Job dilemma

[rhubroma]

Bottom line, I think, is that there are times in your life when you must concentrate on your "career", whatever that may be, other times when you can devote more time to "play" (whatever that may be). Unless one is financially without needs, "play" often has to take a back seat to "career".

Ideally you can balance spending time on both, but usually it doesn't work out that way.

I don't know if it's advisable to throw away a career opportunity for the bike when you're not a paid professional. Though I admire people who think beyond mere financial gains to live the life they want. I guess you'll have to weigh the pros vs. the cons and consider the advantages gained by embracing the one, against the disadvantages from ignoring the other. The important thing is to be sincere in regards to what you really need to be focusing on and whether or not something should be given more attention only after certain needs are first met.

I'm the first guy to advise carpe diem, but this may not be the best scenario for you.

PS: Obviously when I posted this you had already decided (but hadn't read it), though it sounds like you're way of thinking was along the same lines. Buona fortuna.

 

[khardung la]

A good interesting job will always become boring and disgusting after x years. At least that is my experience , but every person is different.

My x tends to be 3-4 years. Then I need a bike trip to reset and think what to do again . As in http://exposureroom.com/members/javiergodar/81efc85106cd47528f7e21bd74067e95/

Good luck!

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Cheers guys. I've forgotten what it's like to enjoy the workplace. Will give that another go I guess, see what comes of it.

Roland,
Do not listen to these two guys Scott and Patrick they will lead you into temptation of actually working. What you need to do is do what is necessary to get laid off at your current job. Then draw unemployment for however long congress decides to extend the benefits. Then towards the end of the unemployment checks go out and get a doctor who will certify disability (check the yellow pages for your local area). Tell them your back is out. Then you will have the hook up for life! You can draw disability and do your cycling training all day! Your wife may not like this idea but if you can convince her to go out and get a job that will be even better as you will have more time for training and less time for idle chatter.

Cheers,

Glenn














BTW I am only kidding.

If you are not happy at work then that has to change. Take the new job. Eventually you can establish yourself there and also work in your training. Just my 2 cents.

Best of luck to you.

 

[patricknd]

Roland,
Do not listen to these two guys Scott and Patrick they will lead you into temptation of actually working. What you need to do is do what is necessary to get laid off at your current job. Then draw unemployment for however long congress decides to extend the benefits. Then towards the end of the unemployment checks go out and get a doctor who will certify disability (check the yellow pages for your local area). Tell them your back is out. Then you will have the hook up for life! You can draw disability and do your cycling training all day! Your wife may not like this idea but if you can convince her to go out and get a job that will be even better as you will have more time for training and less time for idle chatter.

Cheers,

Glenn














BTW I am only kidding.

If you are not happy at work then that has to change. Take the new job. Eventually you can establish yourself there and also work in your training. Just my 2 cents.

Best of luck to you.

are you advising my service techs by any chance?

 

[Anonymous]

A good interesting job will always become boring and disgusting after x years. At least that is my experience , but every person is different.

My x tends to be 3-4 years. Then I need a bike trip to reset and think what to do again . As in http://exposureroom.com/members/javiergodar/81efc85106cd47528f7e21bd74067e95/

Good luck!

My x was about 14 months, hence why I had seven branches in ten years, and once I had to stay at one for two years I went mad.

 

[Boeing]

I've been offered a job at a new firm and I'm not sure whether to take it or not. I don't enjoy my current workplace but I'm allowed a certain amount of leeway so I can go in and spend the day on autopilot, before going home fresh for cycling training. It's decently paid so I don't particularly need any more money. But I hate my colleagues and have effectively given up on my career, seeing it more as just a job to fund my cycling and other pastimes.

The new firm would be back to a "career" where I'd have to work quite hard again, which I would probably enjoy, but it will leave me too tired to do much out of work, so cycling would have to take a step back just as I'm rediscovering my love for it and was hoping to progress the racing this year. I also see more of my future in the cycling industry rather than my current profession. There will be a pay rise, but as said I don't really need it. Mrs Rat wants me to go for the new job, but I'm worried she only sees the pay rise.

