever heard of for a design engineer so their would be growing pains.

Personal Info: 36yo. 11 years of prior experience in the Aerospace and LED lighting industries.  DI1K.  I am the bread winner by a large margin.  6 mo of expenses in the bank and additional 6 mo in taxable accounts, 7-12 years from FI depending on market performance.  Yearly expenses about 55k.  No debt except small credit card balances paid in full each month and a modest mortgage.  I value being close to home and my immediate family while being able to travel globally for 2.5+ weeks every 2 years.  Overall career goal is to be CTO, Chief Enginee, own my own company, etc.  Really be subject matter expert and help guide a company to make good decisions to provide significant growth to the shareholders.

I know what job I took.  Just curious if others would have done the same and why.  First world problems, I know.  With such great options I just keep wondering "what-if".  Unfortunately I only get to live one life.  All three jobs have their merits and are extremely good jobs with stable companies.  For that I'm incredibly thankful.  I thought it would be fun to get others take.

jlcnuke

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #1 on: July 14, 2018, 11:01:42 AM »
Job three would be out for me in your situation. Job one and two would be a toss-up, but probably two based on the upward mobility possibilities.

Retire-Canada

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2018, 11:05:59 AM »
I would have taken job #3. More money and working at home a lot is a win. Traveling once a quarter doesn't bother me.

nessness

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2018, 11:49:41 AM »
Job 1. You sound most enthused about the work, and flexibility is really important to me.

Zikoris

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #4 on: July 14, 2018, 12:44:42 PM »
I'd go with 1, because it sounds the most fun. For me, I prioritize fun over most things. And when I relocated, I'd just make sure to relocate to a home within walking/biking distance of work.

Roadrunner53

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #5 on: July 14, 2018, 12:58:03 PM »
I would take Job #1. I worked in R&D and it was awesome. They have deep, deep pockets. Projects change over time.

mm1970

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #6 on: July 14, 2018, 02:57:23 PM »
I would go with #1 because I like R&D.  It sounds a lot like the jobs several of my coworkers have had, or have gotten after leaving the companies we were at.  It would kind of be my dream job.

But both 1 &3 pay more than I make now, and I'm quite a bit older than you are!

Roadrunner53

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2018, 03:09:03 PM »
I just reread about Job #1 and saw it has a 9/80 schedule. I never heard of it so looked it up. You work 80 hours in 9 work days and have the 10th day off! OH, I love that too! At the R&D I worked at we had summer hours and had half day Fridays and that was awesome but 9/80 would be great too as long as you weren't sick. Being sick and having to work a longer day would stink. This 9/80 dealy makes this another reason I would take this job.

Davids

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #8 on: July 15, 2018, 04:36:55 PM »
Like others I'd pick 1.

firelight

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #9 on: July 16, 2018, 11:58:25 AM »
Job#3. Remote and you don't have to move? Sign me up!

Btw, which job did you choose?

FIRE@50

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #10 on: July 16, 2018, 12:09:32 PM »
Can you explain to me the concept of being paid a salary of $X but having one week of unpaid holiday/vacation time? Does that mean your salary is actually $X - ($X/52) or is it still just $X? I don't understand why a company would do this.

Lanthiriel

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #11 on: July 16, 2018, 03:10:41 PM »
I would take Job #1. I suck at being productive working from home (so #3 is out). I've never had a lateral move that worked out the way I wanted it to (so #2 is out). The 9/80, 10% 401k match, and R&D appeal to me for #1. 

soccerluvof4

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #12 on: July 16, 2018, 04:23:06 PM »
#3 for sure. Like the remote aspect

lbmustache

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #13 on: July 16, 2018, 05:17:52 PM »
Toss up between 1 and 3. I like the idea of working from home, but like lanthireil mentioned, the 9/80 and 10% match is appealing...

tindel

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #14 on: July 16, 2018, 06:37:23 PM »
Btw, which job did you choose?
I was going to give it about a week and see what the general consensus was/is before saying which one I chose.


Can you explain to me the concept of being paid a salary of $X but having one week of unpaid holiday/vacation time? Does that mean your salary is actually $X - ($X/52) or is it still just $X? I don't understand why a company would do this.
In these industries there are typically 'holiday shutdowns' between Christmas and New Years.  where everyone is generally off of work.  You can take vacation time or unpaid with a few holidays thrown in.  I usually opt for unpaid because I value the time off more than the few days of additional pay so I've listed the time as unpaid.  In the case of job #3 the hiring manager offered to let me take an additional week of unpaid to give me 4 weeks off in addition to the holiday shutdown.
« Last Edit: July 16, 2018, 06:40:09 PM by tindel »

PDXTabs

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #15 on: July 16, 2018, 07:45:42 PM »
1 and 3 both look good to me. I value working at home, so probably 3 for me personally.

ltt

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #16 on: July 16, 2018, 09:22:24 PM »
Absolutely #2.  Since it is close to immediate family members, it would take you less than 5 minutes to drive to work; 20 minutes to walk it and offers of growth.

