Career advice

[EightBitNate]

Got 2 jobs offers at the same time 2 months ago.

Job 1:

Extremely small company, nice office in the city, alright commute, interesting field, but pay in initial offer was abysmal. Declined offer but really wanted to work there. Also seems like there’s room for moving up since they’re so small, but it could be a gamble working there.

Job 2:

Fortune 500 company, okay office in the middle of nowhere, awful commute (1 hour), field is not too interesting but job is really easy. Pay is good and I could always move somewhere closer if I get sick of the commute. Lots of room for moving up. Accepted their offer and have been working here for 1.5 months. Don’t really love it or hate it.

2 months later, it seems like Job 1 got a bigger budget for salaries and is begging me to reconsider. Seems like they can get offer more than before but not as much as job 2.

I have lots of anxiety about leaving jobs. I hate saying bye to old coworkers, I hate meeting new ones. I hate training. I’ve just gotten used to things at job 2. Plus I don’t know if I’ll even like Job 1.

What do

[TEEEPO]

damn dogging bismarkie like that, thats cold

[EightBitNate]

damn dogging bismarkie like that, thats cold

I don’t know her

You generally shouldn't take pay cuts.

But if it's a better field.. I dunno?

I should mention that I don’t have even know the exact amount they’d offer. The could offer 20% more and still it’d be a lot less than job 2.

[kingv]

Working smaller I think can be better sometimes as they typically don’t have national recruiting reach, or very good HR, so it’s a lot easier for them to promote from within than to to hire outside.

At a Fortune 500, some companies will just continue to hire a new boss instead of promoting from within, even when there are qualified people.

Also, you tend to have a lot broader responsibility.

That said, I’ve never worked any where really really tiny, so there’s risk with that too.

[jorma]

You generally shouldn't take pay cuts.

when i gave up this sort of thinking my personal life happiness index improved by several magnitudes.

[EightBitNate]

Working smaller I think can be better sometimes as they typically don’t have national recruiting reach, or very good HR, so it’s a lot easier for them to promote from within than to to hire outside.

At a Fortune 500, some companies will just continue to hire a new boss instead of promoting from within, even when there are qualified people.

Also, you tend to have a lot broader responsibility.

That said, I’ve never worked any where really really tiny, so there’s risk with that too.

Everyone above me at my current job started out in my current position. I’m also pretty young compared to most of them.

And yeah the other company is made up of 20 employees. Huge risk, but if the company were to expand I would be near the top of the food chain. I just don’t want to have regrets about not taking it.

[jorma]

You generally shouldn't take pay cuts.

when i gave up this sort of thinking my personal life happiness index improved by several magnitudes.

If he said he was terribly unhappy, sure.. balance life against that.   He didn't say that, he asked for career advice.

yes you did give him career advice, i just didn't rate it 

[shosta]

Will company 1 give you equity?

[Olivia Wilde Homo]

Stick with Job 2. There’s no guarantee that if Company 1 expands you’d be along for the ride.

[Akala]

I mean see what they are offering, but I would probably not take a severe pay cut if you don't hate what you do and it's cake.

That commute sucks though. Is there any chance of working some remotely?

[thetylerrob]

Wait until the other one gives you a salary offer but I'm on team never take a job with lower pay unless it's guaranteed to improve your life in ways that make up the difference and it had better look good on your future resume.

[shosta]

Add up all the extra commute hours over the course of a year, multiply that by your effective hourly rate right now, and whatever that number is is how much less you should be willing to take.

[archnemesis]

Stay at Job 2 while you look for Job 3. Try to find something that feels meaningful and rewarding, with the same or higher salary.

[thisismyusername]

Got 2 jobs offers at the same time 2 months ago.

Job 1:

Extremely small company, nice office in the city, alright commute, interesting field, but pay in initial offer was abysmal. Declined offer but really wanted to work there. Also seems like there’s room for moving up since they’re so small, but it could be a gamble working there.

Job 2:

Fortune 500 company, okay office in the middle of nowhere, awful commute (1 hour), field is not too interesting but job is really easy. Pay is good and I could always move somewhere closer if I get sick of the commute. Lots of room for moving up. Accepted their offer and have been working here for 1.5 months. Don’t really love it or hate it.

2 months later, it seems like Job 1 got a bigger budget for salaries and is begging me to reconsider. Seems like they can get offer more than before but not as much as job 2.

I have lots of anxiety about leaving jobs. I hate saying bye to old coworkers, I hate meeting new ones. I hate training. I’ve just gotten used to things at job 2. Plus I don’t know if I’ll even like Job 1.

What do

Unless you are unhappy at #2, you already answered your question. A "bigger salary" isn't going to match #2? Unless you really super duper want to work at #1, that's a hard-pass.

[Raist]

Seems like #1 could overall be a better job - not to mention the better commute. At the end of the day that could balance out the salary difference, and even if not, a better environment and less stress is worth something.

Then again I work in academia so what do I know about salaries and careers

[Transhuman]

More important things than money dingus

[tiesto]

Commuting to the middle of nowhere instead of into the city seems like it'd be at least less stressful, even if it takes longer, because you're going against traffic, no?

[kingv]

If you have kids you’re going to want to live in the middle of nowhere as the city is too expensive and inconvenient.

[Ghoul]

quit your job, move back home and become a well known restera member who creates large OT's and gifs and profit.

[Momo]

If you're young and ambitious - small company, if you're old fat and lazy, big company.

[Nintex]

Set up a meeting with job 1 to get a clear sense of their offer and hear them out. Maybe it's a cool place to work, you can't tell until you know the lay of the land.

Just remember that at 1 you might always have to work a bit harder to be competitive but at 2 you could coast it out until retirement unless you do something really stupid (or they get in financial trouble).

[Rufus]

If you're young and ambitious - small company, if you're old fat and lazy, big company.

False dichotomy. What about us young-olds who just want to go home and not waste a single thought on work? Tsk.

[shosta]

If the commute is an issue you could also relocate to the middle of nowhere to be closer to work. Maybe have a yard and a dog.

[Momo]

If you're young and ambitious - small company, if you're old fat and lazy, big company.

False dichotomy. What about us young-olds who just want to go home and not waste a single thought on work? Tsk.

I mean, that's where the ambition comes in. To be honest I'm where you are, except for a random spurt of caring about work the last month or so.