Author Topic: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.  (Read 3167 times)

startingsmall

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Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« on: April 12, 2017, 08:16:07 PM »
I am currently in the process of interviewing for two jobs. I am confident that I am the top candidate for both jobs and am basically just waiting for the detailed offer at this point. (A detailed offer doesn't mean a whole bunch in my field, though, because pay is production-based.... so basically I'm waiting for a base salary, vacation, etc. but I already know expected yearly income to some extent.) So, there's some info that I don't yet have, but I need to be prepared to make a decision pretty quickly because these are both small businesses in a small professional community, where dragging out a decision wouldn't really be seen as professional/appropriate.

For some quick background, I'm a mom with less interest in racing to FIRE than giving myself more flexibility. Not necessarily in the short-term (although that would be nice).... what I really, really want is for us to be able to relocate to a higher-COL area in a few years with me able to work less. (We currently live in a very LCOL area that I don't enjoy, so free time isn't worth as much to me here as it would be in an area where I would be able to enjoy more of my hobbies, more friendships, etc.) Although it certainly isn't set in stone, my daydream for the future involves squirreling away cash and/or paying off our house in the next 5 years, so that we can move to a coastal area at that time. The cash would be used to put a big downpayment on a house, allowing us to move from LCOL to HCOL area with the same mortgage payment that we have now (or, better yet, an event lower payment). It is more difficult for my husband to find a job than me, so we'd probably move based on a job offer for him.... so we need to be able to not rely too much on my income in order for that to really happen. Again, this may all be a pipe dream, but it's what we're working towards at this time.

Current net worth is approx $250k which, by my calculations, would give us enough to retire at 65.... so while I'll keep contributing, I feel okay backing off a bit to fuel this alternative dream. Current salary is $80k, but I also make approximately $20k in freelance income right now.

Also, I should add that either of these jobs would be an improvement over my current job for a number of reasons. Each has a few pros/cons, but I really don't have a clear favorite in work environment, leadership, etc.

Job A: Expected pay ~$80k/yr. Work 3 days/wk. Scheduled work hours are 8-5:30, but it is common to work through lunch and stay until 6pm or later (so 10-hr days are the norm). In addition to these scheduled work hours, occasional weekend trips in will be required to check on patients - this clinic rarely refers patients to the emergency clinic for 24-hr care due to cost, so hospitalized patients on the weekends are common. There is currently no set schedule/rotation for weekend coverage -  it's kind of decided 'on the fly' but the other associate suggests she goes in a couple of times per month. No health insurance, but a 401k is available. (I didn't originally think they had a 401k, but apparently I misunderstood.) Commute is 23 miles (30 min) each way. I have spent two full days working at this location and feel it would be a good fit.

Job B: Expected pay ~$110k/yr. Work 4 days/wk plus every 3rd Saturday. Scheduled work hours are 8:15-5:30 on weekdays, 8-12 on Saturdays that I work. Working through lunch is a very rare occurrence, as is staying more than a few minutes past closing (so 8hr days are the norm). Weekend duty is on a set rotation, every 3rd weekend, though the current associate states that she has not actually made a trip in on her weekend in 2-3 months because hospitalized patients are typically referred to emergency clinic for 24-hr care instead of being kept unsupervised in the clinic. Health insurance available (cost is not covered by the company, though) and 401k. Commute is 34 miles (40 min) each way. I worked at this hospital 11 years ago, loved one of the owners but had personality conflict with the other owner.... but the bad owner has since left. Was asked to return by the owner that I enjoyed working with.

Both jobs have their pros and cons and this is an incredibly tough decision, so I'm trying to determine if one is clearly better or worse in a 'practical' sense.

Job A advantages:
- Only 3 days/wk, leaving me more time with my kiddo.
- Only 3 days/wk, leaving me more time to work on building up my freelance business. If we do relocate, my freelance business could be a significant source of income (either long-term or at least until I find a regular job).  If I take Job B, I could probably maintain my current freelance load but not really add any capacity.
- 10 miles/minutes closer to home. Yes, I realize the commute still sounds insane, but we live very close to family, husband's job, and daughter's daycare. Moving doesn't make sense. The commute to Job A is almost exactly the same as my current commute in miles, and 10 minutes shorter in time (due to different traffic).