No to #1 and #3.  #1 offers no real growth, and #3 you would be traveling once per quarter for up to 2 weeks away from your family.


whatupjeffy

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #17 on: July 18, 2018, 10:31:22 PM »
Job three for me. Work from home is my kind of thing.

Herbert Derp

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #18 on: July 19, 2018, 12:07:27 AM »
#2 seems favorable because it is close to home, and considering the larger bonus, pays more than #1 and almost as much as #3. Unlike #1, you don't have to relocate, and unlike #3, you get to work alongside your colleagues at the office. In my opinion, working from home is isolating and hinders career growth. There's something to be said for being able to walk to work.

Overall, I think #2 has the most potential for growth, with the potential to surpass the others in pay if you can get that promotion. Also having the office one mile from your current home is great.

Jouer

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #19 on: July 20, 2018, 12:02:09 PM »
Wait, companies shut down around Christmas and make you take the days unpaid (or use vacation days)??? That's fucking brutal. I've always had Christmas off while we shut down and we get those days off for free.

Milizard

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #20 on: July 20, 2018, 12:19:50 PM »
Forgive me,  but it's "have taken". I know my own grammar isn't perfect,  but this is really bugging me.

PDXTabs

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #21 on: July 20, 2018, 09:12:23 PM »
Wait, companies shut down around Christmas and make you take the days unpaid (or use vacation days)??? That's fucking brutal. I've always had Christmas off while we shut down and we get those days off for free.

I've worked for a company that always shut down for one or two weeks around Christmas. They gave you a few holidays (Christmas, New Years, maybe an extra) but the other days were on you. I learned to really enjoy it. When else do you get to go on vacation and nothing happens when you are away?

Mezzie

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #22 on: July 21, 2018, 03:05:11 AM »
I think I'd go with #1. I like the schedule, and the work sounds challenging and fun.

tindel

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #23 on: July 21, 2018, 11:57:32 AM »
Well it's been about a week.  50% said Job #1, 22% said Job $2, and 28% said job #3.

I ended up taken (haha) job #2 for many of the reasons others have said (close to home, no move, biggest upside, new skills, etc).  I also think the most talented EE's work in the IC industry, and I particularly think the company I work for has the best of those EE's.  Highly talented individuals producing very high quality product.  I was intrigued that so many people had different opinions on what they'd do.  I purposely left out logistical details earlier to try to get unbiased opinions.

Some other details for those interested:
I received offers #1 and #2 at the same time after some period of unemployment and heavily looking for a great job, of which I found two of them.

With job #1 I was concerned about career growth and being underpaid long-term.  I had left company #1 just 2 years prior and was not looking forward to another move so soon or a stressful 1hr+ commute.  The company has a line of people out the door wanting to get in, so they offer competitive pay but not great pay.  They originally offered me $115k.
 Only after letting them know of job #2 did they offer me $125k.  I was asking for 150k, but would have taken that job at $135k-$140k (what job #3 ended up being).  I had worked for the hiring manager in that group in the past and I loved the job and the people.  I was somewhat disappointed that the HR couldn't see the value.  The hiring manager later told me that they hired someone with similar experience for $75k... that someone has no idea how screwed they got other than an awesome job of course.

I took job #2 because it offered more career growth both financially and professionally, it offered me not moving, being with family every night, a walk-able commute in a town I love, etc.  The interview was the most difficult interview I've ever had and I ace'd and it.  The interview sucked me into wanting the job even more.  I was hopeful that working in a satellite office would have the advantages of working for a large company with a small startup type atmosphere which I had enjoyed at my prior job.  For the most part, that has remained true.  I am also on track for my first product release just one year after my arrival which is rarely done.  I think the company is really starting to see my value within their overall picture and I believe this product release should solidify my promotion.  A recent reorg has made the delivery unnecessarily stressful, but I'm hopeful that this is a transient thing that will smooth out with time.  The job is flexible, relatively easy, and they try not to work me to death, which I wasn't expecting.

I was headhunted for job #3 seven months after starting job #2.  I usually don't respond to head hunters especially after only being with a company for seven months, but this one asked some questions that made me know they were legit and the company desperately needed help.  The original offer was actually for $140k, but they wanted me to pay for all of my own travel expenses for my quarterly trips.  I obviously negotiated that out of the offer pretty quickly, but that was red-flag #2.  Red flag #1 was that they originally got me to interview by saying it was a remote opportunity but after I interviewed they asked if I would move to Palo Alto.  That was two bait-n-switches and I was concerned about taking the job and nine months after starting the company insisting that I moved to CA.  The group appeared to be a really good fit and the manager seemed top notch.  I would have had a very respected position within the group and been well leveraged for continued career growth.  I decided I didn't want to leave my current company so soon for a financially lateral move, with a significant risk of needing to move to CA, and being away from my 7yo daughter 8-10 weeks per year, without having significantly more guaranteed pay.  I asked for $160k base and they decided to go with their second best option which I was surprised and disappointed about, but understood.

