To change job or not?

[doistayordoigo]

Looking for advice please...I'll try to be as concise as possible. I am considering applying for a job, I've listed the comparisons with my current job below...kids are nearly 15 and 12, husband works shifts.

Current Job
Term time only so all school holidays off
30 hours a week so able to drop off/pick up kids from school
Very local

Possible New Job
Full time
37.5 hours a week
About a half hour drive away, country roads
Kids would have to walk home from school and would be alone a fair bit in the holidays

Net pay rise would be about £4,700, although would need to allow at least £1,125 for increased petrol costs. May need to get second car.

What would you do? Go for the job or wait for something more local?

How old are the children? If they're at secondary school, then I doubt walking home or entertaining themselves would be too much of an issue, but if they're still at primary, that's more of a logistical puzzle.

What will the new job offer that the current one doesn't? Will it be more challenging? Will it be more interesting? Will you be getting better experience? Will it be a stepping stone to something better?

If it's only about hours and pay, then I probably wouldn't bother - but I'm guessing it's not, and you need to work out a list of pros and cons and see how they balance out.

Also, applying for it doesn't mean you're committed to taking it - if you get an interview, then that's also an opportunity for you to find out more information about the job, and get any questions you have answered, particularly anything which might be a dealbreaker for you.

Kids are nearly 15 and 12, so both at secondary. Current job is going nowhere, literally treading water, new job would probably be more enjoyable, dealing with the public, more sociable. Not sure whether there would be scope for progression or not, but would give me different experience.

I've recently been for two other interviews, which my current employers are aware of, the first I was offered the job but turned it down because I didn't feel it was the right job for me, the second I was not offered. I don't want my current employers to think I'm constantly going for interviews with no intention of actually changing jobs!

I wouldn't. What you have now sounds like bliss! Even though your children are older you will still benefit with those school holidays off. And, to have a local job...bliss! It isn't worth it for the salary increase you would get.
Take it from someone who has to commute and hardly gets any time off in school hols .

My commute is the bane of my life, and childcare for school holidays is tricky. If I were you, I'd stay in the current job - it wins hands down on practicality.

Thanks for the opinions...DH's shifts mean he works two days 7am to 4pm, two days 2pm to midnight, two days 10pm to 7am, then four days off, so they wouldn't have no-one around all of the time during the holidays. We also have a lot of family locally (parents and sister in the next street) so there would generally be people around.

It might sound like bliss, having all the holidays, and in some ways it is...but you end up working really intensively in seven week blocks, then spending the first part of the holidays recovering! I'm finding as they're getting older, they potter off doing their own thing and I sit doing not a lot or catching up on cleaning The new job has quite generous holidays - 26 days + 8 bank holidays (rising to 28 after three years) as well as the option to buy back 3 more, so potentially 37 rising to 39...so while I get 13 weeks now this would eventually offer nearly 8 weeks.

I'm also not particularly happy where I am - not unhappy as such but there has been a lot of change, and the new management drive me batty. The new job is with a charity we already support and have dealings with, which is what really appeals...admittedly the timing is off by a few years, and the distance will always be what it is, hence my dithering....

Despite my earlier post, I think you should try for the new job. The commute and hours are not particularly onerous.

I say go for it too.

Well, I have sent the application, so we will see. We will be doing the drive in the next few days, so I'll be able to see how it feels, and how long it actually takes in reality.

It's not a 37.5 hour week though because you are adding 5 hours of commuting. You'll be going from 30 hours to 42.5 hours. You may also find that the new organisation is understaffed like most workplaces at the moment and you will end up doing additional hours just to stay on top of things. Based on that, what is the hourly rate for each job?

Also remember that you might still be working intensively continually with no rest except for the 26 + 8 days holiday. If you struggle to get the cleaning done now you will find it even harder when you only have evenings and weekends.

I have worked full time, part-time and not at all. By far the best work-life balance for me was 30 hours a week (but not term time).

Do not underestimate what a difference additional hours will make.

Further to the previous conversation about whether I should go for the job, I applied but didn't get an interview...all that angst for nothing

However, the situation how now changed slightly. We have been advised that there are going to be a restructure and redundancies at work, and whilst I don't think it will be me (never say never though) those left behind will presumably be expected to pick up the workloads of those that have gone, which will not be fun.

There is now another job being advertised at the same location as before, but more money again. The net increase would be nearly £6,000 (gross increase £9,575), same additional benefits.

I should apply, shouldn't I?

Do you not trust yourself to make a decision?

Well obviously not, or I wouldn't have asked initially

Honestly though, the situation at our current workplace has got us all tied up in knots and we've all had our confidence shattered by twelve months of gradual undermining.

Go for it! Good luck

Yes, go for it.