Current Events > CE, Which job would you be more willing to take based on these factors:

(+) Yeah! (+)

I am currently at Job 1, but am looking into job 2.

Job 1:
67k/yr
60-80 minute commute (one-way)
Unavoidable parking expenses anywhere from $11-16/day
Better exit opportunities (better known firm). Experience gained may be more marketable to future employers.
Easier to not get as noticed at a bigger firm for my contributions.
60-80 work weeks during busy season (Jan-Apr) 40-45 RoY




Job 2:
60-63k/yr
25 minute commute (one-way)
Free parking
Less exit opportunities (small firm). Experience gained may be less marketable if I decided I didn't like the job.
More likely to make an impact quickly. Smaller firm means more visibility.
50 hour work weeks during busy season (Jan-Apr), 40-45 RoY

Thoughts, CE?
---

60-80 minute commute (one-way)
Unavoidable parking expenses anywhere from $11-16/day

Those are complete dealbreakers for me. For 7k less per year, I'd happily take Job 2 if it meant a much shorter commute and I don't have to pay $50+/week for parking.

So, on top of working 60- 80 hours a week, you're also looking at atleast 10 hours travel time, possibly 15.

When are you planning to sleep?
---

Coolppl Owns posted...

Less exit opportunities (small firm). Experience gained may be less marketable if I decided I didn't like the job.
More likely to make an impact quickly. Smaller firm means more visibility.

Coolppl Owns posted...

Better exit opportunities (better known firm). Experience gained may be more marketable to future employers.
Easier to not get as noticed at a bigger firm for my contributions.

focusing on this because the other stuff is super obviously better for the smaller firm.

quite simply: it's not the name of your employer that boosts the value of your experience. it's what you did there.

those sub-bullets under the employer name tell the story. being a face in the crowd at a well-known firm is nowhere near as good on the resume as being the reason a project/contract/whatever succeeded at a lesser-known one.

if you're going to have opportunities to do things that matter at the smaller firm, and not at the bigger one, and are planning on both as springboards to better-paying jobs, take the smaller firm.
---

If can job 1, if not job 2. Depends on where you are in life.
---

Darkman124 posted...

Coolppl Owns posted...

Less exit opportunities (small firm). Experience gained may be less marketable if I decided I didn't like the job.
More likely to make an impact quickly. Smaller firm means more visibility.

Coolppl Owns posted...

Better exit opportunities (better known firm). Experience gained may be more marketable to future employers.
Easier to not get as noticed at a bigger firm for my contributions.

focusing on this because the other stuff is super obviously better for the smaller firm.

quite simply: it's not the name of your employer that boosts the value of your experience. it's what you did there.

those sub-bullets under the employer name tell the story. being a face in the crowd at a well-known firm is nowhere near as good on the resume as being the reason a project/contract/whatever succeeded at a lesser-known one.

if you're going to have opportunities to do things that matter at the smaller firm, and not at the bigger one, and are planning on both as springboards to better-paying jobs, take the smaller firm.

Good points. For some reason i was stuck on thinking that brand name trumps all (this was shoved down our throats in college). But from a logical standpoint this makes more sense.
---

Coolppl Owns posted...

Good points. For some reason i was stuck on thinking that brand name trumps all (this was shoved down our throats in college). But from a logical standpoint this makes more sense.

tbh even in college it was pretty untrue
---

Coolppl Owns posted...

Darkman124 posted...

Coolppl Owns posted...

Less exit opportunities (small firm). Experience gained may be less marketable if I decided I didn't like the job.
More likely to make an impact quickly. Smaller firm means more visibility.

Coolppl Owns posted...

Better exit opportunities (better known firm). Experience gained may be more marketable to future employers.
Easier to not get as noticed at a bigger firm for my contributions.

focusing on this because the other stuff is super obviously better for the smaller firm.

quite simply: it's not the name of your employer that boosts the value of your experience. it's what you did there.

those sub-bullets under the employer name tell the story. being a face in the crowd at a well-known firm is nowhere near as good on the resume as being the reason a project/contract/whatever succeeded at a lesser-known one.

if you're going to have opportunities to do things that matter at the smaller firm, and not at the bigger one, and are planning on both as springboards to better-paying jobs, take the smaller firm.

