New Job Offer, thoughts?

mighty magpie

Not for me but the wife.

- Currently in a wealth management office with close to 70 people
- Working towards qualifications (these are covered in her contract) and moving up pay ladder
- Good social scene and she seems to love the work and staff for the most part
- Pay pretty low for the effort she puts in but was promised substantial increase once exams are complete
- 1 day working from home but other days is 2 hours travel so 8/9 hours a week
- travel costs of around 2500

- Got headhunted for new role 3 miles from our home, minimal travel costs
- pay slightly improved, exams covered, smaller company, 5 staff

We've no kids but our plan is to start trying in 18/24 months.

Is this a no brainer for her to make the change? My thinking is that her quality of life will improve massively with saving 8/9 hours per week commuting and being so close to home before even considering money.

She's been treated poorly in the current company in my opinion but that was under a management structure/boss that has recently changed. New set up have promised her everything since she has given them the news of the new offer.

She's been told that pay ceiling in current company may be higher and potential new boss has told her no to worry about any pregnancy/maternity leave in her 1st year if she was to make the change.

Anything else she/we should consider?
Any advice appreciated.

BarryD2

I'm sure she has a mind of her own on the matter. There could be many other small factors you're not aware of. One thing I've learned from nearly 30 years marriage is it's better all round if my better half comes to her own decisions!

Mrs OBumble

Maternity leave policies? NewCo is small so unlikely to offer any paid leave.

mighty magpie

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Maternity leave policies? NewCo is small so unlikely to offer any paid leave.

I think she needs to look into this in more detail but both have paid leave.

mighty magpie

BarryD2 wrote: »

I'm sure she has a mind of her own on the matter. There could be many other small factors you're not aware of. One thing I've learned from nearly 30 years marriage is it's better all round if my better half comes to her own decisions!

Maybe I've given you the wrong end of the stick here. I'm not trying to make her decision for her, just trying to help. We've spoken about it at length and she's on the fence currently.

zoobizoo

Being close to home, and close to a child minder is really handy when you've a new born. The alternative is dropping kid off early and picking them up late and never really seeing them Monday to Friday.

Working from home 1 day a week while great in theory isn't really that doable when you've a young child - they're either demanding your time / feeds as a baby or demanding your time and attention as a toddler. That said, it can save on child care costs.

Social Scene - when you have your first kid, your social scene will be non-existent. Those nights out won't seem very important. (Just to say, I haven't worked in big company of 70 in many years but the good friends I've made from various companies is about 3 after 20 years of working - other staff move on, nights out reduce in your 30s and 40s, and you just don't want hangovers with a child).


I work 10 mins from my office - it is so handy. I drop the baby to child minder at 8.30 - into work for 8.45. Leave at 5.20 and pick him up at 5.30 so home 5 mins later.

Now, working for a smaller company can be a pain - I've done it - still am doing it. In finance it might be different as it's possibly more factual than opinion based. Working directly for an owner with strong opinions can be difficult.

The opportunities aren't there in small companies but in a few years she can return to a bigger company if she so wishes.

At that stage her priorities might have changed completely - she mightn't care about the social scene etc and might just want to be closer to your future children

OMM 0000

BarryD2 wrote: »

I'm sure she has a mind of her own on the matter. There could be many other small factors you're not aware of. One thing I've learned from nearly 30 years marriage is it's better all round if my better half comes to her own decisions!

I'm not sure how you interpreted the post this way.

OP -

If she can get 1 day working from home in the new job, I think it is a no brainer to take it.

Idioteque

BarryD2 wrote: »

I'm sure she has a mind of her own on the matter. There could be many other small factors you're not aware of. One thing I've learned from nearly 30 years marriage is it's better all round if my better half comes to her own decisions!

Wow, it only took you 30 years to figure that out :rolleyes: I think you're a bit too quick to attack something not there

OP - Is there likelyhood that more opportunities like this will arise over the next 12months? If so, it could give time to see if new salary and promotion opportunities arise in the existing company before making the move. If unlikely then yes I think reducing down the commute will be massive, particulalry when it comes to dropping off/picking up a kid from creche (unless yourself or a family memebr will be doing this/minding them).

Also, how did this come up? "potential new boss has told her no to worry about any pregnancy/maternity leave in her 1st year if she was to make the change." - it'd be a unusal conversation to have with a prospcective employer if in any way on the record.

mighty magpie

Idioteque wrote: »

Wow, it only took you 30 years to figure that out :rolleyes: I think you're a bit too quick to attack something not there

OP - Is there likelyhood that more opportunities like this will arise over the next 12months? If so, it could give time to see if new salary and promotion opportunities arise in the existing company before making the move. If unlikely then yes I think reducing down the commute will be massive, particulalry when it comes to dropping off/picking up a kid from creche (unless yourself or a family memebr will be doing this/minding them).

Also, how did this come up? "potential new boss has told her no to worry about any pregnancy/maternity leave in her 1st year if she was to make the change." - it'd be a unusal conversation to have with a prospcective employer if in any way on the record.

One thing i forgot to add is that the smaller company is a bit of closed shop when it comes to hiring. They don't really advertise their jobs and this opportuntity may not come up again. My wife knows this and this may help her with the decision i.e. take the job and maybe go back to the larger company or another larger company down the line if she wishes.

I think the maternity leave came up as the owner knows we are not long married and assume kids are planned over the next few years. I imagine it's another way of reassuring my wife and to try to get her to take the role.

Batgurl

Is it a smaller established company or a startup?

RE: maternity leave in new company; is this in writing or verbal?

My experience is that startups will promise the moon and the stars, and then a “shift in strategy” a few months in will change everything and you just have to deal with it.

It’s hard enough to get startups to fulfil promises in writing, never mind verbal promises.

When I say startup, I don’t just mean a new company. It might be established a few years but if it’s in a stage of hyper growth, it might not fit with the plan ye are envisioning over the coming years.

If it’s a smaller, established company, and even better if she knows people who work there who are happy, then it’s a no brainer.

mighty magpie

Batgurl wrote: »

Is it a smaller established company or a startup?

RE: maternity leave in new company; is this in writing or verbal?

My experience is that startups will promise the moon and the stars, and then a “shift in strategy” a few months in will change everything and you just have to deal with it.

It’s hard enough to get startups to fulfil promises in writing, never mind verbal promises.

When I say startup, I don’t just mean a new company. It might be established a few years but if it’s in a stage of hyper growth, it might not fit with the plan ye are envisioning over the coming years.

If it’s a smaller, established company, and even better if she knows people who work there who are happy, then it’s a no brainer.

No not a start up, small company looking to add a few staff, everything will be in writing.

I think it's a no brainer but there's a chance current company may offer her a nice bump to stay. I feel it will take something like a 30-40% raise to get her to stay all things considered.

PhoenixParker

I think I'd stay put or at least be cautious.

Pay is only slightly improved. Moving jobs is a fairly big risk by itself. You start on probation and it can turn out not to be as advertised. For that risk I think a big financial incentive is needed.

70 person company, in general, has better prospects for long term salary growth, networking and variety of work. Sounds like she's fairly early career given the outstanding exams. Those things are important. 5 person company I'd want to be coming in as someone who has a say in how things happen.

It's generally fairly easy to switch from a big company to a small company and more difficult to do the reverse.

I'd want to make a move like that post exams, and possibly post child 1. Careerwise she might be better to hold out another few years at the bigger central company.