Ok here’s one to mull over.

Option 1: Current job that I’ve been in for 2.5 years in private consultancy. Reasonable salary and permanent but very time demanding. Combine project and personnel management with reporting etc. Pluses – challenging and rewarding when going well. Minuses – stressful, long hours and very unsettling when not going well (as one of the boses is a bit of a Jekyll/Hyde).

Option 2: New job offer at a bit less money (but plenty for me and the missus to live off) in civil sector. Only a three year contract but good prospects for a perm contract once the foot is in the door and then as safe as any job these days. New challenge within an excellent team. Pluses – Flexible working, excellent working environment. Minuses – Temp contract, lower salary.

OK, I know there’s many variables that aren’t covered, but how important is time versus money. The jobs themselves would both maintain my interest. My decision is aided by a forthcoming baby but interested to get others perspective. Sincere apologies for those who currently have neither option available to them.

1 or 2 for you?

2. I don’t see the dilemma. When you’re on your deathbed, do you think you’re likely to say “I wish I’d spent more time at work” ?

My decision is aided by a forthcoming baby

Answer = 2

Compressed hours, working from home, lower levels of stress, decent pension and benefits.

2. No question. Work to live don’t live to work

Look at how many hours you work at the moment and how many in the new job – I bet the bit less money works out at more per hour

2 – Youll have plenty more time for life then, and less stress. If money’s and issue just cut back on things you dont need. It will be worth it

So, about 50:50 then!? Hah.

TandemJeremy, you’re dead right and I had thought exactly that. There are even more positives with 7 days more holiday in option 2.

My only nagging doubt is “am i taking the easy way out” but that thought will be so far out of my mind when I leave work at 3:30pm and jump on my bike before getting home to see the little ‘un! There’s an element of fearing it’s the ‘grass is always greener syndrome’ but I’ll never know till I get in that field I guess!

7 days more holiday – thats worth 3% of your salary or something like. Plus the pension benefits.

You know the right answer

Option 2.

TJ’s got it right.

Last year my boss died of cancer at 47. Lovely wife and 3 girls, £1.3m house, jag XKR in the drive. Yet he spent all his time in the office until it was too late. What a waste. Life’s too short. Simples.

That’s a large part of why I’m going for my option 2. Go for it, and good luck to you!

Option 2 and don;t look back.
I can understand your ‘taking the easy way out’ comment however i’ve never understood why people see working efficienty or making work choices as a ‘failing’ ? I get hassled a lot when i work 3 days a week sometimes – or leave at 3pm. So what – its not a competition to be there all the time and quite honestly, i don’t care I’d rather be working to live than the other way round*

*although teh last 6 months has been constantly 5-7 days a week and 10hr days so I seem to have lost my own powers of motivation. I’ll have a word with myself.

The prospect of a new bike through the cycle to work scheme of course hadn’t crossed my mind!

NZCol, it’s not a competition but i don’t mind admiting I can’t help comparing salary with peers from time to time. Having said that there’s no way I can compete with some old school friends who are on 6 figures in ‘the city’ Hell their bonuses put my salary in the shade! That said i wouldn’t swap with them for the world, and I actively chose a career that would never bring me big bucks.

It’s good to know others would do the same!

DR_Bakes : my comment was a general one not specifically aimed at you. Its a difficult decision to make of course but I just see this whole competition thing between people to ‘have more’ ‘ be better’ ‘ work longer’. Without wanting the pot to call the kettle black (cos I am a repeat work offender….) i think we all one day get to the point where we have to make that decision or set a ‘goal’ and once thats achieved back off the work thing. For me I am watching my old man slowly die, i don;t really know him as he worked his nuts off when i was small and was never there. He totally regrets that now and I suppose I am trying to get to know him again before i don’t have the chance. On the other side I’m trying to play corporate games and hold a big job. Somethings is gonna give soon and I know what it will be.
Choice 2 seems to me to be the logical choice once you accept the baggage !

FWIW – I backed off the “career” ladder in my mid-30’s I could see that I was putting in far too much time, even though my salary was more than adequate and I had a whole career path being provided for me. I’d watch some guys retire at 60 and be dead by 62, all burnt out and leaving a rich widow (but lonely) and family. Having a daughter emphasised it even more and I took a couple of “sideways” moves to less-stressful, but still rewarding jobs.

More recently, I’ve taken a hit of around £40k per year to get early retirement. Of course we’re having to cut back on stuff, but I can now decide what I want to do and can be a better husband and father.

I do have some friends/acquaintances who seem to be on some sort of treadmill aimed at getting a bigger house, bigger car, more money etc. I just don’t get it though. I’ve never felt driven to match or exceed their expectations.

Option 2. time is worth more than money

Option 2 sounds good but how secure will it be? Public spending will be cut by whichever party wins the next election and I’d suspect contractors will be the first to go.

