Bit of a dilemma...jobs...

[mjr]

Ok, the good news is I have two "final" interviews this week, and both of the "internal" recruiters for both companies seem excited about it.

That said, I have a bit of a dilemma.

First, I wouldn't mind actually taking either job, and I'm hoping to get a bit of clarification on one. They both seem like great places to work, with some long-term stability and some interesting projects coming up (one deals with payroll systems, one deals with personal finance, like financial advisor type stuff).

The problem is thus:

Company A might pay a range between $X and $Y, plus a bonus. This came as a bit of a surprise, but I knew they wouldn't necessarily pay what I was asking. Though the recruiter seems to think that I actually might be able to mentor some lower-level programmers that might be on the team (which would be good for advancement). Company A also has a "remote" option, which basically means I can work at home when I want (basically every day if I choose to). I also would have to possibly fly to Indiana for a week (Just once, though).

Company B would likely pay what I was asking for, $Z, (maybe more, I dunno), but they don't have a remote option like Company A (I think they have "occasional" ones, or something like that), and I don't think they offer a bonus. Now, $Z would, in most situations, be more than Company A's range plus bonus. $Z would also allow me to possibly put more into a retirement fund, and maybe some more savings and college money for the kiddo.

So essentially the "trade off" is more remote work vs more money. Both are appealing to me, and I'm not sure which way to go. In one instance, I'd have to drive to the office more, and put more wear and tear on my car. In another instance I'd get to work remotely, and since my wife is a Stay-At-Home-Mom, I'd get to spend more time with her and my kiddo, too.

That said, I don't have offers from either of them yet, because I haven't had the final reviews, but I may have this decision to make. The difference in $$$ could be significant ($10-$12K or more).

Thoughts or advice?

[EricKei]

OK - The important question is, will even the *least* you can expect go get paid at Company A (not including bonus -- assume that they will take a while before you qualify for one) be enough to support your family reliably, let you pay all of the bills, and maybe even let you pay ahead on some and have a little bit leftover for occasional entertainment? If that's the case, either one is probably good; B will simply give you more leeway for expenses, expected or otherwise.

Also, how much of the extra 10K or so for Company B will need to go into your car in the form of excess gas/wear and tear (over what the commute to A would cost you)? If the difference is negligible, I think I'd go with A.

If they work out to be pretty close when it comes to "leftover money," I'd say A -- but it's up to you.

[It's me]

Some things that come to mind:
--Have you done much remote work before? I generally find I am much more productive in the office than at home.
--What does the longer-term situation look for each company? Growth, stability, etc.

[Pixelated]

"It's me" has already made the point I was going to make. What are the long-term prospects in each company?

The issue of "remote" work is a good one too. I'm hoping to try my hand at "at-home" work soon, but I can't deny it could be a problem ... there's no worry about the boss walking up and seeing me scrolling through Facebook or something. It does require a strong streak of self-discipline.

The higher salary is also something to consider. How does the lower salary + bonus stack up annually in terms of the higher salary job?

Anyway, good luck, and congratulations on having that choice! Best wishes whichever way you go.

[mjr]

To answer the questions:

1. Yes, I have worked remotely before. Not full-time, but one of my past jobs I was working at home 4 days per week at one point. This might also give me a small opportunity to progress on my own small side business, too (setting up the LLC and such).

2. Job A has a range that, even at the high end, is lower than Job B. So even at the High end, I would probably have to rely on the bonus to "get me over the hump" as far as salary difference goes.

3. If gas averages $2/gallon, and my car gets roughly 30 MPG highway, and my trip to the local Metro where I did work was 35 miles, that's 350 miles per week, or almost 12 gallons of gas., or $24/week on gas alone. Times 52 weeks is $1213 per year on gas. Then, there was parking at $6 per day, 4 days a week, or $96 per month, or $1152. That's $2365 right there that I could potentially "save".

4. From what I'm hearing/reading, long term for both companies is very stable. They've both got some big (in some cases multi-year) projects coming up.

