Which job would you choose?

[user1461609321]

Happy Boxing Day everyone

Need to make a decision pretty quickly about my job

Essentially I am in a role I have settled into temporarily, it was a step up the ladder from my previous role, and at the start quite difficult but have now got the hand of things

I took a chance as the job is about an hrs commute from home but not too difficult a journey in London, though of course wfh all year has been nice

I am thinking of now going permanent in new role to benefit from pension, leave and job security.

Being permanent will mean a bit less money but I am hoping that long term this will be a better option for me as my pension is currently very minimal

Now I have been offered same role at my previous job, same pay also permanent which is walking distance from home

Issue is that my previous role has gone through many structural changes, some which will make it harder working there, plus they have less money for services they provide which again will add stress when doing the role.

Third option is I could keep temping for more take home money every week

Another issue is eldest is due to start secondary in September, we won't know until March when school places are revealed

If son gets option 1 school place, it is 4 train stops away from home. If we go independently he will attend a school in our borough 15mins drive away, but obviously this has a massive cost implication but obviously would be more affordable if I am locuming

We will have another child in yr 5 at this time in a local school

Husband has been doing school runs, though I may have to assist with taking eldest to school in the mornings by Tain before heading to work once restrictions are lifted

Ideally I would stay in current role, but worried about logistics of everything

As I have the 2 job offers. I need to let my employers know asap which way I will be going after Christmas

What would you do?

Anyone....?

@user1461609321

Anyone....?

Good lord it has only been four minutes since your first post. 😀

You haven’t really explained the jobs very well so it is hard to make any kind of judgement. What do you mean by “same role at previous job”? Do you mean previous employer? You are using new role, old role, job, employer interchangeably and you mention that you could keep temping at home but also you said you had an hours commute. So it was quite hard to follow.

One thing that struck me though, whilst pension and annual leave are definitely things you should factor into decision making, no job is permanent these days and I would put less emphasis on that.

I'm so confused. Don't know. Sorry

One with the pension and most flexibility.
Is there an option to negotiate an increase in package?

Sorry about that was just anxious to get a response

Both jobs with the local authority. In my last role I was an assistant, now in current role I am the team manager

In the assistant role, I was closer to home but in team manager role it is a hours commute away (but due to covid have been WFH a lot, so commute less of an issue)

I was thinking however that when restrictions are lifted, we will all be expected in the office more so the 1hr commute will be a daily thing

Now the job I was an assistant in has offered me a team manager role, it is closer to home etc but I think it will be difficult to work there due to budget cuts and change of structure which means staff are taking on more work for the same pay, feeling underfunded so more likely to be disgruntled and harder to manage

With all this going on, oldest will be going to secondary next year, so was not sure if I should work closer to home because of this though DH runs his own business and does the school runs etc

Then as previously mentioned I am worried about pensions, stability etc

You already know which one you want. The rest is head chatter and only confusing you. Go with what you want - your brain will only mess with your head, confuse you, provide rumination fodder and generally make the decision way harder than it needs to be.

Listen to your instinctive reaction. Eventually you will force your brain to that anyway - this just cuts out the shenanigans

But I am unsure my heart says be permanent where you are, you are being offered a good package, love your team/ manager, and the commute is not so bad

my head says be closer to home/ or remain in current locum role and just keep going for the money though you have less stability

Always go with your heart. I would agree, stay in your current role and go to permanent. Negotiate some days working from home each week as well as office time.

Be permanent in your new role. You left the old team for a reason.

Temp work is risky as you know.

As for the travel to school, can you practice it with your son and he does it alone after a week or two? I assume the trains are tubes given the number of them. Is there a school bus service for either school?

How old are you?

Can't you pay into a private pension?

I've just accepted a new job which has meant I'm going from 15 hours a week to 35. Once I've taken off the cost of childcare and a dog walker, I'm making no more money than I am already BUT the company sounds amazing, the job interesting g and I get more benefits.
I would go for the perment position where you are if you are happy there and leave the other job in the past

Can you negotiate permanent WFH days with the perm London role? 2 days from home could make a big difference in how you can balance everything.

I returned to an old employer last year. The day I went to collect my laptop it all came flooding back why I had wanted to leave the first time.

I lasted a year and have now left again, never to return!

@RandomMess

How old are you?

Can't you pay into a private pension?

Hi

I am 36, I had a local government pension a few years ago but took the money out to purchase my home, I don't think that I currently have any pension, and whilst I am a few years off retirement, I know that putting some money away is better than nothing even at this stage

I know that people say that you can put money away in a private pension but it seems when locuming you end up spending all of your money the same way that you would do if permanent, it becomes your new normal

@BootsScootsAndToots

Can you negotiate permanent WFH days with the perm London role? 2 days from home could make a big difference in how you can balance everything.

I returned to an old employer last year. The day I went to collect my laptop it all came flooding back why I had wanted to leave the first time.

I lasted a year and have now left again, never to return!

Literally that is my fear! Even most of my old long standing colleagues have left my old employer, I do not believe that any new changes there have been for the best

So you are 36 with no pension yet seriously considering to pay for private school?

Which ever job you take it sounds like you need to start ploughing money into your pension and can you really afford private school for 2 DC?

Unfortunately I am

Oh God, stay where you are with the team that you love. I have recently returned to my old employers and regret it.
Is that really the only 2 options for schooling for your son? Is the local comp bad? We turned down free private school places for our DC as the travelling would have been awful. They flourished at the local state school and I can't see how they would have got better grades/unis/careers even if we had gone down the private route.

@HunterGatherer

Oh God, stay where you are with the team that you love. I have recently returned to my old employers and regret it. Is that really the only 2 options for schooling for your son? Is the local comp bad? We turned down free private school places for our DC as the travelling would have been awful. They flourished at the local state school and I can't see how they would have got better grades/unis/careers even if we had gone down the private route.

The state option is not bad at all, as it will be a top catholic boys school that is literally 4 train stops away so not bad at all

The independent school is within our borough but a 15min drive away so husband could still do school run for both children

To be fair I prefer the state option as I would like them to continue catholic education and the outcomes for the children there are great eg high Oxbridge places secured

I’d say, stay in your current job, go permanent. You know you like it and you have good benefits, start building up your pension it’s so important.

You will work out the logistics. They are by no means showstoppers.

You don’t know what you’d be walking back into going back to your old place. You’re already doubting it would be enjoyable so listen to your gut. You’d lose what you have now.

Cross the school bridge when you come to that ans know what your options are.
Conjecturing about it now is only adding unhelpful chatter to your decision.

Work where you feel happiest. The stress of a longer commute is nothing compared to dreading going to work and dealing with the extra mental load even if it is on your doorstep.