To give up my 100% WFH job?

[Benji92]

Hi there,

I joined my company just over a year and half ago and always had the ambition to become a Manager from day 1, letting my own line manager know.

My company is going through a redesign within my department. There have been talks for over a year now and no one knows what will come out of that. My manager says that he can't promise me if/when there'll be a Manager position will open up.

Recently a position opened up in another department, which would practically mean a promotion if I got the job.

Current job:
-Senior Associate
-100% WFH
-£33k
-Easy job

New job:
-Manager
-2 days in the office (I'll need to relocate but I wouldn't mind, in fact might be better for me as I'm considering moving there regardless)
-£40k
-Boring and demanding job

Of course there's a chance I might not get the job but the hiring manager thinks very highly of me and I'd be a very strong candidate. I just want to make my mind up fully before applying not to mess them about.

My friends think I'm being unreasonable for wanting to leave my 100% remote job for not much gain. Would you apply for the new position?

Go for it!! If you have no kids, why on earth would you work from home and not head into the office and network a few days a week?! Always go for the higher position - be ambitious! You can go for comfy and easy in 10years time!!

There are many, many reasons why WFH suits people other than having children, and people with children also need to go to the office and network.

I personally couldn’t WFH FT, so I’m a bit biased.

In every job I’ve had, I’ve met so many great colleagues and it’s nice being able to drive with your music blaring or catch the bus with your headphones on listening to an audiobook etc and its nice to get up early and out of the house and really separate the work/life balance.

The fact that this is hybrid would be absolutely perfect!

I would love to work PT in the office because you literally have the best of both worlds.

The money is still a lot more than you’re on now which will be really helpful when it comes to buying (I would save that extra £7k for a deposit).

Relocating wouldn’t be an issue for me either, as I think it’s good to explore new places.
You’re also single with no kids and I think it’s a bit sad that you spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week by yourself and think that relocating may be really good for you.

You want to get into a manager position which this is too.

The only downside I can see is the actual job role in itself.
Boring and in demand - I could possibly cope with boring if I led an exciting life outside of work but if it’s demanding then I’d take some time to consider it.

If it was me, I would jump at it.
The fact that its hybrid will also make it less boring.

I gave up a work from home job for a hybrid (two days in the office, if something comes up though and I want to wfh it's never an issue) role and have never looked back.

I would say that boring and demanding is the worst combination for a job.

7k, after tax and the additional travel costs for 2 days a week is going to wipe a significant portion of that.

For a boring, but demanding role.

Is the title Manager worth it? Could it be a great stepping stone to something better in a year or so?

If I was young and career driven I might. At my age not a chance.

No brainer really if the house prices are half the price in the area you’d be relocating to, (and you had already thought of moving there), and you want to buy in the near future. Higher salary will also help with mortgage viability.

Being in a position to have the opportunity of owning your own home is much more important than doing a two day a week commute. The increase in seniority will also pave the way to higher paid roles in future.

Take the job, then look forward to the next promotion.
You'd never jump 2 pay grades at the same time.

The Salary Calculator suggests take home on 33K is £26,871 or £2,239.25 a month. At 40K its £31,771 take home a year or £2647.58 a month. (no student loan or pension taken from that of course).

So your take home would be £4,900 more a year, or £408.33 more each month depending on student loan deductions and pension payments.

What is your housing situation? Would you be looking at a house sale including survey/solicitor/estate agent fees/stamp duty? or a move of a rental property which might make it difficult to find a property.

If the logistics of finding somewhere to live are OK and you would like to live in the new area I would just go with your gut of whether you would like to do it or not. There is not much financial incentive considering a move is involved but if you feel ready for a new challenge could be OK?

Do it! It's a stepping stone, you don't want to stay in your current role and on 33k forever. 40k is a big jump and will definitely help when applying for a mortgage.

Thing is, maybe it's not a HUGE amount but how long would it take to get to that salary in current job?

I have doubled my salary in 18 months, I would NEVER have got to the same salary had I stayed in my easy work from home job.

I do 1-2 days a week in the office/lab a week usually 6 days a month. I couldn't go back to full time in the office and if I do too many 2 day weeks in a row I start to struggle but I do find the weeks when I'm only at home tough too. It breaks up the week and it's good to catch up with colleagues in person.

