another which job dilemma

[Paperholder]

I am in my mid fifties, I work in a public sector organisations where there will be a lot of redundancies in the near future. I enjoy my job, but tbh have always felt a bit like a square peg in a round hole. I am a decent performer, but wouldn't be 100% confident that I wouldn't be made redundant. I am not that confident that I would find it that easy to get another job, I think the public sector is likely to continue to shrink.

I have been asked to apply for a job in a charity and I think I would be happier there. However, it is a lot less money (£10k) and the pension is crap. It wouldn't be as stretching and I might be slightly bored. Ooth, it would be easier for me to find another charity job from there.

I have gone back and forth on this and to need to make a decision over the next day or so.

Really grateful for others thoughts

If you think you could survive on 10k less a year, id be trying to accumulate decent savings and stay in the role you're in unless something you actually want comes along. Would you be likely to get a decent payout if a redundancy did happen? Would they be likely to be voluntary?

It's really unclear how the redundancies will play out, I think we will probably be asked to apply for our own jobs. I wouldn't get a particularly big payout, I haven't been there all that long. So not really worth holding out for

@Paperholder sorry to be blunt but if you are mid 50s what is your pension provision like. Hanging in with a public sector pension maybe worth it.

You really need to do the figures to know.

Why not wait for redundancy? If you leave now you might miss a pay out.

I don't think I will find it that easy to get another job, and am thinking a bird in the hand might be really worth taking. If I do get made redundant it won't be a big payout, and I am really worried about what I would do

it is a lot less money (£10k) and the pension is crap. It wouldn't be as stretching and I might be slightly bored.

And unless you know your charity isn't, they are often awful employers! People often assuming that claiming ethics means something - it often doesn't. Also charities are shedding staff too - the also don't have money.

You don't sound remotely interested in this job.

I would hang in there and if you are made redudant work hard at a redeployment - if that means taking less money or being slightly bored, at least the pension is a compensation. It may not be worth a lot now, but it's not insignificant when you get to retirement, and you also have ill health possibilities in the event that you need earlier retirement that you won't get elsewhere. Those things are not to be sniffed at for a job that offers you nothing you want!

It is perhaps worth tarting up your CV and applying for this role. The process will let you decide if it’s something you want - and indeed if you are offered it. I moved from private sector to a charity- I went for voluntary VR because I had been there so long. I thought working for a charity would be cute and fuzzy and give me a warm glow. Well actually it’s much more political than my previous job and not well paid.
I don’t regret it because I really fancied a change of sector and got a big VR payout from my previous job which gives me options. I am not sure moving for £10k less salary is worth it unless you are passionate about the new role.