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What did I get myself into? (long)
Okay, here?s the situation. I?m currently in a sales and marketing role at a high profile green tech company. I did extremely well in terms of commission last year, I have an okay base salary and I have a whole bunch of stock options that I haven?t finished vesting. The company I work for went public and I can collect monthly on my options or just bankroll them. I love the company but they are changing their product line 10 fold and with it they are changing the sales structure so basically I would be going from my cushy office to a retail environment. No amount of money is going to keep me motivated if I?m going to be in some sort of mall store (no offence to anyone- it?s just not my thing) so I need to change positions.
I?ve been telling my boss this for a year now and she knows how I feel. I?m the #1 sales person worldwide, I?m easily replaceable but I know they really don?t WANT to lose me. A few weeks ago I had a very candid conversation with my boss (who I love and have a great relationship with) and I told her to find me something else or lose me. They offered me a few lame position that I rejected. Finally I sent my resume to a friend who works at a different company and she got me an interview. I went through 6 rounds of interviews but never heard from them. A few days later my boss came and offered me a job I?m actually interested in. It still pays pretty well but it would be a $25,000 pay cut (yikes) but it?s an easy 9-5 job in a cushy office with people I LOVE and I would still get to collect my stock options. Today after weeks the other job called me back. They basically said they tried really hard to get someone less expensive but couldn?t find anyone (rude!) and they want to make me an offer.
So here is my dilemma. I want to be a mom and I?m currently trying to get KU. Do I stay with my great company and go into the easy 9-5 job that doesn?t pay quite as well and focus on my future family? Or do I take the aggressive career move and work 65 hours a week, go into another job where I kill myself mentally every day, make good money and try to start a family in that environment?
Any advice would be appreciated!!
Re: What did I get myself into? (long)
I think that you have to pick your priorities. Gosh, what a stupid answer!'
There are no guarantees with fertility. Pick the job that rocks your world, and go from there. I am in a job that I love, 75% travel, but also TTC. Sorta TTC, I guess you could say. I figure that the future baby will fit into my world somehow. I'll work it out.
That said. ASSuming that you got KU tomorrow, I'd probably adise a friend to take the new job with the same company and work it from there (if money wasn't a consideration). $2k/mo loss is a lot. Can you take the cut - financially and mentally? (My frame of reference: not a Mom, but have taken that kind of pay cut in the past. My choice, but it was tough mentally and emotionally to see the difference $$.)
I'm leaning with the last two posters-but the lack of money isn't the only problem for me, it's what sounds like serious upheaval in your current company. It sounds like you need to do a good ol' fashioned pros and cons list and see where you end up on paper. Because I find it odd how unsure and tentative job #1 sounds and you're considering staying.
I took a $38,000 pay cut a year ago, and I don't regret it. I was working 70+ hours a week in a very stressful job, in a different state than my new husband. I took the pay cut to live where I wanted and to have a cushy 9-5 office job. My situation was more extreme than yours, but this experience taught me that money isn't everything and that I was putting too much value on my earning power. Now, I actually have a life and time to enjoy my family and friends (and my future babies).
Of course, we could afford to do it. If you can't, its a different story entirely. Don't put your financial future at risk, but if you can pull it off, it sounds like you'll have a much better work/life balance.