Been trying to decide between two jobs for a fortnight now and it has been really stressing me out (can’t sleep, awake at 5am every night, IBS). I know this should be a nice problem to have but it really isn’t…

What would you choose:
A. Safe, stable, pays okay, best work life balance you’d ever get working for a company, great pension but very little chance of any further promotion, pay is getting worse in real terms, work is frustrating and boring and has been for some time, very few inspiring people to work with, but very friendly. (civil service)
or:
B. Very good pay and prospects, longer hours, ‘normal’ holiday allowances, likely to be super hardwork, very stressful, and technically, whilst being paid more you are going back to a job you did a few years back. Has a reputation for taking its pound of flesh (bank)

Extra salary would mean you could move house from a rough area where you have been getting stressed with neighbours to a nicer area where your wife actually wants to bring up kids. Safe job means staying where you are (or a minor move which doesn’t really make a huge difference)

I have a massively complex spreadsheet which tells me financially which is the most sensible, but that is only one factor. I even cleaned the entire house today to keep myself busy avoiding a decision.

Getting to the stage where I might toss a coin…any suggestions? I need to decide by the morning.

If I had the choice, I’d do neither and ride my bike. But sadly thats not an option as of yet.

More hours? Nah.

Your family will be happier if you’re around more and not stressed out.

longer hours, ‘normal’ holiday allowances, likely to be super hardwork, very stressful

While bringing up young kids ?
Is your wife “in” on this aspect ?

Work life balance for me. But I’m in my 50’s and I’ve done the working all hours for good money in the past.

I can’t make decision for you, but this may help.

Fwiw, I left a safe civil service job 3 years ago – in a similar position to you. If you feel you want to leave, you probably do NEED to. Good luck.

Flip a coin! Then if you don’t like the outcome take the other job.

civil service ?

my experience of the insolvency service and hmrc left me with the impression that it was a place where people who had lost any sense of vision or ambition went to die.

I’m with Grum on this one.
I had less money forced on my by redundancy but I changed careers entirely and now do 12.5hrs less and start work at 9am not 7am doing so,etching I actually like and find interesting.
It’s not all about money and ‘prospects’ I can assure you. 🙂

I even cleaned the entire house today

no point moving now

Thanks for the link, I’ll take a look.

Wife is resolutely staying neutral to the decision (in a supportive way if that makes sense). We could really do with the extra money, but can survive without. It would likely be a 25% increase in time commitment including late nights / weekends as and when needed. Whilst the headline takehome is a significant increase, £perhour is less.

No kids yet, that’s a whole seperate thread of its own….

And yes I totally get there is more to life than prospects and pay, but you don’t want to be thinking thats it for the next 30 years.

Friends tell me I should take it as I need the challenge.

Do the bank actually contract you to do more hours, or just assume you will?
Sounds like it will interest you more, just need to do the minimum required to fulfil the contract. If it needs 60 hours pw, they need 1.5 people.

Is there not a different challenge you could do? One that doesn’t involve less money per hour, less time at home, and more stress? Maybe even something you might enjoy?

Professional working day.

Promotion and decent bonus = work the hours required otherwise no point in going for the role in the first place.

Currently contracted 37.5, I reckon I’ll need to be putting in around 50 on average.

Don’t envy you, I’m in a job I enjoy (at the moment) 4 day 36hr week working outside, we’ve been lucky enough to get half decent pay rises over the last few years and I’ve been covering a manager grade off and on which is nice.

Found myself applying for a promotion but having now got an interview I don’t quite know how I got to this stage, I’m not a people manager type and its a ‘performance management’ culture. The pay, business needs car, bonus etc have all paled into insignificance when I write down the pro’s and con’s.

Plenty of encouragement (pressure) to go to the interview but I can’t see how I can make a good go of it having already decided I don’t want it. Go for the experience everyone says – however I can just see it being a negative experience so probably pulling out on Monday!

Re another challenge, I’ve struggled for years to come up with something I actually really want to do (like many people I speak to). I’ve spent a lot of time trying to come up with a business idea but never have any good ideas (that haven’t already been kicked off) and have come to the opinion I’m not really much of a creative type despite wanting to be!