Job B advantages:
- I've worked there before. It feels less risky, because I know what I'm getting into. (Granted, I worked there 11 years ago... but the three management people are the same as when I was there, except for the one that I didn't get along with.)
- Better pay, obviously... by ~$30k. When I do the math, I think the pay per hour is better.
- Even though it's 4 days/wk, the days will likely be shorter and I'm much more likely to get a lunch break.
- Health insurance. If it is true that it isn't employer paid, we'd probably get our insurance through husband's job instead.... but I like having the option to get it through my job in case something ever happens with his job. (This is probably paranoid. If he lost his job, surely he'd find another.... but I've always been the one to carry health insurance and it seems weird not to have the option.)
- Fewer (and more predictable) weekend trips to the clinic.

What am I not thinking of? Obviously, I'll take base salary into account... if one of them offers a crazy-low guaranteed base compared to my expected production, that would be an issue. Ditto for vacation time. But unless I can clearly rule one out based on that criteria, I'm totally stuck. Thoughts? 
« Last Edit: April 12, 2017, 09:27:40 PM by startingsmall »

trashmanz

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #1 on: April 12, 2017, 08:28:16 PM »
You know what they say, flip a coin and how you feel about the outcome can tell you which one you really prefer. 

startingsmall

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #2 on: April 12, 2017, 09:04:19 PM »
You know what they say, flip a coin and how you feel about the outcome can tell you which one you really prefer.

I've tried this, but unfortunately I think my reaction gets more tied up in my reluctance to disappoint anyone than in my actual preferences.

Job A posted an ad and I applied. They have invested more time in me, with multiple phone calls, working interviews, being very friendly/accommodating, etc.... so I kind of feel like if I don't take the job I'll have been 'leading them on.' I've met the staff and a number of clients, all of whom have been led to believe that I'll be returning to work there at a later date.

Job B approached me after I had already scheduled an interview with Job A, saying they were hiring and asked if I (or anyone else I knew) would be interested. I initially told them that I'd love the opportunity but that the commute was too far, then reconsidered and spoke with the associate they're replacing to get some more info. (Again, it's a small professional community and that's a common thing for people to do.... The associate is relocating with a spouse and has nothing but great things to say about the job.) After talking to the associate, I contacted Job A and told them I may be interested after all... we've gone back and forth a bit since then. Job B is completely aware that I'm considering another job and knows that the job is with Job A. Job B is aware of my goals/hesitations/etc - the boss has been a 'Facebook friend' for over 11 years and is someone that I genuinely like as a person and have a lot of faith/trust in. In our conversations, boss told me who their current leading candidate is (someone I know)... but that they would "love to have [me] back" in place of that person if I decide that I am interested. Maybe (probably?) it's weird that I know who else they're considering for the position and they know what other job I'm considering, but basically the entire conversation between us has been very open. So while I could say "no thanks" without feeling like I really led anyone on, this individual is someone that I view as a friend and therefore it would be even harder to let this individual down than the person at Job A, who I first met just a couple of weeks ago. 

So when I think of accepting either job, I immediately jump to the fact that I'll have to turn one of these jobs down.  Sad, but true. Ugh.

Apparently, I suck at this game.
« Last Edit: April 12, 2017, 09:25:51 PM by startingsmall »

startingsmall

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2017, 05:25:55 AM »
I would go with Job B.   You know the players, and know you work well with them. Yes, the 4-day/week schedule is nominally more than at the other place, but you only have to commit to 1/2 a weekend day every three weeks, and often not even that due to their greater willingness to use emergency services, and the other place sounds much more random-- depending on the caseload, you could potentially end up with several weeks in a row of weekend work with Job A, whereas that will NEVER happen with Job B.   The pay is also better, movng you faster toward your ultimate goal.

Job A will probably hire the other person that is being considered for Job B.  EVerybody wins.

Just to be clear, the half-day every third Saturday at Job B would happen regardless of whether there were patients hospitalized - that time is set for seeing appointments. What would be less frequent is the need to make quick trips to the job on Saturday nights, or Sunday mornings/evenings. And yes, the randomness​ of that at Job A is a big concern. The current associate at Job A says that the boss takes on more of that than she does, but there's no guarantee that it would stay that way.

