Author Topic: Current Job vs potential job  (Read 3451 times)

zataks

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Current Job vs potential job
« on: July 05, 2015, 01:52:39 PM »
Looking for a bit of career advice. 
Currently I have a very stable, technical, facility-lead position.  Not a facility supervisor but I run the operations of the facility on a day-to-day basis half of every week.  1 other guy does the same thing.  We have relevant journey-level and above certifications.  We work in a field and at a facility that are at the forefront of the industry in technology and legislation and this is where the industry is headed in general.  What I do will never take 100% market share of the industry; it can't due to laws of physics.  Within my company, it's a 5% share and in planning/development to be 10% in the next 10 years.  Considering the complexity and regulatory issues with what you we do as well as the necessity to humanity, this is pretty exciting. 

My job is already pretty high paying.  Beyond normal COLA increases, I could potentially get a 10% raise & promotion to "senior" level in the years to come as expansion dictates the need.  I do the work that employees at the "senior" level with similar job functions perform but there is currently (arguably) no administrative need for me to be a "senior."  A new facility is being planned to be built now that would necessitate "senior" positions and given my experience, I'd be a shoe in. 
The new facility will almost certainly be 24 hour operations though, meaning rotating night shifts.  That means more money on top of base pay but night shifts are brutal!  I'm currently attending school to get an AA then a baccalaureate degree.  Between the physical/mental toll and school night shift is pretty undesirable.  Also, DW is pregnant, due end of Sept.

The new position I'm considering is a bit different.  It's within the same company so stability and benefits would still be excellent.  The base pay is what my current position maxes out at.  In other terms, if I went straight from my current position to the new position, it would be $1300/month MORE (~$550 more than what I would be making if I were senior right now).
Instead of running a facility though I would be supervising a crew of technical operators but who have no certification requirements.  Their work is critical to people who perform jobs similar to my current one at other facilities.  The difference here is that the sector of the industry is not expanding, growing, advancing.  It will always be there (you're saying "yea, right, ALWAYS." but seriously, it will always be there.  There are things most people don't think about that are necessity everyday.) but it isn't the cutting edge stuff I'm doing now.  It would mean more meetings and 1 extra day of work every other week.  (5-4 days every week, alternating vs only 4 days/week now) But, it is closer to home and the days are shorter.  It is generally a safer position (currently work in proximity to dangerous chemicals).

With either position I want to be out of this job in 13-18 years (I've got over 2 in and at 15 they pay for my healthcare in retirement; at 20 they pay for wife's too (80% in each case)) and am saving accordingly.  I do intend to ER but at 29, have no idea what I really want to do with my life beyond cooking, surfing, outdoorsy stuff and spending time with friends/family.

TL;DR: current job would allow me to lead my field and go wherever I want as the industry expands.  Would ultimately provide incredible opportunity for consulting work probably wherever I want in the world but means poorer working conditions.  New job would be more money and better working conditions but kind of ends the process of technical advancement.

Thanks for reading!  Looking forward to some mustachian input here.

Murse

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Re: Current Job vs potential job
« Reply #1 on: July 05, 2015, 02:10:21 PM »
If it were me I would take the higher paying position unless you want the contracting option. If it were me I would take the higher paying job, because it will lead to more compounding (assuming same spending level) and more options in the future. Once you are FI there will be no NEED for money so contracting would simply be for gravy. Once you are FI you can do whatever you would like in any industry regardless of pay. I say you take the bird in the hand.

zataks

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Re: Current Job vs potential job
« Reply #2 on: July 05, 2015, 03:47:22 PM »
Once you are FI you can do whatever you would like in any industry regardless of pay. I say you take the bird in the hand.

My argument (or reticence surrounding this) to this is that after 23 years working in an industry with 15 of those in specialization, consulting work would be very easy to get into as I'd be much more an expert.  As opposed to 23 years in the industry with 2-3 in specialization and 15 in non-specialized-subsector management.

I've been in the industry 10 years now with over 2 in the highly specialized area I'm in now. 

Murse

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Re: Current Job vs potential job
« Reply #3 on: July 05, 2015, 03:57:16 PM »
Once you are FI you can do whatever you would like in any industry regardless of pay. I say you take the bird in the hand.

My argument (or reticence surrounding this) to this is that after 23 years working in an industry with 15 of those in specialization, consulting work would be very easy to get into as I'd be much more an expert.  As opposed to 23 years in the industry with 2-3 in specialization and 15 in non-specialized-subsector management.

I've been in the industry 10 years now with over 2 in the highly specialized area I'm in now.
But is that what you want? Pretend for a moment that money doesn't matter, would you do contracting work? And why?

zataks

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Re: Current Job vs potential job
« Reply #4 on: July 05, 2015, 04:29:15 PM »
That's a tough question.

I want the freedom to work as frequently or infrequently as I choose.  But if I choose to work I like the idea of being an expert in my field. 

...

I started to write more justification and paused.

I think if I don't have to work, it's really hard to see myself working at all.  I mean, I could see myself building furniture for our home and for our [future] kids.  I built my first two night stands a couple months ago and loved doing the work.  I could see myself expanding the garden (when we have more area to do so!). 

I want to do personal projects and spend time with family and friends.


I think some fear in the new position (I haven't even applied for it yet but because it's internal I limit what I apply for to only the ones I'm serious about!) is that because it's a non-technical field, I'm worried about becoming irrelevant.  Without a college education, I've survived on first working my butt off digging ditches, then getting technical certifications.  Once I had those, I was able to gain experience that lead to good paying jobs.  Now, with my certs, training and experience I can get a job anywhere.  I'd be afraid with the new position that in five years, if something happened, I wouldn't have new, relevant experience to get a job back in the technical side of things.  Which is kind of an irrational fear because 1) the job is very secure and 2) maintaining the certifications at the level I am should still allow a job pretty much anywhere although it would be at a bit lower level initially.

zataks

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Re: Current Job vs potential job
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2015, 03:36:08 PM »
Spent a lot of time last night talking to DW about this.  Ultimately submitted my application because today was the deadline.  We'll see how it goes!