5. From a base salary standpoint, Job A would be between $3K and $8K more than I was making. If I factor in bonuses for both, Job A would be a slight increase in what I was making. Job B would give me an increase of $15K over my old "base" salary, and not knowing if Job B does a bonus, it would be an increase of $7,500.

6. To answer Eric's question about paying bills, Job A would put me about back where I was, maybe have a little more "discretionary" money. Job B would be a rather large increase.

[greek_jester]

2. Job A has a range that, even at the high end, is lower than Job B. So even at the High end, I would probably have to rely on the bonus to "get me over the hump" as far as salary difference goes.

Please remember that a bonus is just that, a bonus. It is not part of your contracted salary, so you can't guarantee you'll get it, or get 100% of the expected amount. You should never plan your finances relying on a bonus; only on base salary.

Under those circumstances I'd got for job B, if you get the choice. While you wouldn't be able to work from home you'd still have a more stable, guaranteed income which would help to offset any costs related to your car. There's also the fact that if you're working from home, you're doing just that; working. You could spend time with your family at lunch, but you wouldn't be able to spend time when you're trying to get your work done.

[mjr]

Please remember that a bonus is just that, a bonus. It is not part of your contracted salary, so you can't guarantee you'll get it, or get 100% of the expected amount. You should never plan your finances relying on a bonus; only on base salary.

I don't think I explained that well. I didn't rely on the bonus at my (former) job. I just looked at it like I made $X, and whatever bonus I got went to savings. I didn't do any sort of "I need this bonus money..." kind of thing. I try to avoid that.

Under those circumstances I'd got for job B, if you get the choice. While you wouldn't be able to work from home you'd still have a more stable, guaranteed income which would help to offset any costs related to your car.

Well, I would still get to work at home, but it would be an occasional thing, it seems, rather than most of the time.

There's also the fact that if you're working from home, you're doing just that; working. You could spend time with your family at lunch, but you wouldn't be able to spend time when you're trying to get your work done.

True, but I also wouldn't have to drive home every day, either, which would give me an extra 45 minutes to an hour with the family.

[mjr]

Update:

The decision might have been made for me. Turns out Company B has decided not to hire for their position until June. I'm a little disappointed in that, but I was told that the hiring manager wants to bring on someone they can really spend some time with, and they've got a lot going on right now with wrapping up some projects that the hiring manager would have zero time to spend with the new hire.

So I'll have to see how the other job goes...

[Pixelated]

Sorry to hear it. Hope Job A works out!

[mjr]

Sorry to hear it. Hope Job A works out!

Me, too. If I'm understanding correctly, the interview I have on Friday (either Skype of WebEx) is going to be one of those "culture fit" interviews, I think. I'm hoping it's just a formality, though it's scheduled for an hour and a half. I like to think of myself as generally easy to get along with and easy to work with, so hopefully that'll go well. All I can do is be myself.

They said they'd make a decision within 48 hours of that interview, and they'd let me know on Tuesday of next week.

In the meantime, I'm still sending out resumes...

[Pixelated]

In the meantime, I'm still sending out resumes...

Absolutely! I'm off to the Unemployed Help Centre myself today, to spiffy up my own resume. I'm relieved to have the job I've got, but I'm definitely not averse to looking for a better one.

Will keep my fingers crossed for you ...

[mjr]

Absolutely! I'm off to the Unemployed Help Centre myself today, to spiffy up my own resume. I'm relieved to have the job I've got, but I'm definitely not averse to looking for a better one.

Will keep my fingers crossed for you ...

Thanks! And best of luck to you as well!

I talked to the internal recruiter, and he told me three people up for two positions. I kinda like my odds there. And the interview is gonna be a little different than what I was told, but it's still going to be some culture questions.

I'm taking my resume and such, and hopefully I can figure out how to get WebEx working on my tablet, so the interview goes well.

I'm really hoping that they make me an offer (supposed to be early next week).