Please help me decide..

[M&M's Mommy]

whether to switch companies or not..

So, I went to interview with this company twice, the 1st time didn't get the job because I didn't want to start when they wanted me to (too soon after I had the baby). The 2nd time because they deemed I was over qualified... so about a month later, I got a job with the company right next door to it (the two are partners). Now a higher position become available and they want to offer it to me.


So here are the pros and cons of staying with my current company

Pros:
-Lots of down time since the facility is completely brand new and slowly building clients (parent company is in the UK, they just opened a new facility in the US)
-Lots of flexibility when it comes to time, at least for now when we're not busy yet i.e., I can work from home when needed, and report a bit late to work is a no issue..
-I'm in the manager position (even though I manage no one).
-I'm the one with most technical experiences and therefore my opinion weights a lot. I also get to contribute a lot in building/training the team.
-I work with only 2 other ladies who I get along great with. All things are done remotely from the parent company..
-My background fits what I do to a T, so everything is so easy, I can do my daily job functions with one eye closed!!
-I'm a point of contacts for our clients, which helps improve my English & social skills .

Cons:
-Low salary
-High cost for insurance + high deductible (expensive insurance plan!)
-I have so much free time at work, it gets boring (and I feel guilty about spending all day on Chaz & facebook) :rofl1:


Now with the company that wants to hire me...

Pros:
-Higher salary
-Lower cost for insurance & better plan
-I get to go back to working in a "normal" working environment/setting with 200 others - I miss the interactions/activities with co-workers.

Cons:
-I'd have to really "work" :rofl1:
-No more flexibility as I'll get busy on my very first day on.
-I'll have to learn to do new things with no prior experiences to draw from. I guess this can be a "pro" as it provides opportunity for learning... I'm just not sure I want to learn now...

I'm so busy at home.. I want to go to work to relax so I don't want to switch.. but on the other hand, the only reason I'm working is to provide for my family.. and I can do that better if I do switch..

What would you do?

 

[Airn]

I would take the new position.

More money, better insurance. Seems like the best option for a (growing) family. But I like 'working' at work. I would get bored being on Chaz and Facebook all day. Having down time is nice, but I wouldn't feel proud of my job if it consisted of Facebook all day :rofl1:

It is nice to be high man on the totem pole but it's also easy to get into a rut. My mother is having an issue with this right now. She's the favorite in her company, but her company sucks. It was a decent job 5 years ago but now it doesn't pay well enough nor does it have the benefits she wants for her family.

The flexibility would be my biggest concern. I hate inconsistent schedules.

Maybe consider if your current company would ever give the benefits of this new company? I'm not sure what point you're at in life, but from what you've just said, it seems like the other company would be a better fit.

Good luck with whatever option you decide to take. It's ultimately up to what YOU want in a job.

 

[jess2416]

honestly I'd probably stay with my current company. Flexibility is huge for me and I know that you have two little ones so IMO no flexibility would be a deal breaker.

 

[Elrohwen]

I think it really depends on what you want. If you want to grow your career and advance, definitely take the new position. If you want flexibility and less stress because you have a kid, that's also perfectly valid. I don't think there's a right answer for this one. The money and cheaper insurance make the second job tempting.

 

[boneyjean]

Is your husband still staying at home with the girls or has he gone back to work too? And if he did go back to work, is his schedule at all flexible?

If you are still the sole financial provider for the time being, I would seriously consider the new job. What kind of future potential is there for growth with the current company vs the new one? It might be nice right now to go to work and "relax" but if things don't pick up, I think you will become very bored and unfulfilled in your job. It will make it even harder to leave those precious girls everyday. If you have to work, you might as well enjoy what you are doing. I HATE the days that drag on forever because I don't have enough to do and I am bored out of my mind. I totally prefer to go to work, work hard and my day fly by and before I know it, it's time to leave. But that may just be me personally.

My husband and I both work. My husband's company provides zero flexibility but awesome benefits and great pay. My company is very flexible but I have very little benefits and my pay is average. I think with kids it's important to have at least one parent or caretaker who can be flexible for when it is needed.

 

[Beanie]

IMO I think what you need to decide is what do you want to provide to your family?

If your main priority is to be able to provide extra attention and care for your girls, staying at your existing job is the better choice because of the flexibility it allows.

If your main priority is to make more money so you can better provide them things that you need finances for, the better choice is the second job because of the higher pay.

Both are equally valid priorities, it's just up to you and your family to decide which is the best and what your family needs.

 

[M&M's Mommy]

Is your husband still staying at home with the girls or has he gone back to work too? And if he did go back to work, is his schedule at all flexible?

If you are still the sole financial provider for the time being, I would seriously consider the new job. What kind of future potential is there for growth with the current company vs the new one? It might be nice right now to go to work and "relax" but if things don't pick up, I think you will become very bored and unfulfilled in your job. It will make it even harder to leave those precious girls everyday. If you have to work, you might as well enjoy what you are doing. I HATE the days that drag on forever because I don't have enough to do and I am bored out of my mind. I totally prefer to go to work, work hard and my day fly by and before I know it, it's time to leave. But that may just be me personally.

My husband and I both work. My husband's company provides zero flexibility but awesome benefits and great pay. My company is very flexible but I have very little benefits and my pay is average. I think with kids it's important to have at least one parent or caretaker who can be flexible for when it is needed.

My husband works 2nd shift..(I got laid off from my previous job last December, so he had to find something quick), so even though it's a fulltime position, it's not permanent so the salary is not great and he has no benefits

Our finance depends on me for the larger part, plus I'm working to buy insurance for my family.. so salary is very important. We're good at planning and staying within our means, but do have a few things we're saving for. Better salary means we can reach those goals faster...

Yet, flexibility is equally (if not more) important as my daughters are still too young. With the current company, I can come home within minutes of notice.. I won't have that with the new position.

I expect that I'll eventually get more busy. My current company just opened last July, so it needs some times to grow. Right now I have the "bonus" benefit of not having to work too hard while my 2 co-workers whose responsibility is to bring in clients are working their heads off!. I think part of the reason I have lots of free time is because I'm effective (aka I do things too fast)

At this moment I think I'm going to stay.. but I have a week to decide so I don't know, I may change my mind tomorrow

 

[M&M's Mommy]

So I got an email from the new company... looks like salary will be $8 - 10K higher + a saving of $300/mo on insurance! Am I crazy for letting it go just so I can secure that I can be home whenever the kids need me?

I hate when my heart and mind don't agree. They usually do

I'll be talking to my current boss this afternoon to see what she says. Since the company & my employment there are both so new, it's hard to ask for a raise.. but I'll push for it. If they let me go, then I'll go

 

[Beanie]

I'll be talking to my current boss this afternoon to see what she says. Since the company & my employment there are both so new, it's hard to ask for a raise.. but I'll push for it. If they let me go, then I'll go

If you're happy where you are, you definitely should give them a chance to respond! If the finances are a big factor for you, let them know and see what they can do. You never know.

Good luck!