I like the idea of restoring cars / furniture / doing up houses doing something practical and seeing results of your own handiwork but all of that needs significant £’s and space and unless you are financial secure from other means, unlikely to pay the mortgage

I started applying for the odd job half hearted in December mainly as I needed to get some practise in (I usually sit the other side of the desk). Had 3 interviews and 3 offers, and this is the first one I have been serious about. One offer in London was silly money, but also a 4-5hour daily commute… one local offer was too little money. Both easily ruled out.

I speak to very few people who genuinely enjoy their work. I’d hold onto that as long as you can!

I had a similar option about 6 years ago. I deliberated like you because the change actually scared me, the leap into the unknown so to speak. My advice would be to go for the job that is most satisfying and rewarding.
The job I left had a great work/life balance to the point where I would start and finish at the exact time every day, no weekends etc. However, the work was so intensely dull that it started to infect the ‘life’ bit of that balance. The new job demanded a huge amount of my time but it was so satisfying and rewarding that my life outside of work was enjoyed with a whole new sense of vigour and purpose.

By the sounds of it with your spreadsheets and everything you’re looking at this very objectively. Flip it on its head: what does your instinct tell you? Imagine yourself in 5 years – what do you see yourself doing?

How old are you? If you’re young enough to put up with the hours and stress take the bank job. Easier when you’ve got no kids and you can always use it as a springboard to something else in a few years.

Sounds to me like you would like something more demanding than Civil Service but don’t want to sell your soul to a bank.
Stick with the Civil Service for the time being and look for a more demanding role which will still give some work life balance. Just because you have one offer doesn’t mean there aren’t other round the corner, and in my experience its the job you decline that define your career.

Mid 30’s. No kids. Want them, and the plan was to have been on #2 by now. Sadly it isn’t that simple.

Instinct pulls me in both directions. If I stay put I would expect to be doing the same job in 5 years. If I move to the bank, I’ll either have been promoted or left and be working as a contractor (back up plan)

Dealing with shit neighbours is as stressful as working long hours. If you are looking in the job market then you are obviously unhappy where you are. I’d take a stab at the new challenge, you can always move again if you don’t like it.

Take the plunge. Leaving what you know for something you don’t is scary as hell – I went from banking to the Army but I’ve not looked back. The daily grind of a job you don’t enjoy will eventually, if it’s not already, have an effect on your home life – it’s a cliche but you work for 8 hours a day; life’s too to spend half your working hours bored.

And remember that despite what you may think, you’ve racked up some great experience in the Civil Service already. Compliment it with a few years of commercial experience and you’ve got an even stronger CV which will help in the long run. Good luck!

There has to be a balance between pay, satisfaction and achieving what you want in life. at mid thirties I’d say that’s still the time to be laying the foundations for your family future. Putting in the graft now can mean better possibilities in the future and more balance as you get older rather than being stuck in the same old year in, year out.

The fact that you’ve been offered all three jobs you’ve applied for shows that you have something the employers want so if this particular role isn’t the one for you perhaps there is something else out there that might suit you better.

However, don’t rule out some hard graft for a few years as it might just be a significant turning point for you.

When you work for a bank, then the expectations tend to be high (particularly in tech) – you can be called upon at any time to assist with stuff – overtime is non existent (you may get callout allowance up to a certain grade).

Depending on commute you may get to do no riding during the week / be constantly knackered / bring stress home

If I could get a secure job that covered all my bills, let me cycle to work and didn’t give me too much grief then I would take it. Stress is horrible, it’ll keep you awake for a long time once you’ve got the job.

Move house

Have a great work life balance in tbe civil service, been a great 11 years while the kids have been small.

They are now 11 and 7. Schools and activities are costing a fortune. I would give my left arm for a more challenging better paid job with prospects.

Depends where you are in life

Life’s too short to spend your days in an uninspiring job that doesn’t challenge you.
It’s also too short to spend all your time in an office, generating cash which you have no time to enjoy.

I know people who have done both and tbh the ones who’ve gone for the easy option are the least happy overall – they’ve made no progress, on low salarys and are steadily less and less employable.

We’re all facing competition from immigrants/offshoring and technology, as a working generation we don’t have the luxury of an easy life – IMO only those with a work ethic, personal development ethic and an ability to adapt will have anything like a decent standard of living over the next 20-30 years.

Have you looked at Glassdoor.com for the employee reviews of the bank? It might help you make your mind up… there’s a reason why banking often has to pay well!

Your best option might be to keep looking for a role which pays well enough but won’t take its pound of flesh. That said, if it’s a route into being a self-employed consultant, the short term pain of the bank might well be worth it