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WWYD, apply for a management role or wait and try to build self-employed work?

2 replies

Thetimeshop · 12/05/2026 11:07

A management position has come up where I work. I work on a small team, professional role but meagre salary. The promotion would mean managing a team (not necessarily the same team I am on).

My role is very easy. I am paid for 8 hours a day, most days I would say they get 2-3 hours of work out of me. Not because I don't want to do work, I have always been a hard worker but because there just isn't any! I am paid to answer the phone to clients, do paperwork, deal with complex cases. Sometimes the phone rings 5 times a day for quick queries, sometimes it's less than that but longer calls, sometimes there's hardly any other work to do.

I am struggling to live on what I earn now what with everything going up. I think I could do the job, I've been at the company for two years and seen all there is to see, decent knowledge, I think I am well liked enough.. I have been in management before but that was 2013!

I have applied for many jobs over the last year or so but got nowhere at all and when I say 'many' I mean as many as possible, there really doesn't seem to be much out there overall.

What is putting me off is;

I don't like my job and ideally I want to exit the whole toxic industry as I have been trying to.

Come winter, I have a contract for a self-employed position that will boost my income hugely. I am not going to give that up, It's a fantastic opportunity and the same field but different role that I really enjoy doing, and I am concerned that this job may interfere with it (It's on evenings to begin with but could expand).

Following on from that, once that position begins, I will be earning enough and may not appreciate the extra stress and commitment that management brings.

I currently work four days a week. This position would be five. I do enjoy my long weekends despite finances.

The alternative would be stick where I am and then when the self-employed position begins, try to grow that and cut down to three days a week where I am not, keeping the PAYE security while I build my business up.

This is a limbo period.

WWYD?

OP posts:
Blueroses99 · 12/05/2026 15:19

I’d take the management job. Keep your options open in 6 months time when the other job comes up.

Thetimeshop · 13/05/2026 11:12

Thank you
Yes, I guess I don't have to stick with it long term. A lot may change before then.

OP posts:
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