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Learning, Sharing, and Teaching => Ask a Mustachian => Topic started by: NewPerspective on June 28, 2019, 04:21:35 PM

Title: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: NewPerspective on June 28, 2019, 04:21:35 PM
Hello!

I'm having a very hard time making a work related decision.  I left a job I was at for 7 years in March to move laterally into another position in the same organization.  There was no pay increase but the job is very different from what I had been doing.

My old boss has contacted me with an offer of a promotion and a not insignificant pay increase to come back (I don't have an exact number but I would estimate about 10-12k more per year).   

Here are the pros and cons:

Old Job - pros
Great boss
better money
more autonomy
more flexibility

Old Job Cons -
Unfulfilling work
times of extreme boredom and then times of high stress
The work felt meaningless
I worked alone most of the time, so it felt isolating

New Job - pros
Constantly busy
Lots of contact with lots of different people
I'm quickly becoming the go to person in my area
I feel like what I'm doing matters.  If I disappeared tomorrow it would definitely be noticed right away as certain things would come to a stop.
This job is giving me valuable experience that likely has a better path forward for future jobs (although I'm not really looking to move up).

New job - cons
Less autonomy
I work as part of a larger office, there are negatives that go along with that
Less flexibility (no leaving early, working from home, etc)
My new boss is fine but is definitely not as approachable, supportive, appreciative or warm as my previous boss.
Less money (I feel certain I will not make as much money in this position in the near future as I would by going back to the old job).
I would feel AWFUL leaving my new job because of the relationships I've already built with people and because of the time people have taken to train me (the learning curve was pretty steep).

If it matters, I'm hoping to transition to part time work in the next 3-5 years.  We have no debt and good savings, so money isn't a primary concern, but it is the reason I'm working.

I can't decide if money and a good boss make it worth going back to very unfulfilling work.

I welcome any outside perspectives and advice.

Thank you!


Title: Re: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: mrmoonymartian on June 28, 2019, 05:37:26 PM
You want to go part time soon, so maybe you can do both part time for a while then drop one later? New boss might not like it, but if you have old boss arguing necessity for the good of the company...
Title: Re: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: NewPerspective on June 28, 2019, 05:48:45 PM
Thanks for the idea!  Current job is definitely full time though.  I don't work more than 40 hours a week but I'm very busy while I'm there.
Title: Re: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: mrmoonymartian on June 28, 2019, 05:52:03 PM
Yes, the new boss might not like finding someone else to pick up the slack if you are only there part time. But if you have the old boss arguing necessity for the good of the company...
Title: Re: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: Annie101 on June 28, 2019, 11:22:49 PM
It seems like the extra money isn't worth being bored, stressed, and unfulfilled (meaningless work).  I vote for enjoying your job (but of course basing it on little information).
Title: Re: Help me decide - Work!
Post by: Altons Bobs on June 29, 2019, 12:14:13 AM
It sounds like you value recognition more than anything. Stay with the new job!