Job dilemma

[Peakedin1997]

I'm looking for some advice please.

I had an interview for a new job yesterday. I think it went quite well. However I am undecided whether I should take the job if I'm offered it.

The role sounds interesting and a step up from what I'm doing, but the salary is a bit lower on paper (but it would be more hours than I work now so my actual take home pay would be slightly higher).

As well as the pay, the pension is worse, and it's less annual leave.

On the other hand it's something I would enjoy. There's no direct career progression but it would give me new skills.

I'm mid 40s and have kids. I'm knackered and perimenopausal, don't hate my current job but am a little bored.

Wwyd? Should I take the job, stay where I am for now, or look for something better?

So you’re exhausted and are looking at longer hours for less pay per hour.

Have you exhausted all options to make current job more interesting? Could you go to manager with project proposal to change something?

Could you negotiate higher pay with new job? If they want you, that’s the time to ask.

Peri menopause is a funny time. I wanted to move house, not unhappy with old house. Just wanted big dramatic change. Covid happened so we didn’t move and feelings passed.

It seems like a poor choice to take in more hours if you are struggling with exhaustion.

Is the commute for each comparable, can you work from home in either? Are they similar in terms of physical labour? Is one a paramedic and the other a receptionist?

There are lots of things to consider here.

Unless you’re shaving 2 hours a day for commuting off due to the new job being WFH or something, it seems like it wouldn’t be a good move for you.

You’re losing pay and benefits in real terms for a side step at best. And (presumably) you’d lose your 2 years service!

I would honestly keep looking.

There’s no dilemma
there's no financial, developmental or other benefits in taking this new job
i would keep looking

Thanks for the replies. I think I know deep down it isn't a sensible thing to do.

Commute is basically the same. I think the new role would be quite flexible in terms of hours and wfh, although those are details I'd check if I were offered the role. Both are pretty desk based.

Current role is public sector so I'm on a fixed salary band (although not quite at the top of it yet so my pay will increase slightly per year for the next couple of years).

Just because this new job may not be right for you, doesn’t mean that another one wouldn’t be.
And do see if you can get involved in something more interesting at your current job. Look for a project that’s either ongoing or find one and propose it. There must be something that is inefficient. You could propose to research best practice and recommend some improvements.

You can also channel that urge for change into something outside of work that you’ve always been interested in but put off.

Is the new job also public sector? If not, do you need to think about adding pensions into the comparison? If you’re currently in a DB scheme and would be moving out of one I’d want a higher salary to compensate.

No it isn't, so that's definitely a factor. I'm in the lgps and have been for years.

This really resonates with me around wanting to do impulsive things now I'm peri. It might just be that sense of time slipping through my fingers, or my kids are both diagnosed with adhd and I may have some traits myself that are becoming more noticeable.