I'm back! Need help on a career decision!! Input/consideration appreciated!!

[NsXMas]

I've been offline from Prime since last week, busy doing many many things.

One of the key decisions I have been working on, and need to decide by today, is a career decision.

Here is a brief summary:

My work involves some travel. The travel is unpredictable and not very controllable. One of the reasons I didn't do the track/auto-cross for NSXPO was because I was scheduled to be travelling those days, but plans changed and I was able to attend as a spectator.

When I'm not travelling, I work from home, which can be very easy, as I check email twice a day, and get phone calls on my cellphone, and do a few conference calls, and the rest of the day I'm free to do what I wish.

I'm also a big boss where I work. I call the shots for the most part, in regards to my work, and I'm highly regarded. However, my customers control my schedule and I can never plan to be anywhere at any given times.

I have been recruited by a company that is about an hour away from home. The base pay is about 10% higher, but overall compensation is about 5% lower (lower bonus). I would have an 30 minute - 60 minute commute every day to the office, and same on the way back. I would have to travel every once in a while to places like Prague, Malayasia, etc. Not as frequent as I travel now, but every few weeks I might have to make a trip.

I would report to someone whom I think is good to work for, but I don't know for sure since I never worked for this person, only interviewed with.

I'm torn right now as to what to do. My gut tells me to stay with my current job, and avoid the daily commute. I have a pretty good situation, except I have very little control over my travel schedule.

In fact, I just got an email today from my colleagues asking if I would go to the Northeast for a business trip. I hate cross country travel, but I think I would dislike international travel if it was too frequent.

So in summary: I like to be local with the new job, I hate the long commute every day with the new job, I hate unpredictable travel schedule with my current job, I like flexibility of my current job.

Money aside, what do you guys think?? Appreciate some perspective here.

Thanks!!

 

[White92]

hmmm. Sounds like a tough one, but also a toss up as both sound pretty equal. Are you married or do you have kids? If so, travel makes it extremely hard. Maybe a little less travel even if it is out of the country, but less frequently, would be better.

Or if you take the new job and don't like the 30-60 minute commute everyday, you could buy a new house closer to the job.

 

[NsXMas]

hmmm. Sounds like a tough one, but also a toss up as both sound pretty equal. Are you married or do you have kids? If so, travel makes it extremely hard. Maybe a little less travel even if it is out of the country, but less frequently, would be better.

Or if you take the new job and don't like the 30-60 minute commute everyday, you could buy a new house closer to the job.

Thanks Craig. Yes I am married and have a little one. We are considering more kids, but the unpredictable travel makes it impractical right now.

 

[White92]

While I haven't experienced it personally, I did have a good friend who's job required travelling alot. During his first year of marriage he was gone 3 weeks of every month. And that was staying in the country. But being gone is still being gone. It was really rough on their marriage and ultimately lead to him quitting to spend more time at home. I couldn't imagine being gone that much with a wife and kid at home. But sometimes you gotta do what you've gotta do.

 

[Larry Bastanza]

Sounds like your choices are way more far reaching then just the career change. when you travel in the present "unpredicted" mode is it car or plane travel, local customers?

I can say this from many years of travel, long trips(overseas or cross country) are overall far more managable. Once you do it for a short while it is not too bad. For example I could be asked to leave for Japan with less then a weeks notice. Once you get over the shock you just go, do your thing, and return home. After a few days things are right back, and there are plenty of remedies for jet-lag.

To me the real oppurtunity here is for you the enhance your family life. To me, this can really drive your decision. What is your priority?

I can tell you this, when my first child was born and was less then 60 days old, I was given two days notice to be in Italy. I was in Italy for 10 days, this was an unusual situation, and a little tough on my wife. But......in ten days I was back home and stayed there regularly, just traveling ocassionally. Family life returned to normal pretty quick in the big scheme of things.

Sounds like your present situation has a scheme that does not reset for the family.

JMHO and experience.

HTH,
LarryB

 

[akira3d]

Wow, Frank, this really is a tough one. I know fathers in your kind of position and travel is tough on the family when it is unpredictable. Commuting can be no fun either, but the fact that you still may travel somewhat often in that role doesn't make that position sound any more attractive than your current.

If it just came down to travel versus commute, I'd probably take the commute. Valerie and I are currently looking at single family homes with an eye towards starting a family. Places we can both afford and have good public schools tend to be far from where I work (extending what is currently a 10-15 minute commute on surface streets to what would be a 35-50 minute commute mixing streets and freeways). I personally don't think I would mind the added commute as long as we find a home that we both feel is ideal for raising a family. That said, she REALLY doesn't like the idea of me commuting and would prefer to find a place closer to where I work. Of course, there is no guarantee I'll still be working in Santa Monica forever, so the commute could get better, could get worse.

So how does your wife feel about your situation? I'm sure she has an opinion.

I haven't done much traveling, so I can't really speak about what it is like to be away from home for extended times, but I have had to deal with a fairly long commute. Our office used to be located at Universal...which was horrible to get to from the Marina since it involves the infamous 405-101 interchange. The two low points was a reverse commute when I got stuck in rush hour traffic at 7am as I tried to get home after an all-nighter...and another time when it took two hours during the holiday season. I don't know how people can commute between L.A. and O.C. and deal with an hour-and-a-half to two-hour commute every single day.

 

[NsXMas]

Thanks Larry and Eric. My commute now is plane travel, and overnight hotel stays.

My wife wants me to do what makes me happy.

That's why I get to keep the NSX even though we have a little one.

I dislike long local commutes, and the one hour commute can get a little tiring. But my priority is family first, as has always been the case.

Thanks for the input!!!

 

[nsx20014me]

since you are the big boss, cant you send someone else in your place? I personally think the commute sucks. The money sounds like it's a wash. working at home is a plus. I think I would stay in your current position and try to find another person to split the travel with.

 

[NsXMas]

since you are the big boss, cant you send someone else in your place? I personally think the commute sucks. The money sounds like it's a wash. working at home is a plus. I think I would stay in your current position and try to find another person to split the travel with.

Theoretically I can send other people in my place. Practically speaking, part of the value I add to my company is my ability to interface with high level executives, so when key meetings come up, I am often asked to go. Only me and my boss have this perceived value, so I can't really ask my boss to go in my place. :tongue:

Thanks for your thoughts. I am leaning towards your recommendation, but still unsure at this point.