Good points. For some reason i was stuck on thinking that brand name trumps all (this was shoved down our throats in college). But from a logical standpoint this makes more sense.

It's only true for MAJOR big names, like Harvard or something that everyone knows is super-prestigious.

bump
---

job 2
---

Job 2.
Free parking and less commute win for me over a few extra thousand a year that might go toward gas and parking and other auto expenses.
---

Tc are you an accountant working for the BIG4 or another high tier firm? If so I'd stay at the current job for the experience for a couple years before you leave.

How much experience do you have now?
---

Mikablu posted...

It's only true for MAJOR big names, like Harvard or something that everyone knows is super-prestigious.

Not really. I mean, the further out of college you are, the less it matters, but some companies will only hire from certain colleges.
---

Job 2 for sure

It wouldn't even be a hard decision for me...
---

Job 2 NO hesitation.
---

Job 2
---

honestly, I'm surprised you are even considering the first job, it's so bad in comparison in so many ways...

Lets break down a few things:
Parking even at $11 a day is roughly $2,510 MINIMUM so now you are comparing 64.5.k to 60-63k
60-80 minute commute vs 25 minute commute, let's assume you are going through gas TWICE as fast as usual and doubling your gas costs. Let's also assume your spend $20.00 in gas every two weeks (this is likely a REALLY low number compared to realistic costs/numbers) That's an additional $520.00/year for gas costs MINIMUM.

Now your comparison is 64k to 60-63k.

Now throw in mandatory overtime 60-80 as opposed to 50 during busy season.

First job looks terrible at every level in comparison.

I do not consider the "exit opportunity" to be worth the difference...

EDIT: Forgot to mention the income tax difference from 67k vs 60-63k is roughly 2k more or so.
---

CE: "Neither, then I can sit at home and play video games all day!!"
---

REMercsChamp posted...

CE: "Neither, then I can sit at home and play video games all day!!"

@TheDarkCircle
---

Drpooplol posted...

Tc are you an accountant working for the BIG4 or another high tier firm? If so I'd stay at the current job for the experience for a couple years before you leave.

How much experience do you have now?

Around 2 years of niche federal audit/advisory experience.

I decided that I'm done working on federal clients and want to make the jump to private/commercial sector. The new job I'd take is more of a staff accountant which I have no experience in. The reason for the paycut is because of my lack of experience but if it means I can go into the industry I want with more interesting clients it may be worth it to me. I know that going this route means that the chances of going back to big 4 is less likely but how badly do I want to work the shit hours anyway?

I'd rather be somewhere that values my work and where I'd be more willing to work hard.
---

Yeah plus wear and tear on your vehicle. That's a long ass commute.
---

job 2

quality of life >>>> making an extra 4k a year that will mostly go to taxes anyway
---

One of the biggest predictors of job happiness is commute time and a 1hr+ commute is savage. To make matters worse, with those parking expenses you're not even making money. So doing all this for the possibility of advancement in the firm further down the line seems more than a little excessive to me.

This isn't even a contest for me. Job 2.
---

also you can tell job 2 that you got x offer from job 1 and would appreciate if they matched the salary, and that if they did so you would definitely go to them because you view their culture as preferable.
---

Well it sounds like you know what you want. You should totally go for it, and as far as what the others have said about the commute, I totally agree. It makes a HUGE difference in overall life satisfaction.

GL tc
---

Darkman124 posted...

also you can tell job 2 that you got x offer from job 1 and would appreciate if they matched the salary, and that if they did so you would definitely go to them because you view their culture as preferable.

They said it would be difficult to match me just based on the fact that I don't have the experience but I'll see if I can make them budge.

Drpooplol posted...

Well it sounds like you know what you want. You should totally go for it, and as far as what the others have said about the commute, I totally agree. It makes a HUGE difference in overall life satisfaction.

GL tc

Thanks, I hope it works out too.
---