Job situation—help me think this through***Update

[HSmomof2]

I have an interview for a job tomorrow that is quite different from my current job. We’ll call this Job B. I think I would enjoy Job B but not sure if long term it would be the best choice.

 

Current job (Job A), I really hate. In my 25+ years of working, I have never disliked a job more. The only thing that it has going for it is that, in theory, I could eventually transfer to a different location with more hours to get benefits and retirement. However, I can’t do this while still homeschooling (4 years to go), and there are rarely transfer positions available anyway. And, for a part-time job it pays well and I’m able to do it and homeschool. I am quite a bit younger than dh, so I will eventually need a job with my own medical benefits (10+ years from now).

 

Pros of current Job A:

Pay

Nice coworkers

Possible future benefits/retirement

Possibly transfer to a location/position I would like better

 

Cons of current Job A:

Supervisor

Always work with the public

Nights/weekends required and always will be, even if I transfer

40 minute commute

 

 

Pros of new Job B:

Would enjoy the actual work

Related to my education

No nights/weekends

No working with the public

10 minute commute

 

Cons of new Job B:

Slightly lower pay

No benefits/retirement available unless full-time. Very small staff, so may not ever have option of full-time. However, I should be able to find a full-time option in this field in the future somewhere else.

 

With new Job B, I would have to work 4 h/day, 5 days/week, but I’d be home for dinner every day. I ‘think’ my dc could homeschool with this schedule, but we are struggling with my current schedule that has me gone one full day and two afternoons/evenings per week. Though I would love to not work evenings and Saturday’s anymore. It’s been harder on dh to have me gone on three evenings/week and Saturday’s.

 

I think I may be worrying too far ahead on the benefits thing, but I’m in my mid-forties now and don’t want to switch jobs much more.

Edited October 26, 2017 by HSmomof2

[Hyacinth]

With this in the pro list:

Would enjoy the work

No nights/weekends

No working with the public

10-minute commute

 

I'd be jumping for Job B.

[JudoMom]

I'd go for Job B.  Life is too short to be in a job you hate if don't have to be.

[FaithManor]

Will you have retirement benefits through a spouse? I ask because at 49, this is on my mind and affects my decisions in these matters. I would not be thrilled to stay in a job I hate, but if lower pay meant I could not invest in an IRA or something for myself, then I would be less likely to make the jump. As it is I have health insurance through dh's position. But if I did not, it would affect my decision too.

[HSmomof2]

Will you have retirement benefits through a spouse? I ask because at 49, this is on my mind and affects my decisions in these matters. I would not be thrilled to stay in a job I hate, but if lower pay meant I could not invest in an IRA or something for myself, then I would be less likely to make the jump. As it is I have health insurance through dh's position. But if I did not, it would affect my decision too.

Yes, dh has a pension that I will continue to receive if something happens to him. I also have health insurance through him. But, since he is older than me, I will need my own health insurance for the time between him retiring(hopefully in about 12 yrs) and my reaching Medicare age (~8 yrs). I currently don’t have an IRA but current job has a pension and I get a very small amt added to that each month even being part-time.

 

ETA: it really only is the retirement and possibility of health benefits that even makes current job a consideration for keeping.

Edited October 24, 2017 by HSmomof2

[bettyandbob]

I'm thinking job b. Your mental/emotional well being has a value. If job a is really bad it could be having costly affects on physical health.

 

However, you need to look carefully at the about the difference in earnings. And consider whether the opportunities you will have after you finish homeschool.

[DawnM]

It sounds like you wouldn't get benefits or retirement in either job until going full time?  Am I reading that correctly?  So, in comparing apples to apples, get the job you will enjoy and plan for longevity, and eventually full time employment.

 

 

[Corraleno]

IMO, the pros of Job B far outweigh both the cons of Job B and the pros of Job A. There's no guarantee that continuing to suffer in Job A will result in a transfer or more benefits anyway, so it makes more sense to take the job you prefer for now, and then when you need a F/T job with benefits, look for something different — which is what you're most likely to end up doing anyway.

[HSmomof2]

It sounds like you wouldn't get benefits or retirement in either job until going full time? Am I reading that correctly? So, in comparing apples to apples, get the job you will enjoy and plan for longevity, and eventually full time employment.

In current job, I would get benefits at 25 hrs/week. Because of this, turnover is very low. Many people stay until they retire, so openings are rare. Many of the people I work with are very unhappy in the job itself and are only doing it for the pay/benefits.

 

Experience gained in Job B would be transferable to other similar jobs. Experience in Job A would only transfer to customer service type jobs that I for certain do not want to spend the next 20 years doing.

 

My other option is to stay for now at Job A and take some courses in accounting to get a better position somewhere in the future that isn’t customer service.

 

And, I do plan to return to full-time work when dc are done homeschooling (4-5 years from now).

Edited October 24, 2017 by HSmomof2

[HSmomof2]

I'm thinking job b. Your mental/emotional well being has a value. If job a is really bad it could be having costly affects on physical health.

 

However, you need to look carefully at the about the difference in earnings. And consider whether the opportunities you will have after you finish homeschool.

My mental/emotional health is why I’m highly considering Job B. I’m often very upset with current Job A.....dread going, sometimes cry on the way there, feel very stressed when I’m there. I’m an introvert, so 8 hrs/day with the public is not great for my personality. Add in a toxic supervisor, and it’s pretty bad.

[bettyandbob]

My mental/emotional health is why I’m highly considering Job B. I’m often very upset with current Job A.....dread going, sometimes cry on the way there, feel very stressed when I’m there. I’m an introvert, so 8 hrs/day with the public is not great for my personality. Add in a toxic supervisor, and it’s pretty bad.