Raenia

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2017, 06:04:31 AM »
I made some guesses based on what you said above, so feel free to adjust the calculations if I over- or under-estimated the weekend hours.

Job A: 3 days/wk*10 hrs/day + 1/2 days/wk*4 hrs/day (assuming "a few times a month" as roughly every other week) = 32 hrs/wk

Job B: 4 days/wk*8 hrs/day (regular week) + 1/3 days/wk*5 hrs/day (half day every 3rd Sat) = 34 hrs/wk

So the "more free time" argument for Job A is actually not as sound as it seems.  Yes, you'd have that time as a solid day, but if your kid is in school, then evenings and weekends are when you'd get to spend more time with them anyway, in which case the hours of Job B could actually give you more family time than A.  Based on that, I'd definitely take Job B.  To me, the predictability and the additional salary are well worth the extra driving time, but if you like you can add in the driving time to the above calculation to get a more complete picture.  Add in already knowing the people there, and you've got a winner.

Gondolin

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2017, 07:30:06 AM »
Job B for sure.

Job A is 80K for 3x10 = 30 hours per week plus an 'on-the-fly' weekend schedule that may or may not conflict with your freelance work.

Job B is 110K for 4x8 = 32 hours per week with a set weekend schedule.

So either you take Job A and have to use all your extra free time hustling to expand your freelance work. Alternatively, you could just take Job B and have all that extra income right from Day 1.


Quote
They have invested more time in me, with multiple phone calls, working interviews, being very friendly/accommodating, etc.... so I kind of feel like if I don't take the job I'll have been 'leading them on.'
Finally, repeat after me. I don't owe this company anything. I don't owe this company anything. I don't owe this company anything.

Deigning to interview you, having you spend a day on-site, being 'nice' during the interview process is standard procedure. It does NOT indebt you to the company in any way. For all you know they are "investing" the same time and attention in 10 other candidates. They made an offer, you received a better one. You owe nothing beyond a professional and courteous declination.

bryan995

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2017, 08:26:07 AM »
I made some guesses based on what you said above, so feel free to adjust the calculations if I over- or under-estimated the weekend hours.

Job A: 3 days/wk*10 hrs/day + 1/2 days/wk*4 hrs/day (assuming "a few times a month" as roughly every other week) = 32 hrs/wk

Job B: 4 days/wk*8 hrs/day (regular week) + 1/3 days/wk*5 hrs/day (half day every 3rd Sat) = 34 hrs/wk

So the "more free time" argument for Job A is actually not as sound as it seems.  Yes, you'd have that time as a solid day, but if your kid is in school, then evenings and weekends are when you'd get to spend more time with them anyway, in which case the hours of Job B could actually give you more family time than A.  Based on that, I'd definitely take Job B.  To me, the predictability and the additional salary are well worth the extra driving time, but if you like you can add in the driving time to the above calculation to get a more complete picture.  Add in already knowing the people there, and you've got a winner.

This. I would go with job B. Then once your established ask them if you can drop to 3 days (or whatever hour minimum is needed for health insurance / benefits?)

AMandM

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2017, 08:48:43 AM »
I would take Job B. 

The greater pay means you don't have to do extra work on your freelance gig.  (If the freelancing is local, building it up when you're hoping to move away in a few years seems like a waste of effort.)

More reliable free time on the weekend, when you child is not at school, is more valuable than on a weekday.  Plus, to me, the predictable schedule is more important than the difference of a couple of hours of work.

Just my $0.02.

startingsmall

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Re: Can't decide between two awesome job opportunities.
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2017, 09:52:02 AM »
I would take Job B. 

The greater pay means you don't have to do extra work on your freelance gig.  (If the freelancing is local, building it up when you're hoping to move away in a few years seems like a waste of effort.)

More reliable free time on the weekend, when you child is not at school, is more valuable than on a weekday.  Plus, to me, the predictable schedule is more important than the difference of a couple of hours of work.

Just my $0.02.

The freelance work is all remote, so I can "take it with me" when I move.

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!