Career advice: take higher pay or stay in an area I enjoy?

Docbear64 · 2017-05-09T17:37:20+00:00

I would choose general satisfaction ( good location place where I'm happy ) over moving solely for more money ( especially with increased traffic ugh) however if you fear it may actually have to do with a fear of change I would recommend you really figure that part out .

More money is always nice but with a heavier commute and a location you're likely to enjoy less . It'll mean a larger account with a possibility of a reduced overall happiness.

I would also weigh how easy it is to find work in your industry . I know lots of people who took a high paying job for a year to raise their pay history and then moved back to a location they enjoyed more after .

The most important thing is analyzing that fear of change though , you don't want to box yourself into a single environment.

[deleted] · 2017-05-09T17:16:18+00:00

take the new job

[deleted] · 2017-05-09T19:01:09+00:00

I break it down.

Commute time. How much do you earn per hour 80k/52/hours per week. Take your commute time difference, and thats what you pay in order to save X amount of time in your day
depreciation on your car. Check out the cost per Km/mi on your model, add this to the difference in commute. e.g. 20k more commute than previously gets billed at that rate. This is the price you pay for the mobility difference.

Those two factors will show you the cost difference between the two jobs, and unless it's cut and dry there, then you have to factor in other things.

is there a goal that requires this temporary hardship? How long? I mean sucking it up for a year is a much easier sell than figuring it out once you're there, and then having an exit strategy

And what would you do with the extra 50%? I'm sure you know, at your income, you pretty much never have to worry about money. You'll never be rich, but you'll never be starving either. But. earning +50% means you could take every year out of three off and live just like you do now... Is that an option?

What would you do with it? Better retirement package? More toys (factor into the amount of time you aren't home now. so many guys buy nice toys, and are at work too long to enjoy them.

Take it all together, what are the lingering issues? Do you have an emotional attraction to one or the other? (if you're talking yourself into or out of something, chances are it's emotional now)

And finally, suss out if it's a fear of failure, causing self sabotage (preventing you from taking this job) or if it really doesn't interest you.

W_O_M_B_A_T · 2017-05-09T19:38:39+00:00

As far as traffic, Find a place that's within walking or biking distance of your new job. Save tons of time and gas money, and probably live longer.

Doesn't matter if it doesn't look that good inside, you can remodel and uograde shit if you're making six figures.

refusewool · 2017-05-09T17:37:41+00:00

New job. Embrace the traffic. You can always listen to audiobooks/podcasts and make the commute productive.

Andromeda1985 · 2017-05-09T17:59:01+00:00

What are your career ambitions? which one brings you closer to your goal? If you have no career ambitions, why not?

We can't make this decision for you, and anyone giving an answer without context is, in my opinion, at best a troll and at worst an idiot.

The fact the decision is difficult for you tells me you have some work to do. As a man you should be decisive. you should be able to weigh the pros and cons against your goals and decide which one is most likely to get you to where you want to be within a timeline of your choosing.

Are you afraid of change? i have no idea. if staying makes your goals harder and you'd still rather stay, then I'd say yes. you're afraid of change. However if you have no goals then it's hard to gauge that. the reason you can't make a decision is because you haven't given yourself a purpose yet. which would indicate that yes, you are too comfortable. you'd rather be content and settle for comfort than become the best you can be.

bob13bob · 2017-05-09T18:47:14+00:00

need more specifics. do you own your house? will you be able to buy a house in new location? you will actually become poorer going from affordable COL to high COL, then compounded by going from owner > renter. owner gets huge tax deductions for mortgage, renter does not.

if your public sector do you get pensions? price all that in.

[deleted] · 2017-05-09T19:40:29+00:00

Commutes blow. It's basically the worst thing.

But if you move for a job just move near it.

LordThunderbolt · 2017-05-09T20:23:12+00:00

As long as you don't blindly follow greed. If you're enough money to cover your expenses and save a bit, why bother move for more money and problems?

bossplayaintraining · 2017-05-09T23:58:25+00:00

Take a look at how much the expenses will be in your new area vs. your old area.

If the extra expenses in your new area (e.g. rent, housing, depreciation on car, fuel, etc.) cancel out/are greater than the salary jump you'll get, or if you're planning on starting a home-based business within the next month or so, stay.

Otherwise, money talks, bullshit walks. Take the new job.

You can always move back to the old area if a better opportunity comes up there/if you make enough money to get an EVEN NICER place there.

Oh yeah, and longer traffic is an opportunity. You can listen to audiobooks/podcasts, like refusewool suggested

Title	Career advice: take higher pay or stay in an area I enjoy?
Author	verify_account
Upvotes	4
Comments	16
Date	May 9, 2017 4:57 PM UTC (9 years ago)
Subreddit	Posted in /r/askTRP
Original Link	https://old.reddit.com/r/asktrp/comments/6a6opg/career_advice_take_higher_pay_or_stay_in_an_area/
Archive Link	https://theredarchive.com/r/askTRP/career-advice-take-higher-pay-or-stay-in-an-area-i.90854 https://theredarchive.com/post/90854

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