Anyway, this has been a lot of fun for me to see and read other peoples' opinions on what I should have done from a pure job offer perspective.  Obviously, all three jobs were good and their was no wrong answer here.  I'm convinced that I made the right decisions for me and my family considering all of the other factors that I didn't mention earlier.

I'm now curious if others would have done the same as me or still taken job #1 or #3.

mm1970

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #24 on: July 21, 2018, 12:19:14 PM »
Quote
With job #1 I was concerned about career growth and being underpaid long-term.  I had left company #1 just 2 years prior and was not looking forward to another move so soon or a stressful 1hr+ commute.  The company has a line of people out the door wanting to get in, so they offer competitive pay but not great pay.  They originally offered me $115k.
 Only after letting them know of job #2 did they offer me $125k.  I was asking for 150k, but would have taken that job at $135k-$140k (what job #3 ended up being).  I had worked for the hiring manager in that group in the past and I loved the job and the people.  I was somewhat disappointed that the HR couldn't see the value.  The hiring manager later told me that they hired someone with similar experience for $75k... that someone has no idea how screwed they got other than an awesome job of course.

I took job #2 because it offered more career growth both financially and professionally,
Quote
it offered me not moving, being with family every night, a walk-able commute in a town I love, etc. 
The interview was the most difficult interview I've ever had and I ace'd and it.  The interview sucked me into wanting the job even more.  I was hopeful that working in a satellite office would have the advantages of working for a large company with a small startup type atmosphere which I had enjoyed at my prior job.  For the most part, that has remained true.  I am also on track for my first product release just one year after my arrival which is rarely done.  I think the company is really starting to see my value within their overall picture and I believe this product release should solidify my promotion.  A recent reorg has made the delivery unnecessarily stressful, but I'm hopeful that this is a transient thing that will smooth out with time.  The job is flexible, relatively easy, and they try not to work me to death, which I wasn't expecting.
$75k...that makes me a bit ragey, which just goes to show - ask for what the job is worth, not what you are getting paid.  That engineer did not negotiate enough.

I picked #1 because I like R&D.  It's my  happy place.

#2 is...a lot like where I am and what I'm doing now.  Semiconductors not IC's, but definitely high pressure, start up, pressure to deliver new products.  But I am underpaid and one reason is - because I can leave early to pick up the kids at camp, go  home every night, it doesn't require moving or 50 hours a week.  That's huge.

#3 the pressure - I hope it is a transient thing, but if you are releasing new products...might not be!

firelight

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #25 on: July 21, 2018, 12:48:25 PM »
After knowing more details about #3 I'd go with #2 as well. The biggest advantage for me with #3 was the remote position but if they were using it to bait people, that is a big no. Congrats on finding #2! Seems like a great fit for you.

tindel

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #26 on: July 22, 2018, 11:43:01 AM »
#3 the pressure - I hope it is a transient thing, but if you are releasing new products...might not be!
Meh - I've worked in high pressure environments most of my career.  Not the end of the world really.  I keep asking if it will get better on my next assignments and I keep being told it will be.  Really, the schedule hasn't been all that tough so far compared to some of my previous jobs.  I also see some inefficiencies that I hope to take out in my work which will allow me to be more productive in shorter amounts of time than others, increasing my value even more.

After knowing more details about #3 I'd go with #2 as well. The biggest advantage for me with #3 was the remote position but if they were using it to bait people, that is a big no. Congrats on finding #2! Seems like a great fit for you.
  I wouldn't say they were baiting me, but I would say that they were more interested in a local employee rather than a remote.  I was told their #2 was wanting to move to the Bay Area.  I also think #2 is a great fit.

Jouer

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Re: Which job would you have took?
« Reply #27 on: July 23, 2018, 07:16:18 AM »
Wait, companies shut down around Christmas and make you take the days unpaid (or use vacation days)??? That's fucking brutal. I've always had Christmas off while we shut down and we get those days off for free.

I've worked for a company that always shut down for one or two weeks around Christmas. They gave you a few holidays (Christmas, New Years, maybe an extra) but the other days were on you. I learned to really enjoy it. When else do you get to go on vacation and nothing happens when you are away?

Right. I meant we get a full week off at Christmas. For free. Never unpaid. No vacation days required. It ends up being only 3 free days once we account for Dec 25, 26, Jan 1 and weekends. 17 years and counting - 5 different firms.