Tough Decision: Great job opportunity, bad location

[maraxle]

I'm faced with a dilemma right now, and would love some input.  I've got a great job offer that would take me to a less than ideal location. 

The job would be a large step up in career, slight increase in pay, huge potential increase in bonus, and would take me from a job where I feel kind of useless to one where I am very much needed, and would be appreciated. 

On the downside, it would cause me to move over 700 miles from where I am now.  It's a rural area and rather cold.  I've lived up near there before, so the cold wouldn't be too much of a shock for me.  To complicate things further, my significant other would have to stay down here for about 10 months as she is finishing graduate school.  That would separate us for the majority of that time, plus complicate the move and sale of the house, as we would need to keep some of our stuff down here for her, and bring some up north for me.

If this offer came a year from now, it would be a lot easier as we could move in one fell swoop. 

If the job was around here, I'd accept the offer in a heartbeat.

Anyway, just wondering if anyone else has had to make a decision like this.  Any advice?  Any thoughts, even if you haven't had to make a choice like this?

[Bones]

That is a tough one.

If you have ability & confidence I see no reason why such an opportunity would be singular so you shouldn't feel if you miss this chance you won't get a second shot later in life.

Personally I wouldn't move. Moving and change of job will mean a lot of stress further complicated by a long distance relationship for 10 months. It seems like a lot to take on all at once.

Having said this, if you are unhappy in your current job I can understand wanting to jump at what seems like a good thing. I was in an industry for 14 years that I hated, getting away from that work for the last 3 years has given me a new lease on life.

It's a shame you can't accept the job and live there without moving (friends, rental, trailer park etc.....) At least this is one less challenge to deal with at a difficult time and you can fly back every second week for some lovin'.

[GGKoul]

Will there be work for your "significant other" in the new area?

[iwillfearnoevil]

great point about relocating. many companies also will sell your old house or buy it from you to resell as part of the relocation package. if so, maybe your so could live in an apt or with any family for the rest of the year to ease your concern about selling the house down the road? and you say rural, so definately consider what koul said - can your so work there and do they want to?

[Gunstar Hero]

For a "slight" increase in pay? No way.  If they're willing to show you the money, then maybe.

[GGKoul]

For a "slight" increase in pay? No way.

[Sephroth57]

i personally wouldnt do it, just because i wouldnt want to be away from my girlfriend for that long. Maybe if it was a pretty significant pay boost, like once youre working for a month youre gonna go check out the lexus dealer. but not if its just a little boost but a higher position

[Thenasty]

making more $$$ is not all that crack up to be. I'll assume she's you r gilrfriend, If she's the right girl for you, 10 months without seeing, touching, playing and physical contact with her, might hurt you beutifull relationship in a bad way. Are you in a fincial trouble that you need more $$$ ? Maybe that extra cash they are offering is TINY to them becuase the way of living over there (might be expensive).
A good example would be, A person make just enought in the state where he/she is in and a job offer in another state almost a quarter moe of total per hour but the way of living in that state is way high in cost. Bottom line, it all evens out just the same if you stay where your at. If you move, you just gave yourself alot more work in traveling, packing etc.....and still want to leave that new job to move back where you started.
I say, if your happy there and money is just right, then stay. If you are not happy there or looking for more money, then look at the ads along where your'e at now.
Of course, this is just what I think, you yourself know whats best for you.

[fredster]

It depends on what you want to do.  If you love your woman and are afraid of leaving her for that long more than you love the money, or do you want to make a better life for the both of you?

Ask yourself if it's worth the effort and the investment.  No pain no gain.  No risk no reward. 

Jobs and job offers come and go.  There are millions of jobs you can either make or be hired for.  This can't be the only opportunity you can have.  This is just one you are looking at right now.

Only you can decide based on your drive.

[abrannan]

I'll be a little more decisive than most of the other posts in this thread.

DON'T DO IT

You are robbing yourself of potential jobs by moving to a rural area.  What happens when the company that is hiring you decides to go through a downsizing (I mean, rightsizing) effort, and decides that you are redundant overhead?  What other similar type jobs for the same pay are available in that rural area?  My guess is few to none.  So, let's say that theoretically you can then find a company where you are currently  that will hire you and pay relocation (Not very likely in more urban areas, they don't need to go outside their urban area to find warm bodies, but for the sake of this argument let's say that's the case).  Now you have to move yourself and your S.O. another 700 miles just to end up back where you started.  That's asking a lot of someone, to relocate twice in a relatively short period of time, with no regard to their career, etc. 

And the payoff to this is, what?  A little bit more money, and a *potential* bonus.  My experience of potential bonuses is that they never live up to that potential.  A bird in the hand and all that.  Plus, you get a title.  There are other ways to get that title.  I find that working for a smaller company, you have more opportunity to get a good title, especially if you ask for it.  Then you can parlay that title into a better position at a bigger company, since most HR doesn't check how large a company you came from.  If I have a "Director of Information Technology Engineering" title from a small 50-man shop, I can pass the initial sniff test for the Director of IT position at a 1000-2000 person company.  Once you get to the inital interview, then your personal skills come into play.  You get the job, but your title opens the door.

But hey, that's just me...

[Sephroth57]

yeah i agree abrannan. right now i work in a small company and my title sounds pretty good hehe, "LCBS Project Manager". Even if i end up leaving here that will look great on a resume to a big company

[RayB]

Since it sounds like the GF is part of the equation, how long have you been together? I think that matters. Also knowing where the relationship stands right now for both of you. You might think it's a "forever" thing, but she might be thinking "after I'm done school, I'm out of this relationship!". You gotta find out now if she's got any doubts.

[maraxle]

Thanks for all the advice.  I ended up turning it down.  I'd rather hate myself 8 hours a day for having a job where I'm unhappy than 24 hours a day for living in a place where I'm unhappy.

[Stingray]

Like most of the others who posted in this thread, I thnk you made a wise decision.

All other factors aside, there is no way I could be away from my wife for that long. In fourteen years we've only been apart overnight a couple times. Ten months would be a no-go, I wouldn't even have to think twice about it.

-S

[fredster]

I think so too.  There's a lot more to life than money, believe me. 

If you got one job offer, there's likely many many more people out there looking for you.  It's very important that you like where you live as well as like your work.

I did the reverse of what you did. I moved from a job in a fairly large town, Indianapolis to the backwoods in a town of less than 10K and I live in the country with trees surrounding me.  I have never looked back. My job gets on my nerves sometimes, but I can come home and enjoy the woods and the quiet, and that's what it's all about.

I don't know about you guys, but I work to live, I don't live to work.