To take a lower paying job just to have a job

[Boohoolol]

I’ve recently been made redundant. because of a health condition, it’s easier for me to work remotely (I’m 2 hours away from major cities where the jobs are:
the commute can be tricky if I’m ill)

I’ve been offered a new job: however, the salary is significantly less than what I left (approx £20k PA) however after tax it’s really just £10k less.

DH thinks I should hang fire and see if I find something nearer to my previous salary; but I’m thinking a lower paying job is better than no job.

any thoughts or experiences?

Can you take it and still look for a better salaried job? Money coming in whilst your looking

Yes this ^^

Take the job and keep looking. Unless you’re in the fortunate position where money doesn’t matter. Have you tried negotiating the salary?

I did this, I took a 3/4 salary pay cut to fit around the children & avoid ££ childcare. I tripled my salary after 3 years so I'd say take the job as it's easy to get another while you're employed.

Take the job and keep looking.

Take it amc keep looking for a job closer to your previous salary.

the role has salary bandings: so they can’t offer any more.

in fairness, i got my last job when salaries for the industry were going wild: for the type of work I thought it was overpaid (but obviously still took the money)

I have enough in savings to take roughly a year out: but I don’t really want to drain the savings

Realistically is there anything else to appt for? If not I would go for it, use your savings for the shortfall if you find yourself needing it. You’ve then bought yourself some time to find something else.

Can you work remotely in the new job? Given how far the cities are from your home that's a major pro.

Take the job and keep looking if the salary reduction feels too much of a compromise, for some odd reason it’s much easier to look for a job if you already have one

I would definitely take it and see how it goes.

Sorry! Wrong post !

the role has salary bandings: so they can’t offer any more.

I wish more people would argue against this as its total bollocks. You can always offer more if you need to even where there are bandings. Ive seen it loads.

Ways it happens

• a job simply gets rebanded when candidates (men!) refuse to accept poor pay
• men tend to successfully insist on going in top of band while women believe its "impossible".

HR teams often create rules like no promotions within x months of joining, no pay rises exceeding X% etc. I have seen exceptions made for all the rules going.

I would still try to negotiate if I were you. But is it fully remote? I just took a £5k pay cut for a fully remote job Vs my previous job which was hybrid.

Factor in savings made by not commuting would reduce difference in salary too. Plus quality of life improves not commuting plus more time for yourself seems like a win to me especially if your health is uncertain

Sounds like the previous job was a bit of a one off if the salary didn’t match the skill set. Hence the redundancy. Yes take the job that’s on offer.

£10k less take home a year.

Let’s say your new job take home is £3.5k. If you can start the new one 3 months earlier than hanging out for something else then over the next year you’ll be financially better off than waiting for something else.

That may make it a more straightforward decision.

Take it and keep an eye out. Agree with others to try negotiate a better starting salary regardless of banding nonsense.

To your husbands point:

My last job was wildly overpaid but I ended up very unhappy and made the move last year to a better/more interesting/strategic role for less money - a bigger drop than you've mentioned.

My job search really brought home that my old salary was indexed way above broader industry averages and I'd never have matched it. Plus the job market is dire right now.

I would take the job if that is what you - not your DH - want to do, unless it wouldn’t leave you with enough money to pay mortgage and essentials.
The job market is not buoyant at the minute and it can be quite soul destroying.It sounds like it offers what you need in terms of location and role and it’s better to be earning something than burning through your redundancy pay.

Sadly I don’t think this is true in a lot of jobs. Where I work they get enough applicants not to move the banding at all and won’t start anyone past the mid-point of the band.

I'd take it. I took a job that was £20k less than the previous one I was made redundant from., but I knew I was unlikely to match my previous salary unless I went into London, and I didn't want to. I left after 5 months for my current job, which isclose but not quite as much as my original salary - I didn't actually move because of the money, but because my teamlead turned out to be a micromanager, but the money certainly made the decision easier.

Unless the job is going to actively damage your CV or something, take the job.

I’d take it. Better not to have large gaps and any income is better than none.

Take it then it also allows you to be picky over what else you apply for.
You might even be able to get an internal promotion.

The new job pays significantly more than nothing though.

Take it, start earning. After a couple of months or so, the overall annual pay will be better than your old job for a year!