Need Advice (v. job related)
 

OK, I have been permanently employed for about 18 months. Although I enjoy what I do to an extent, its not what I want to do.

I interviewed for a Perm position last week, and again today for a 6 month contract.

Here is my dilema... The 6 month contract would involve international travel, and have the potential to pay me in 6 months, what I would make in a year.

I really want the permanent position I applied for, and would be willing to leave the contract for it, if I am offered it. I will find out early next week if I get the 2nd interview.

When the contract people call, if they call they will likely want an answer today, and want me to start tuesday...

I am married and have a 2 year old... wife is on board with the travel aspect. Should I pass on the contract? Hold out for the perm?

What would you do?

Travel, see the world. Your supporting your family, which they will appriciate. My father was gone every other week when i was growing up. But we had a nice place to live and nice things. He was there some time, just not all. The travel reduced when i was in my early teens, when the real male bonding usually occurs anyways.

Plus, who knows, hte travel bit may be long term more htan 6 months, which means a lot more money, and who knows, you may be able to take them with you on certain trips. If i was offered even national travel at my current job, i'd take it for what i make now, and travel positions usually pay more.

Give your wife/kid the life they deserve, they'll love you for it even if your not there every single second. You'll still be there at least some of the time, which is better htan none, like so many parents are these days.

I would try to stall the 6mo people if you can. If you certain they will take you, then you can use this as a wedge to the perm. position people and maybe they will speed up the interviewing/offering process if they are really interested in you.

You'd have to be a little crazy to refuse what is essentially doubling of your salary though...any possibilities with them that it could go beyond 6 months?
If not, you could always take the next 6 months off to look around, see the family, etc.. :D

Money is something you'll never have enough of. Time away from your two year old is something you'll never get back.

Nice things are just that nice things. They aren't people. I grew up much like Jay talks about with a father that spend much of his time traveling to Military bases in California for weeks at a time. Never really wanted for any objects but at the same time I don't really remember a relationship with my father from 5-12.

I would do what ever allows me to live a comfortable life while spending the most time with your family.

Then again what do I know. I quit working to spend time with my little one. Wouldn't change it for a thing either!

For all intents and purposes, there is very little chance of there being anything follow on. At best a slightly longer term due to delays.

With the position coming up so fast, I doubt much of a delay is in order.

I would be home every Friday by dinner for the whole weekend. Except on rare occasion, and on those the time would be made up.

This is really more about giving up the stability of something stable to something very lucrative, yet short term and unstable...

I almost hate that I have this decision to make.

5 days to a 2 year old is quite a long time. Remember they've only been here for 100 odd weeks. Its definately a tough decision. I'm very conservative myself so I wouldn't be so apt to go for it as its only 2x what you're currently making. So lets say you do it and come back, it takes you 3 months to find a new job at the same salary you made before you left you're only netting 1.5 what you currently make. There are no promises you'll have a job in 3 months though either right? On the other hand you'd get to spend a good portion of those 3 months with your 2 and a half year old.

Which is exactly what I am struggling with... THanks for all of the opinions... I really appreciate them!

Last year I took a pay cut to move companies to a job that required less hours at work. I'd be making about 10k more right now if I stayed at my old job. I'd also have missed precious moments of my kids growing up. I don't regret the decision a bit.



A child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away, and he was
Talkin' 'fore I knew it, and as he grew, he say
I'm gonna be like you, dad,
You know I'm gonna be like you

And the cat's in the cradle, and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, dad, I don't know when
But we'll get together then
You know we'll have a good time then

My son turned ten just the other day, he said
Thanks for the ball, dad, come on let's play
Can you teach me to throw, I said not today
I got a lot to do, he said that's okay
And he walked away but his smile never dimmed, it said
I'm gonna be like him, yeah
You know I'm gonna be like him

Well he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
Son I'm proud of you, can you sit for a while
He shook his head, and said, with a smile
What I'd really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys
See ya later, can I have them please

I've long since retired, my son's moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, I'd like to see you, if you don't mind, he said
I'd love to, dad, if I could find the time
You see my new job's a hassle and the kids with the flu
But it's been sure nice talkin' to you, dad
It's been sure nice talkin' to you
And as I hung up the phone it occured to me
He'd grown up just like me
My boy was just like me

And the cat's in the cradle, and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man on the moon
When you comin' home, son, I don't know when
But we'll get together then, dad
We're gonna have a good time then

I agree. I just had a major conversation with a friend who's father decided to do the same thing. She now has no relationship with her father because he wasn't around when she was a child. She's depressed and their family's miserable.

On the other hand my father is a long distance truck driver and has been my entire life. I see him for 2-5 days out of the month. I'm used to it I guess and like to think I'm not all that messed up from lack of a fatherly figure :P But umm yeah it's tough sometimes and I really wish he was around more. Now that I'm older though I've realized I'm not close with my dad at all.. and I really wish I was and that I knew him better.

Thanks for all of the input.

They tried to tell me that based on my interview that I am exactly the type of person that the Company I would be contracted to would want to keep for follow on opportunities, and possibly a perm position. It all sounded like recruiter talk to me.

I got offered the position, and gracefully turned it down.

I hope I made the right decision.

And I hope I get that second interview for the Perm position I already interviewed for.

Life's too short to look backwards.

Yeah great song, words of wisdom or drugs, either are good.

So did you take the travel job? I got confused lol... If so, sign up for a frequent flier deal. My dad did that when he worked for HP and had to go to Taiwan every couple of months, at one point he had like 400,000 frequent flier miles.. When my cousin got married in 2000, and my other cousin got married in 2001 (October of 2001...) my parents, my brother, and my grandfather and I flew United from Oregon to Pennsyvania w/out spending a dime! In other words, rack up the miles then once you have free time, take the family on a kick ass vacation :-P

Chris, you provided no detail regarding the position, but somehow I smelled a rat. Was commission involved and why the short term?

It would appear that you made the wise decision.;)

It was a simple PC refresh position... Only I would have been a lead on a team of 4 (3+me). I would have ended up in New Zealand at some point too!

Short term because, well... I cant make W2K -> WXP last forever...