I find any jobs that are less demanding a lot harder and a bigger drain on my resources than jobs that when work is more engaging and keeps me on my toes.

Christ I'm glad you said this, I was getting really concerned.

I would do it.

You're looking at moving anyway.

But then I voluntarily go into my office once a week and that's a 4/5 hour round trip drive....

@Benji92

if I was single & already looking to move there and could buy a house there, I'd take the job.

when I was sorted with a house AND bored with the job then I'd be making loud noises to move up the ladder & if nothing was offered I'd start looking for a new job.

seems the best of options to me!!

Depends where you are in your career. It would not be the right match for me, been there, done that, now happy in my little niche. But 20 years ago it would totally have been worth it to build my cv and progress.

it all sounds great except the boring part. I know I wouldn’t do a boring yet demanding job well. Could you look for a completely different job that is a step up but also something you’d actually enjoy.

This. A lot of these responses are incredibly short-sighted and to me, demonstrates a key problem when it comes to some women's attitude to work. It's not about this job, it's about what this job will lead to-you should always think two jobs ahead (if you want to climb the career ladder).

The OP says that she wants to be in management and she had already been considering relocating to that particular area. So this way, she gets to do both while also securing a £7k pay rise. While that might not make a huge difference to her take home pay/standard of living now, it is likely to pay off a couple of years down the line. Why stay where you are and stagnate?

Two years ago I decided I wanted to relocate to a new city and wanted to throw everything behind my career. So I took a job in a new city that 'only' paid me £6k more. Yes, it cost me a lot of money to move, but I knew that my career would not go anywhere in my chosen industry where I was, and I wanted a new challenge. I learnt a hell of a lot in that job, and now I have a new role in management in a different organisation in my new home city. In the last two years and two job changes my pay has increased by over 30% from the job I had, I have a much better pension, and am in a management position. Not to mention it directly led to lots of positive changes in my personal life.

I say go for it OP.

For me being bored in a job is the worst thing ever. I’m an accountant, hardly scintillating for many, but I actually enjoy my job including the parts which many people would find dull as ditchwater.

I have zero idea what OP’s job is but if she is describing it as boring it’s not a great sign of a successful future.

That’s all my thoughts are based on.
l

If you don't have any other considerations at the moment e.g kids or caring responsibilities, I would go for it. It may be a small raise now but in the long run these things can be a springboard elsewhere. I would suck it up for a year whilst working towards the next step. Don't stagnate just because it's easy, you may find yourself stuck if your personal life then means more things tie you down.

Based on your latest update re house prices and career opps I'd go for it.

its not just about this move - what about the next one? Which has better prospects/would give better experience?
I did a side move years ago which I didn’t not expect to enjoy because I knew it would be good for my experience and after 2 years (reasonable min time to demonstrate success in a role) I could either come back more senior to the original department or it would open doors to more departments.

I recently went from just over 33k to £41k and honestly it’s not as much of a difference as you probably think it will be in your pay each month. I’m still 100% wfh but I wouldn’t have taken it if I had to relocate and actually go into the office, would literally lose the small amount extra I’m now earning each month!

Personally I'd want to stay put, but I'm not you and noone can say whether you'd be right to move or not as it totally depends on your personal feelings and preferences.

What you need to factor in are things like how much of the extra will go in tax - I once got a pay increase that worked out about an extra £5 a week! And commuting those two days, not being able to prep a lunch or snack at home, any extra clothing expenses you might have etc. Suddenly that "extra" £7K might find you with less take-home pay than your current role. Factor in any extra unpaid hours and commute time as well and the pay may not look that attractive.

If you think it will be a great boost in terms of your job prospects and it could result in a job at the new location with a vastly improved salary within three years then it may be worth considering the upheaval. I once took a paycut for a job like that and within a few years was in a much better job position earning a great salary so it can be worth it.

The website take home pay calculator allows you to compare the take home pay of two salaries and can be good for seeing what the benefit in your pocket will be for a new job or role.

Another thing to compare if the pension contributions for both jobs....it's your future wage afterall