New Opportunities
To elaborate a little more about my job and what I hope it will be:
1. I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint. I know it sounds cheesy, but I will be able to commute via public transport for my first engagement with this consulting firm. I find that pretty exciting to get a portion of my life back so I can read or knit while commuting. My corporate offices had moved in the last year and the new drive was killing me, especially when it takes two hours to drive past Tyson’s Corner at Christmastime. I wasn’t going to do that again next year. If you want to know more, listen to this Diane Rehm show episode about Happiness. The number one thing that destroys happiness is a long commute to work.
2. I hope that I can stay and grow with this firm for the next 5 to 10 years. I really loved my team at my old company, but to stay there for 5 years would have meant a transfer to the Midwest in a place where I would only have co-workers for friends at the start. (One of the reasons I spent so much on holiday presents for my teammates was because I knew I was leaving and I wanted to give them a token of my appreciation for their friendship over the last 4.5 years through the thick and thin times with our previous totally sh*tty employer to the awesome team we built at the new place.)
3. I am excited that there are great benefits with my new company. My old firm doesn’t even compare. Tuition, training, health insurance, 401k plan, corporate social clubs, everything. Discounts on cars, cell phones, computers, EVERYTHING. I bet I can join a warehouse club at a discount even. Hm. Must look into that.
4. The money is great. It’s a 6% raise over my total compensation from my last firm, but I know that I am more likely to become a 6-figure employee with the new employer. Whereas my old employer wouldn’t give my senior manager a 6-figure salary, though he deserved it, they’d never give me one as a technical minion. It’s actually more like a 16% raise over my base salary, and though I am losing my bonus money for 2007 and a tiny bit of 401k vesting, the present value of money on the checks between January 1 and bonus season payouts have more value. No, really. I can do the math on that since we were notified that we weren’t going to make our targets to get the full 10% bonus. So why should I have waited till bonus season.
That is all. Really, are there any other better reasons to change jobs? Someone asked me about changing jobs and the job hunt. Hang on. I’ll get to that later this week.
calgirlfinance wrote:
Mapgirl, I know what you mean about the long commute. I was at a client where I had to commute at least 45 minutes each way (on a good day) in traffic). It was miserable and I thought about leaving if I were extended on that client. Luckily I got out just in time.
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 1:07 am | Permalink
D wrote:
Sounds to me, like you are making excellent choices! Good for you.
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 8:18 am | Permalink
plonkee wrote:
Sounds like a good job to move to. And now that you’re being paid more, as a sensible personal finance blogger, you’ll be taking that payrise and putting it into savings / investments / debt repayments, won’t you?
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 9:03 am | Permalink
HC wrote:
I think you get more benefits than *I* do. Hee.
I really hope that this turns into a place where you can learn and grow for 5-10 years.
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 11:40 am | Permalink
Mrs. Micah wrote:
I love my metro commute! I read PF books I should theoretically review.
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 2:26 pm | Permalink
Blubba wrote:
I especially understand the joy of commuting on the train (I moved from a city with a 45 minute commute by car to Hotlanta, where I take the train). You should see if you can get any govt. commuter rewards for taking the train rather than the car
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 11:57 pm | Permalink
mapgirl wrote:
Blubba- Welcome! I’m on it. Don’t worry. I’ve already asked about commuter benefits.
Posted on 08-Jan-08 at 11:58 pm | Permalink