How Would You Choose a Job Offer?

immrnonamehello on 04/08/2019 - 11:45

So after the poll post that I made a while ago, I went on to look for a new job. Recently 2 companies have got back to me with offers and my current company would like to make one too (with a slightly different job).

Offer 1: 45% pay rise, 18 min walk to office
Offer 2: 50%+ pay rise, 30 min walk to office
Offer 3: ~15%+ pay rise, 30 min walk to office and exploring a new job title (current company)

If I stay at my current company, there won't be anyone doing anything remotely similar to what I want to do so any kind of training will be external and I'll need to pay for them. But I get to 'try it out'.

My dilemma is that I'm not sure if I should stay and explore a slightly different field, or should I keep doing the same thing but get a 50% pay bump in a much bigger company… Perhaps there'll be more learning opportunities there? I really can't make up my mind… How would you choose?

Poll Options

  • 53
    Take offer 1 (shorter walk)
  • 26
    Take offer 2 (better money and perks)
  • 1
    Take offer 3 (already know the people and company, try new job)
Education & Work

Comments

  • chumlee on 04/08/2019 - 11:51
    +2

    Go with your gut feel on which is the better medium to long term company. Consider how much training they will invest in you etc

  • Sage on 04/08/2019 - 11:58

    well for me I need a long term position for my resume. I only have jobs lasting 3 months or less.
    so I'd stay with the same company.
    I think it also depends on how much you like the three jobs.
    there has to be other factors involved to give a gut feeling of which to go for.
    do you want to have a shorter walk? walking is good for both mental and physical health.
    if you're already used to 30 mins then it's not a disadvantage to stay with it.

  • th123 on 04/08/2019 - 12:07
    +5

    Aren't the factors you're considering between options 1 and 2 really off point? What about looking further into what each company specifically offers in terms of: employee benefits, reputation, potential to grow in the future etc.?

    The reason I'm saying this is: 45-50% pay rise on the $45k you mentioned means option 1 and 2 is

    • Option 1 = $65,250 + 18 minute walk
    • Option 2 = $67,500 + 30 minute walk

    Does the walk time even matter?

    • Option 3 = ~$51,750 + 30 minute walk + new job title (which doesn't really mean shit - do you see how many people throw "manager" into their name or tradies that put CEO/managing director in their title when the company is like 3 people?)

    For me, I would choose based on these 2-3 questions for your options:
    1) Which role do you feel is more enjoyable? The one you've been doing or exploring something new with the company that you're currently with? It would be advisable to remember it's the same company settings that led you to your 1st post (i.e. undervalued, underpaid) so you may find yourself in this situation again in the future.

    2) The pay is obviously significant as that was the main point behind your original post. This means (1 and 2) >> 3 but the difference between 1 & 2 is negligible IMO and shouldn't be the deciding factor for you.

    • mskeggs on 04/08/2019 - 12:44
      +1

      I’m the Junior Assistant Global Vice President Asia Pacific. Every title bump a foregone pay rise! (Not really).

    • whooah1979 on 04/08/2019 - 13:05

      Offer 1: 45% pay rise, 18 min walk to office
      Offer 2: 50%+ pay rise, 30 min walk to office
      Does the walk time even matter?

      Travel times matters if we look at it in numbers. A 12 min walk is 120 min p/w or 96 hr over 48 weeks. That is about $23.40 p/h.

      • th123 on 04/08/2019 - 13:38
        +2

        I guess that's significant but I don't think it's useful to measure it as dollars unless you're working/making money every single second.

        For most people, you'll just be doing your job, getting home and having the rest as leisure time. The 24 min/day (MON-FRI) would just be reduced from your free-time.

        Maybe I'm biased but I just welcome the extra 10-20 minutes walking as being more active/getting steps or additional exercise.

  • Wystri Warrick on 04/08/2019 - 12:28

    Offer 1 looks the best.
    Well 24 minutes saved each day in walking equates to 100 hours a year. I assume you're working 5 days a week, 50 weeks in a year.
    100 hours is a lot of saved time.

    However a bicycle, e-bicycle or e-scooter (when they are legalised in NSW) would help you get to work far more quicker, even possibly bring down the travel time of offer 2 to offer 1, of course this would also bring down the travel time of offer 1 hmmm.

    With a bicycle, e-bicycle or e-scooter I'd go for offer 2.

    • mskeggs on 04/08/2019 - 12:45
      +3

      I have a mega commute, but used to have short ones.
      The quality of life a trivial commute makes is joyous.

  • try2bhelpful on 04/08/2019 - 12:37

    I agree with others, your criteria is a tad off. Money is great but job satisfaction, improving relevant skills, work environment etc are more important. You spend a lot of time at work making the money. Make a list of everything that you consider positive and negative about a work environment, and a job, and then put a weighting against the various jobs.

  • mskeggs on 04/08/2019 - 12:48

    I figure if you are getting a 50% pay rise offer, you are early in your career.
    If so, grab hold of these chances to scale the pay ladder, they dry up fairly quickly.
    , and can never be matched staying put.
    Personally, I would take the pay and short commute, and work hard at my new position.

  • Love a bargain on 04/08/2019 - 13:37

    With the very limited information, I'd think either option 1 or 2 seem better.

