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| career advice required.... http://www.tacticalwargames.net/taccmd/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=20970 |
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| Author: | kyussinchains [ Sat Jul 02, 2011 8:51 pm ] |
| Post subject: | career advice required.... |
Hope this isn't forbidden on this forum, but I'd like some advice and opinions on my current Dilemma.... I currently work as a research electronics engineer in nottingham, at a geoscience company who I won't name (but you can probably figure out....) it's a public sector job, so I get 30 days annual leave per year and a final salary pension, they're also paying for me to study my MSc part-time, and have allowed me to work a flexible 4-day working week so I can look after my son.... The problem is that I'm really, REALLY struggling for money at the moment, my salary is around £24k per year with no option to work overtime.... my wife isn't hugely qualified so her wages would likely just about cover the cost of putting our son in nursery if she worked, so at the moment she's a housewife and full-time mum. We've been short of cash for a while now, but it's now two days since payday and I'm completely skint... we have about £200 to get us through the month, and I have a 40 mile commute to and from work every day, which eats fuel up, even in a fairly efficient car..... I applied for a promotion last year and was rejected, I have a stronger case this year, but nobody can give me a definitive answer as the decisions are made by an external panel which convenes in october, a promotion would definitely make things much easier, cash wise, and would probably help me get some nice projects to work on. The twist is that I've applied for a job in Surrey designing satellite power systems, they've offered me a position with a salary of £30k plus a £1.5k relocation allowance Having looked at house prices in and around Guildford, (I rent and don't own) it looks like I'll be slightly better off than I am now financially, but probably not as much as I will be if I get promoted..... so the dilemma is do I take the new job, go through the hassle of moving a long way to take a job I know very little about (it sounds awesome, but so did my current job, and with hindsight that was pretty oversold....) for a moderate pay-rise, or do I hang on at my current job and hope that I get promoted? I think my wife would prefer to live in Guildford as it's admittedly very nice, but the cost of living 'daahn saaf' is a bit higher overall I'd appreciate some insight as I'm completely stuck as to what to do..... |
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| Author: | Carrington [ Sat Jul 02, 2011 9:01 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
Thinking about the move, I'd look at other opportunities for your skill-set in the Guildford area.... and I'd also think about re-starting a job search with promotion in hand. |
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| Author: | Otterman [ Sat Jul 02, 2011 11:45 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
I can't help with your career-problem, but have you considered teaching yourself 3D design? There's a good market in it - Exodus Wars needs designers, I'm considering farming work out, and so forth. Incidentally, if you need a cash infusion, drop me a PM. |
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| Author: | kyussinchains [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:04 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
I've messed around with some 3D design programs, our mechanical engineer uses autodesk inventor, and like apmoat everyone else in the world I have messed with sketchup (I use it to plan space envelopes and jigsaw kit into small spaces....) check your pm... 
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| Author: | GlynG [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:53 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
Sounds like a bit of a dilemma! How relatively secure are the two jobs? There are indications we're going into a serious recession (the problems of 2008 were temporarily put off but not solved while other factors have worsened) but world governments' responses are generally just to print more money, further devaluing currencies and our spending power. If either of the jobs is more secure and/or more likely to stay do well, or keep going, in hard economic times then I would suggest it could be a safer option. Few possible ideas: If you did stay in your current job is it possible to rent somewhere closer to your work at all for a similar or lesser price? If you lived close enough to your workplace to walk or cycle in you could cut down a lot on car use and be less effected by future spikes in petrol prices, which are expected to go up a lot over the coming years. Is it possible for your wife to do a little bit of child-minding perhaps? Like taking on one or a few other children to look after as well as your son at time? Just on a informal basis with friends or other mothers she knows. I guess you've probably already tried cutting down spending on luxury food, getting the cheapest utilities, etc? http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/ is a good place for that sort of thing. If you've got a garden at all try growing some food to save a bit of money? Good luck! |
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| Author: | WestSide [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 11:08 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
30 years ago I would have said stick with the public sector job. Usually more stability, and long term stable benefits. But all bonds are breaking and the West's ruling class has no care or concern for anything but ever increasing profits. Guess the best thing a young family could do now is try and live somewhere your family could survive with dignity and you child would be safe if you happened to go through continual cycles of unemployement and marginal pay. I'm just glad I'm older, don't see anything good for the common man in the West anytime soon. |
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| Author: | Steve54 [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:23 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
I think he was asking for job advice rather than social-political-economy opinions Is your current jobs public funding secure? If so the benefits - MSC, hours, pension etc sound very good How old is your child? Subsidised nursery funding kicks in at 3yrs old Is it worth telling your current job the situation to try and get an answer on the promotion - or even just wait until October as its only 3 months time and then your decision will be effectively made for you and you know that you have the ability to find posts elsewhere |
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| Author: | WestSide [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 12:44 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
Steve54 wrote: I think he was asking for job advice rather than social-political-economy opinions Kinda hard to seperate the two when the social-political-economic situation is in turmoil and effects the advice. But everyone looks at things differently. Best of luck to you younger guys. |
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| Author: | lord-bruno [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
Quote: my salary is around £24k per year Wow, that´s 3 times my salary, stuff must be very expensive in UK. But anyway, like most companies do in hard times: stick to secure income and cut expenses. |
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| Author: | carlos [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 3:56 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
£24k is not a lot in the UK. With a family it's nearly impossible to live. For instance, nursery in London is about £1500 a month for a child. |
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| Author: | kyussinchains [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:14 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
thanks for reading this guys.... I'm leaning towards sticking with my current job and hoping for promotion.... them paying for my Masters is also a factor..... I'll be taking Steve 54's advice and speaking to my boss, I'll just lay it out and say that I need a good chance of promotion to stay, and that if I don't get it, it will really force my hand..... 24k isn't a large salary, especially for a skilled engineer, after Medical and Law graduates, Engineers are supposed to have the highest career average salary in the UK.... any further viewpoints would be appreciated! |
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| Author: | Simulated Knave [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 4:43 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
1.5K frankly doesn't sound like much of a relocation budget - so you'd need money for moving, too. I think your current plan is probably best, at least for now. |
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| Author: | Helge [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 7:48 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
No real advice on the choice between two UK cities, but GBP24k sounds like a *very* low salary for an engineer. Is that common in the UK? We pay CAD$45-50k for an entry level engineer right out of school (about GBP30-33k depending on exchange rates). And that's in an incentive option heavy start-up environment and a low cost-of-living city (overall Canadian CPI us 117 vs 116 in the UK but Montreal is on the lower end of the CPI index amongst the big cities). Have you tried to index your job on glassdoor.com or monster's salary center? Not always reliable but it should give you an idea of the broader opportunities. |
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| Author: | Kyrt [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:29 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
I think your current job sounds better "value" than the one down south, remember a final salary pension could be worth 20%+ of your salary. If they're paying for the master's degree too... If you are struggling right now, are you getting all the help you can from the government? I don't know much about benefits, but does 24k entitle you to tax credits? You or your wife could also work a few hours in the evenings for some extra cash in the short term until you find out about the promotion. |
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| Author: | kyussinchains [ Sun Jul 03, 2011 8:50 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: career advice required.... |
I do get tax credits for my son, but I make too much to qualify for the working tax credit element..... £24k is very low, salary wise, most of my graduating class are on over 30k now, my promotion would put me up to 27k and I would get annual pay scale increases as well as cost of living (if they ever un freeze that!) |
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