Time to go for job B.

[HSmomof2]

I’m only interviewing for Job B tomorrow.....I have no idea if I’ll get it. 😊 But I am feeling better about accepting Job B if it is offered. Thanks!

[Garga]

I never even considered that since DH is 5 years older than me, I'd have to worry about getting a full time job with health benefits when he retires or hits medicare age. 

 

Oh drat.  Blah!  Double blah!  

[Annie G]

Job B would be my pick because of the short commute and no nights/weekends.  You can work with ds on how to manage his work while you are gone.  

 

I wouldn't worry about no retirement benefits. You can still save in an IRA. 

 

Hope things work out the way you want them to. 

[G5052]

I'm at the age and situation in life where benefits count. I currently have two part-time jobs with no benefits that are time-limited jobs, so I'm up a creek with no unemployment pay if I lose my job because I can't work. I'm figuring that I might work another 10-15 years before I retire.

 

I've applied for a full-time job that I'm sure I'd really like that has benefits but a medium commute.

 

If I don't find anything else in the next few months, I'm going to apply for jobs that I know I won't like with benefits. Sad to say, but that's the reality. I have to have benefits by summer, preferably earlier.

[HSmomof2]

I'm at the age and situation in life where benefits count. I currently have two part-time jobs with no benefits that are time-limited jobs, so I'm up a creek with no unemployment pay if I lose my job because I can't work. I'm figuring that I might work another 10-15 years before I retire.

 

I've applied for a full-time job that I'm sure I'd really like that has benefits but a medium commute.

 

If I don't find anything else in the next few months, I'm going to apply for jobs that I know I won't like with benefits. Sad to say, but that's the reality. I have to have benefits by summer, preferably earlier.

I hope the job you applied for works out! I hate having benefits tied to jobs. It sucks.

[aaplank]

Reviewing the list you have shared, from an outsider's perspective, I think job B is the winner. You and your whole family will benefit from less stress and more family time. Life is too short to be miserable if you don't have to be.

[HSmomof2]

I never even considered that since DH is 5 years older than me, I'd have to worry about getting a full time job with health benefits when he retires or hits medicare age.

 

Oh drat. Blah! Double blah!

Sorry! One if the ‘benefits’ of being a worrier and over-planner. I tried to tell dh he can just work until he’s 75!🤣

I would like to think healthcare in the US will be better before that time, but not overly hopeful.

[Bootsie]

Most of your benefits for Job A are "possibly, future".  Because you could always move to a job with benefits in the future (and Job A doesn't guarantee that you will be able to do that there anyway), I would tend to move to Job A.  Even though it is slightly less pay--does the extra pay at Job A really justify the long commute? 

[Garga]

Sorry! One if the ‘benefits’ of being a worrier and over-planner. I tried to tell dh he can just work until he’s 75!🤣

I would like to think healthcare in the US will be better before that time, but not overly hopeful.

 

 

No!  I'm glad you posted this!  I'm a planner, too, but it just never even crossed my mind to think about this.  I really, really hate how insurance is tied to full-time employement.  :(   I've hated it for everyone else it affects and now I hate it that it's in my future.  I had planned on looking for part-time work when I stop homeschooling, but now I need to carefully re-think that.

[Garga]

And for the original question:  I have worked jobs I hated and then moved to normal jobs.  I realized pretty soon on, that unless you're desperate (desperate) for the money, that it's better to move from a job you hate into a normal job (I won't go so far as to say find a job you love, because that's really hard.)  

 

I have long thought that money doesn't trump emotional health...unless you are desperate for the money.  Whenever you can swing it, go for the emotional healthy job over the money.

[katilac]

Good luck getting Job B!

[StephanieZ]

I never even considered that since DH is 5 years older than me, I'd have to worry about getting a full time job with health benefits when he retires or hits medicare age. 

 

Oh drat.  Blah!  Double blah!  

 

Well, as long as the ACA survives, or better yet, is improved, one can just buy health insurance on the open market or via the ACA when needed.

 

 

 

 

Our plan, since dh's work is our source of insurance, is that he'll have to work to 70 to keep me covered until I'm 65 . . . or, better yet, if we can afford for him to retire at 65, he'd just have to work about an extra year (so to 66) to cover 5 years of my insurance premiums . . . (ages 60-64). One way or another, I'm determined not to hold him hostage working FT for many years just to keep us insured. It's ridiculous. Our system is deranged. 

 

Ugh.

Edited October 25, 2017 by StephanieZ

[fraidycat]

Job B. IMO, there’s not even a competition here. But I’m a huge proponent of emotional health, self-care, and family time over pretty much everything else after your basic immediate needs are met.

 

Life is too short for anything else!

[HSmomof2]

Well, I think the interview went ok, but the job isn’t a good fit for me. The pay is less than I thought (almost $7/hr less than my current job). The schedule would be every day 10-4, which doesn’t work for me with trying to homeschool, and too much time home alone for dc every day. Only 4 employees total and no benefits for anyone.

 

So, not a match this time. I’ll keep looking.....

[bettyandbob]

Well, I think the interview went ok, but the job isn’t a good fit for me. The pay is less than I thought (almost $7/hr less than my current job). The schedule would be every day 10-4, which doesn’t work for me with trying to homeschool, and too much time home alone for dc every day. Only 4 employees total and no benefits for anyone.

 

So, not a match this time. I’ll keep looking.....

 

Well that's a bummer. I hope you find a good fit soon!