Not sure what to do. Career vs life. Hate work but enjoy life, or enjoy work and be too tired for life.

Any advice?

GO to work and pretend to be fit on the web like I do

 

[flyor64]

...Then draw unemployment for however long congress decides to extend the benefits...

Dude...can congress extend benes all the way over in the UK? that´s amazing

 

[Semper Fidelis]

Dude...can congress extend benes all the way over in the UK? that´s amazing

When I wrote it I knew he was not living in the USA but thought to have a little fun anyhow.

They can not but I bet in the minds of the US Congress they can.

 

[Master50]

I did not want to read the thread first.
The career. Cycling is a joy but what you are doing at work right now should be punished. Seriously it is punishing to not like or even love going to work.
There is a bigger cost to your soul than cycling will fill. You can do both for very selfish reasons too.
You may ride less but I will bet you will cycle happier. Poison has a way of spilling out of the container.

 

[ashpelham]

Well, first, let me say how glad I am to finally be able to post on the cn.com forums. I've been lurking a long time, but just hesitated to join because I already devote so much time to message boards and comment places. This is one of the few cycling related things I can do sitting at my desk.

I'm also glad to be able to actually post on this topic. It's something that is near and dear to me, as I've had a strange career, changing jobs often, and sometimes not on my own volition. I've worked in finance in some capacity forever, and always have been a "grass is greener" guy. Well, it really isn't greener.

I actually liked this thread when it came out, because I was offered a new job this past Tuesday, one with a return to the kind of work I was doing, and LOVING, before the recession took that job from me. I was getting high marks, getting nice praise, and looking to be highly successful, but then corporate cutbacks killed it. I went to work where I am now, and I've been marginally unhappy with the job. Pay is fine, but not enough for us to run our household, and not really enough for anyone with a small mortgage, a cell phone plan, or a credit card balance. We don't/can't save, and we live pretty reasonably. The real problem is we got used to twice the income, with both of us working, and now we get by and a little more than half of what we used to have, because she's not working.

So, back to this new job offer. The total pay package was possibly a 40% pay increase. HUGE. But the base pay was essentially the same. The incentives totalled 25% of the deal, and I've been burned on incentives in the past by companies who just overnight, usually a weekend, change the incentive structure giving you as an employee less. It's not fair, but what options does one have? So, the pay increase would have been nice, but not guaranteed, and I can respect that they cannot guarantee it. They should also respect my decision to decline the job offer, as one with a mortgage and two young children doesn't hang his hat on things that "could be" or "might be". Certainly not so much to completely change his job. Not career, just the job.

Finally, this new job was originally asking for non-paid relo, which I argued out of, due to the short distance. However, my commute would certainly have increased significantly, and they insisted they would not pick up this incremental cost. I was looking at a new car most likely, as well, so another increase in my costs.

So, my decision to pass on the offer certainly wasn't easy, but it made sense to me because I'd done the homework on it. The economics of it. Plus the 80% travel requirement, and the love for the bike I have. My job right now is less than 20% travel, so I ride often. And i see my kids virtually every night. A 10% increase in base pay just wasn't worth losing those things. They 40% increase in total, if it had happened, would have been nice. But in the banking and finance industry, you know that you must get as much out of them as you can, and get it in writing. Anything not guaranteed, likely will not happen.

To any of the rest of you who work in finance, I hope your experience has been more "even" than mine. Surely, I've had some good experiences and had some nice pay during it. I've also been shown the door with a 1 month old baby at home and top-level job performance on my record. So many of us work to make finance deals, often times, not to the advantage of our customers or business partners, but more to our own gain. What makes us think that our employer wouldn't do the same to it's own employees?

Great topic. I'm long winded, I know

 

[DirtyWorks]

..And i see my kids virtually every night.

This is more important to your kids and their development and eventually in adulthood than most people are willing to acknowledge.

..you must get as much out of them as you can, and get it in writing. Anything not guaranteed, likely will not happen.

Not just the banking industry!