Uponthedowns. Very good point and one I’ve considered but it is a training position so they’d be unwilling to lose someone who they’ve invested in. I also asked at interview and they gave reassurance that it would be pretty secure and they don’t operate on a ‘last in first out basis’. To be honest the chances of me being in Option 1 in three years time (the length of the contract in Option 2) are minimal as I’ll either have had a breakdown or been sacked in one of the bosses fits of rage (employment law be damned!).

in a similar way to druidh, I got “off” the career ladder at 30.

I reckoned that with the old “three score and ten” years it would be shame to waste the vast majority of it doing stuff other people wanted you to. I chose to slash my hours by going freelance – ironically Ive increased my income but that’s by good luck rather than design – from 40-50 hours a week to more like 20 hours.

I get to spend so much more time with my wife, my bikes, my son, my bikes, my parents, my bikes etc etc 🙂

Be aware – I know a few consultants (general & contaminated land engineers)that have moved from private to public service. They have found that dealing with the greater level of bureacracy (sp?) and inability for civil departments to make a desision as eaqually stressfull as some of the commercial pressures of working for a private company. Some have left – some have gradually slipped into that ‘civil service way of doing things’. Whilst time is certainly invaluable, do you really think you can make the transition and satisfy your career ambitions ? After all unless you are lucky enough to work part time, you are still going to spend a lot of your waking hours at work.

Option 1.

No, that was a blatent lie to seem different.

Option 2 – complete no brainer 😉

No. 2 with no doubt.
I was made redundant in january this year… best thing that ever happend to me…I can now care for my disabled wife instead of paying someone else to do it and i get to ride the red route at dalby forest twice a week.
Being so tiered from working all the time is just no fun.. there is a lot more to life.
Live life to the full and dont waiste it chasing money !!!

Option 2 without a doubt.
What are you waiting for?

You cannot have your time again.

SB

Marcus, I hear you but I’ve worked in the public sector before so I’m going in eyes wide open. It is indeed a world full of red tape and bureaucracy but in the environmental sector I’m in that happens largely whether in private or public. Just got to find ways to work around it or become part of it!

Without hesitation option 2.

I’ve said ‘time not money’ all my life, but the last few years somehow the job got bigger and bigger and I found myself away from my family all week, and barely riding, it just sort of crept without me noticing.

Anyway, I was made redundant in March and whilst at first it was a worry, it allowed us as a family to reset the the lifestyle clock. I’m currently a house husband and my wife has got local work in a housing association so she can leave just before 9 come home for lunch and be home just after 5.

I’ve been able to re-establish my relationship with my kids and wife and I can ride regularly again. Yes we’ve had to adjust how we spend money and I’ve basically stopped buying pimpy bike stuff, but I’m much happier

When my industry recovers from the downturn I’m sure I’ll find a job again, but on my terms.

I’m sorry, from the thread title i thought there was a decision to be made, but it turns out there isn’t.

2

No question at all. 2

Well on the basis of that landslide victory for option 2 (and considerable discussion with pregnant wife who will paying for my bike parts from now on) I have handed in my notice. I won’t ruin the illusion by saying just how much influence this post had but rest assured i be blaming you lot if it all goes horribly wrong 😉

Just trying to avoid the inevitable fallout that my resignation is causing now!

Dr Brake, you do realise asking on this forum the decision was already made, and here could only drum up further support – now if you had asked on an ‘achievers’ forum……..

My partner and I set up our own company to make sure we got the work/life balance thing right. Might change once the kids are grown up, but not missing our “disposable” income that much…

Lionheart. I do.

Currently the same poll running on a forum on investmentbankers.co.uk is 97% option 1.

Thats it then a 3% swing – jobs a good’n – good luck in your new role and new life

I moved from private IT consultancy to public sector last October. So far I have recieved better training (and relevent to my job), am in a team that gets on well and supports one another and don’t feel the pressure to work more hours than is required of me.

The consultancy couldn’t have cared less when I handed in my notice and I took an awful lot of knowledge away with me – their loss. When I was TUPE’d in from another consultancy I resolved to give it a year but things just weren’t working for me.

Option 2, and good luck.

Domino, That seems to happen in many fields. I don’t stand a chance of getting training in my consultancy post but have a good list of courses I attended during my last public sector experience three years ago.

It’s all about the bottom line in the private sector which I totally understand, but sometimes better value for money can be generated through staff retention. I’ve lost count of the number of people that have passed through the seemeingly revolving doors while I’ve been here. You think they’d take the hint!?

On the other hand the public sector could learn a lot about efficiency from the private, and make better use of the public pound!

2. & learn to live to lower income. We have, could earn another £10k I reckon but right now I have a job I enjoy, 5 mins from home, get to take the kids to nursery every day in the trailer & pick them up again at night. Had another company keen for me to consider joining them recently, £12k salary hike but 20wks / yr overseas. **** that. I love my time with the kids too much.