To turn down a 3x salary job?

[Fressia123]

I'm really really torn. Earlier in the year I got offered a job that pays £60k. I couldn't take it as it required relocation. They just got back to me to say they're happy to offer same role, different location but within commuting distance (1 hour drive). My current job pays £21k. I love what I'm building with it but I seriously doubt it will ever get beyond £30k. So it's between loving my company/job and the £££s. I'm absolutely torn.

@Fressia123

We'd still pay childcare as I'd like some hours to rest/sleep,but yes very similar to you *@Blondeshavemorefun*

I slept when toddler did

Now she’s at Pre school so sleep then

Obv my shorts are short term so do get sleep some weeks /nights

Take it. I know much depends on what stage of life you are at, what other commitments you have, the work environment, family friendly policies, etc.etc. but none of that is likely to outweigh the difference between 20K and 60K which is the difference between making ends meet but nothing left for extras and actually having enough money to enjoy life. It's much easier to go back to 21K from 60K if it doesn't work out, than it ever would be to find that opportunity again. What's holding you back? If you have that awful feeling of not being able to live up to it, can I please (kindly) suggest you give yourself a stern talking to about being more than capable of pulling it off

Going from 20k to 60!! Why are you even thinking about it? Take it!!!

Depends. I could work for a city law firm and earn twice my current salary, but would be working 16 hour days. I'd rather see my family and not lose my physical and mental heath. Money isn't everything - above a certain level anyway.

It's the future prospects of my current job/industry. It's an industry I'm extremely passionate about and I don't want to leave it.

I wouldn't be so fast. Be very careful with the actual take home money. Look at the hours and working conditions and remember to factor in your commute time and costs, tax bands, pension contributions and if on commission base the move on your basic take home salary.

Commissions tend to get heavily cut during recession and financially hard times.

I'm mid 40's and work life balance is more important to me than a huge salary with responsibilities. But that's mainly because I've done it, know the compromises and although we're far from loaded we can afford an ok life.

This is a really interesting thread! I know that in my experience, I burned out of teaching and I would never go back to that career for any salary. I couldn’t sell my peace of mind and my sanity for any price. So I wouldn’t let salary be the only factor in a career decision. I now do something which I love and am passionate about and it is worth so much.

That said, when I switched career, my salary that year quadrupled so I also understand what an unbelievable difference money and financial security make in life and how much easier things are when you aren’t living pay cheque to pay cheque and stressing about bills and it would be hard to turn that down.

So, if I thought a job would do to me what teaching did - I’d rather starve! But if it was just a job that I wasn’t as passionate about but would be tolerable and could lead to other opportunities then in your position I would probably take it.

Could you use this offer to open discussions with your current employer?

I will definitely talk to my manager and CEO about this offer, I just need a timeline of my career with them.

Take the job. You can love your new job too. You're just that kind of person and that's why they want you. If you don't like it, you can apply for another one at £70k next year. They wouldn't offer you the job if they didn't think you could do it.

Think of your work career stretching over the next 30 years.

Are you really prepared to work for 20 years for FREE for your current company because you love it so much? Is that what an astute businesswoman would do?

I promise you will completely regret it if you don't take this opportunity.

@crosspelican

There is NOTHING to feel torn about. 100% take it.

Put the commute to solid use while you're at it and use it to learn another language or something career-advancing. You're obviously on an upward trajectory here, so lean into it.

I tried this. Turns out you can’t concentrate on learning Italian and all the idiots sharing a motorway with you. It’s extremely dangerous 😬

I wouldn’t just weigh up this role with current job vs new role at Amazon. Amazon is far more than just e commerce, Amazon music, Alexa, AWS, Twitch, Audible etc the opportunities are fantastic even just beyond the ops role offered.

A lot of posters here seem to see the increased salary and little else here, but I think you are right to be wary and consider other aspects too.

Money is nice and is very important, of course it is. It really isn’t everything though. In the past I have moved jobs from a small company that I really loved and was well settled in to one that offered more pay. It was a huge mistake and I was so unhappy and disillusioned that I had to leave after just 6 weeks. They expected far too much, provided no guidance or training and there was a huge culture of misogyny and bullying.

I’m not saying that that is necessarily the case with Amazon. I don’t know. From what you say about antisocial hours and shifts though my guess is that they will want their pound of flesh (and for £60k it will be a big pound). Your contracted hours could end up just an on-paper concept and the work- life balance a distant dream.

Those would be my reservations anyway. Just stuff to consider, especially as you say that you enjoy the industry you are currently in and don’t seem happy to leave it.

Use the opportunity to open a proper dialogue with your current employer regarding salary. Explain your dilemmas and reservations and see what they say.

Before anyone accuses me of being wealthy and able to afford to turn down big salary rises, I’m not. Our household income was similar to OP’s until I was made redundant earlier this year, with little prospect of more employment in the medium term at least. I’ve also been on the bones of my arse before and that isn’t a position I ever want to end up in again.

Topseyt agree with you. Many jumping straight in with take the job. All sorts of things to consider, money is only a small part of it.

From what they've said moving from logistics to proper corporate isn't that easy (though not impossible).

But it's true, I love my industry, I love my colleagues and the freedom to be able to build my own project, hiring who I like etc...

And yes of course salary would be still tiny in comparison but title wise I would be even higher than the £60k job

I think that making sure the company has a good ethos is implicit in advising anybody to take any job. I don't think anybody on the thread would be advising OP to move just for the money if the employer was called 'We Treat Our Employees Poorly Dot Com''.

But you have all kinds of issues with your partner from your previous threads.

How is it going to work for you if he’s the one around more because you’re doing weird shifts? He would be setting himself up to be the main carer for your baby for eg.

Also. Why did you apply to Amazon in the first place and what role did you apply to?

As a slight aside, aren't you revealing a lot about yourself on here?

Unless you've changed some key details?

Alexa is probably reading this.

How have you needed to even consider this for more than a millisecond?

OP, is it the music industry or this particular company that you are passionate about? Because you could move from Amazon into a logistics role with one of the bigger music companies for a proper salary in the industry you love. Even a year at Amazon would open doors and if a great job came up at a key music industry company you could honestly say you are applying because you want to move back in.

It's both in a way. I love the potential and love the industry.

DP works nights for Amazon. Not at same grade as you. His experience of how they have treated him as an employee have been good. Much better than his experience in education as a teacher! He gets bonuses, shares, private health and dental care. He is treated fairly in terms of targets , performance etc.
He commutes too, so family life is different to most. I work long days at the opposite end of the week to him. We only sit and eat together once or maybe twice a week. He loses a weekend day due to sleep pattern. But for us it works and he’s happy at work.

I'm trying to think of what kind of job pays 21k in one company but 60k in another.

I haven’t read many of the threads referenced by pp but just from your long thread in P&D you are in a tricky housing situation in a part of the country where salaries are low. I understand the points that pp are making but career passion projects are a luxury that few can afford. There are ways of engaging with your beloved music industry which are not paid employment.

@Hayyancairo2 they're completely different jobs.