I’ll try to explain my dilemma without waffling on.

I am a nurse, I currently have a job working in a group home for adults with developmental disabilities. I like the job, it pays enough, it’s not stressful at all, however it’s mainly admin with limited contact, thus is only moderatly satisfying. Hours are flexible, 8 per day monday to friday.

I have been offered a job in a really good hospital, it would be extremely busy and stressful but very satisfying, career-wise it’d be amazing and would set me up for further study/progression. I’d get paid a bit more. I’d do 3 12 hour shifts per week 7-7.

We have our first baby due any day now; I’m thinking stress/lack of sleep/ect.

Do I stay where I am now (cosy job), or take a chance on a potentially stressful but rewarding new position.

Any advice, particulary from parents of babies, would be greatly appreciated.

I’d go for the hospital job. Those 12 hours will fly by in an intresting busy job and then youll have 4 days a week at home with your baby. Your current cushy job is too easy and youll stagnate, get bored, resent it and time will crawl by. You already know the answer 😉

I’m thinking more money and more time with the family plus opportunities in the future. You’ll kick yourself if you don’t.

Yes it’ll be hard but opportunities don’t fall in your lap when you want them to, got to embrace them when they happen.

Albeit a different profession, I’ve made the move your are suggesting within the last month. What grimy said is remarkably accurate and exactly right. For the first time in several years my brain is tired for all the right reasons and I’m not waking up wondering if I can be bothered turning up at the office.

Do it.

Stay in the job you know while you get use to a new baby, plus if you need time off etc – always easier from a place you know.

b r – Member
Stay in the job you know while you get use to a new baby, plus if you need time off etc – always easier from a place you know.
POSTED 1 MINUTE AGO # REPORT-POST

Actually I apologise – I did that ^^ for four years before I made my move.

No idea, but No 2. the list always seems worth remembering.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying

I would try the new job myself. You want to. Don’t you?

Ian, my regret would be that we never actually did it but I don’t blame you. It was probably the beer.

Yup, If we’d been more sober I think we’d have realised beforehand that the bottles don’t come out without a trip to A&E.

Stay.

That new job will demand a lot of you so is your baby and what is the point of getting stress because of a career.

You will always get job in hospital if you are good.

🙂

The though of the new job does get my ‘juices’ flowing, I suppose if I think of long term it does make a lot of sense. The job market is crap at the mo, I’m not long (3 years) qualified, and I reckon the hossie job would set me up for future moves, if I stayed where I am now I will de-skill (I don’t do any clinical stuff at all, just paperwork, training and ‘management’).

Seize the day and all that, I think I would kick myself down the line.

AAhhh, I have to make a decision this weekend and let them know on Monday.

From my own perspective I’d go for the job satisfaction any day.

I recently went from a really enjoyable job, where the wages were lower, and the company was a bit shonky to a better paid/better company doing a job I now realise is awful. I regret the move every day I’m at work.

EDIT – The hospital job, even if you eventually learn to hate it sounds like the right move career wise to me.

does get my ‘juices’ flowing

See, Ian. Some men *can* do it.

More interesting job
More money
More longer term career opportunities
More time with your baby

I think the decision is obvious.

Babies often bring change, mine did. new baby; new job or project each time. Tbh if it’s your first child life will be very very different anyway, good time to embrace change all round esp if its progressive for you.

Thanks everyone for your responses, you can always count on STW for quality advice, I’m going to mull over this one long and hard over the weekend…..if the baby doesn’t come along before

Do it. Being challenged is part of life and the setup sounds like you will get more time at home.

Take the new job, you didn’t do all that training to be an admin clerk did you? And don’t over think it this weekend just go for it.

What makes you think the new position will be stressful? IMO being challenged every day is less stressful than treading water and getting frustrated. Plus new job sounds like the hours are better suited to family life.

When it happened to me I took the safe option – but I also knew that in my company and at that time I’d get a second chance of the change at a later date.

In your position – I’d say take the new job. Good luck, on all counts.

The body can cope with stress and lack of sleep much better if its motivated and happy

The new baby will stress you and your wife…as will the new job (at least for the first few months).

If you’ve got a job that gives you more time with the family (albeit that you work longer hours) then I’d say that as long as you’re balancing things on the days you’re working and not leaving it all to your missus then go for the new job. It’s only gonna be 6 or 7 months til it gets a lot easier. On the down side if it doesn’t work out then you might be worse off.

The other option sounds like it might be easier in the short term but then you’ve got to work out if you can hack it for longer as it might take a bit to get another move.

Risk v reward obviously …plus the fact that your current employers are more likely to support you through this time than new ones.

Choices choices!! 🙂

definitely do it. id always rather regret something i did than something i didnt do.

youd always be thinking “what if” if you dont.

Hospital, hands down. Your partner will be fine the days you’re at work and will greatly appreciate the time you have at home. You’ll have an interesting and challenging work life to keep you motivated when ‘home’ becomes stressful – remember it works that way round as well…

Career and motivating job vs bored out of your mind… Not much of a choice really. Home will be home, work you can change. Go for it 8)

If anyone’s interested, I have decided to take the more stressful hossie job, I feel good about the decision.

Thanks for all the advice – if it doesn’t work out then I’ll know where to find you. 😉

Well done and good luck 😆
Young workmate(now ex)has just taken a job which will mean being away from home and possibly out of the country for longish periods of time. He has however trebled his pay!!! He to has a young family but job prospects are currently grim with no likely promotion, only redundancy
….! Locally few other jobs pay as much as we earn so only option is to move 🙄

Roll on retirement 😆

Thanks for the update. Congratulations on the pregnancy and good luck with the new job. I recon you’ve made the right choice, but I’ve a sneeky suspicion you knew all along you had to go for it.

You hardly see the baby in your old job
They go to sleep 7ish…

Four clear days off????
Right choice!

no brainer from the outside– hope all goes well with the baby and family life!

Agree, no brainer.

Another bonus. When you want a week off you only need to book 3 days, at your current place you’d need to use up 5 days of annual leave to get a week off. Maybe not a big deal if holiday entitlement is generous anyway, but where I am we only get 23 days so that would be a big thing for me.

Good choice imo

Most people in the company I work for do 12 hour shifts and have so much more spare time to with as they wish.

My biggest regret is deciding to stay here when I had a great job offer. now with baby29er and house stuff I feel a bit trapped at them moment. As soon as things settle in a year or so I’ll be looking for another job, I just hope one as well suited as the one I passed up comes up again.

good luck with everything