    The problem with option 3 include:
    - lowest pay rise out of all the options
    - the company won't be investing in your training financially
    - there'll be no one to mentor you
    - I'm a firm believer of never retract a resignation (assuming option 3 came about after you've told your current company of your intention to leave)

    As for which of option 1 or 2:
    - quite frankly, the distance really doesn't matter that much (unless the roles are pretty much identical on every other aspects)
    - otherwise I'd look at which job offers better training opportunity, promotion potential, career prospect, brand recognition, networking opportunity, etc
    - & more importantly, which job would make you the happiest and most likely to want to get up in the morning (or, at least, least likely to make you dread having to go to work)

  • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2019 - 13:38
    +7

    My wife had the same dilemma at the end of last year. In the end ,she declined all 3 job offers which she described as "high-paying, soul-destroying, pen-pushing", and instead contacted an organisation that she did want to work for and whose values and ethics aligned with hers. They couldn't match the obscene money she was being offered by the other 3 and has a slightly longer commute but she couldn't care less. She gets to work on projects that she is passionate about and she is using her skills to help make a difference for the next generation, as opposed to making wealthy investors wealthier. Her eyes light up whenever she talks about work and she's (almost) become a morning person :)

    My advice would be to choose the one that makes you the happiest. 8-10 hours per day is a long time to spend at a job that you're indifferent to.

    • bluesky on 04/08/2019 - 17:07
      +3

      Good on her - it is exactly my sentiment.
      “The secret of success is making your vocation your vacation.” ― Mark Twain
      If you are having fun, you will work harder and with more passion, you will progress faster and the money will most likely follow later.

  • qwerty on 04/08/2019 - 14:02

    How long have you been at job 3 ?

  • Changskies on 04/08/2019 - 14:25
    +2

    Don't chase money, chase progression. Which company is the most reputable / growth focused out of the three? Have you spoke about growth and progression during your conversation? Which company has their employees scouted from competitors? All these to factor in.

  • yellowfever on 04/08/2019 - 15:06

    You can ask employer option 1 to offer you equal pay to option 2. If you think it's the same job.

    If walking is your main commute to work and that's a priority then option 1 is relevant.

    But like what someone said above, you need to consider growth and progression.
    Did you get a feel of who your colleagues would be? Where you'll be sitting everyday? Who your direct manager is? Is he/she seem like a tool? What were your first impressions?
    The person that interviews you, will they be in charge? You can discuss and have mutual agreements with the interviewer if they have capacity to make decisions. You should get a feel of that.
    Unless they are just the HR lady/guy then that would be difficult to gauge.

    Option 1 may be shorter to walk to but it could be a miserable daily walk if you didn't do your homework.

  • kmwa on 04/08/2019 - 15:09

    You're asking for personal opinions, so…
    I would definitely go for Option 2 as it is the maximum money and it would compel me to walk for an hour a day.
    Working regular exercise into my daily schedule is priceless. As I got fitter, I would start jogging it, and then start going the long way round to keep each trip at 30 minutes.
    I would carry a change of clothes in a backpack, and shower and change when I got to work.
    I would develop physical fitness and mental resilience in going out in all weathers, which would make me more effective in my sit-down 8 hours a day job.
    But that's just me.

    • whooah1979 on 04/08/2019 - 15:27

      Or op could spend two hours at the gym getting a proper workout.

  • jjjaar on 04/08/2019 - 18:26
    +1

    My current job has been hiring new people for a few years with new job titles and roles they never had before. Recently, most of these people have been made redundant as the company didn’t know how to facilitate the new role properly, they didn’t back the staff enough and as a result, the staff weren’t meeting enough KPIs in bringing in work/profit.

    In addition, sometimes moving companies keeps you fresh.

    • tallkid123 on 04/08/2019 - 21:24
      +1

      This all happened to me 2 weeks ago - Started new role late last year. No proper facilitation and mismanagement the whole time. Then finally made redundant.

      Now back in the market looking for work, I'm interviewing for roles paying $20-30k higher than what I was previously on.

      It's all part of life. Don't take it personally. Don't look back and move forward.

      • Icecold5000 on 05/08/2019 - 16:38

        Happens a lot. Always be looking if you feel that the company is going nowhere.

  • bluesky on 04/08/2019 - 18:30
    +1

    OP, adding my 2c about Offer 3: In the big picture, being given the opportunity to start a new area in the company, can be worth more than any pay rise another company can offer. Of course, this has to be weighted with other factors – like, how you feel about the work involved in the new area, how likely this area is to grow in the future, etc.

    Being initially the big fish in a small pond, which you help to grow, can have a few advantages. You will probably have high autonomy. When the team expands, if you have done a good job, you will most likely be in charge. And can mould the area/team however you want.

    Even if you leave later on, it is great on the resume, to be the first to start a new area in a company. Opens up a lot more job opportunities.

    So, take this into account as well.

  • lainey13 on 04/08/2019 - 19:20

    Really people? If you were on 60k a year and you got a job offer for 90k you'd turn it down that quickly??

    • whooah1979 on 05/08/2019 - 05:39

      It is $45k to ~$65k to $67k.

      Always go for the one that pays the highest rate per hour.

  • terrys on 05/08/2019 - 08:13

    Only take offer three if you have already picked out your cardigan. THen again, Bluesky has a point…

    • bluesky on 05/08/2019 - 16:06

      I have done this a few times and can recommend, because the rewards are immense.
      Not talking about short-term monetary rewards, which will naturally follow later on. The experience gained is invaluable. Growing a team organically, you get to know the roles well, which also has the advantage your subordinates do not regard you as some pointy hat manager (Dilbert) :-)

      But it can also be a huge responsibility and the person must be ready for it.

      • bluesky on 07/08/2019 - 05:56
        +1

        … pointy hat haired manager (Dilbert) :-)

  • ozbjunkie on 05/08/2019 - 18:36

    If you want to explore the new role, go for it. Extra pay can't buy work satisfaction in my experience anyway.

    If it's all about money, work out whether 12 minutes X 2 directions per day is worth 5% of your pay. I would take the longer walk because it would force me to do a little more exercise each day.

    Congrats on the win win win situation though.

Login or Join to leave a comment
Login Join