Posted By teh_boy
HELP!

I am almost two years into my career in safety and am faced with my first real dilemma - it's really a life style vs current career choice but i am in desperate need of sound advice!

I currently work as a safety advisor for a top tier COMAH chemical plant in area 1.
I have been here for a year after 6 months at another plant and so am just starting to find my feet.

My Family, girl friend, friends, life etc are based in area 2.

Have been invited for interview for a job in area 2 (which is a hard area in which to find work)
This is for a large well know company (good for CV I'm told) but the role is safety advisor for a large office. Totally different to what i do now.

Both options have pros, both have cons. If i move out of chemicals I may be expanding or reducing options depending on who i talk to.

I don't want to relocate permanently to the area I'm in now and so will want to move at some point, chance offer won't come up again?

ARGH :)

The arguments for and against go on on I won't add more detials for now. I have no idea how to decide what I want to do.

All comments welcome!

Posted By I. M. Twining
Difficult choice to make but as you say, one which could have life changing consequences. From a personal point of view, having spent a lot of my working life away from home I'd opt to work near home. Your job is something which helps you pay the mortgage etc but friends and family are all important as is having a life outside of work.

Would your girlfriend be willing to move with you? If so then that is one less thing to concern you, as family will be there for you wherever you end up. You say you don't want to move permanently to where your working at the moment so it seems the choice has already been made in all but actioning it.

At the end of the day the choice is yours to make but I would always opt to stay near those things I value. Hope this helps some.

Posted By I. M. Twining
It's easier looking for a job whilst your in one but working from home I would say out weighs the benefits(?) of the other option. Work from home and keep an eye on the opportunity to move back into the chemical side if your not happy. You never know it might be the best decision you ever made.

Posted By Gary Malone
teh_boy

So many ways to look at this one, I dont think this posting or any on this thread should be used to make a decision.

All i can state is that family are no 1 before my job, so always be near home, things change quickly in the job or career market so I would expect that you could resolve quickly an 99.9% of future employers would fully understand your reason to switch to get home.

Or Get a large piece of paper divide in half and write pro's on the left and con's on the right, list the pro's n con's and make a decision from there.

Or toss a coin.

But seriously have been in the position of being away and it is a lonely existance.

Gary

Posted By Guderian
Stay in the petro-chem sector. You will be bored working an an office only environment. It might not be as easy as you think to get back into the sector.

Also while family and friends are important, you also need to think of the long term consequences of earning less money.

Assuming things go well with your present partner, if you have children you will need all of the money you can get - its not easy living for a period on a smaller salary (than you could have got). Also in the future if any children you have want to go to Uni, then extra money will be handy then as well. You will earn more in the long run by staying in petro chem.

You potential future family are just as important as you present family - arguably more so, as your children will be dependent upon on you for a long time - providing for them is part of the life balance.

Posted By Ken M
Having just recently come upon this crossroad myself I hope my experience can help.

I had been working for a company as a roving safety advisor and was looking after 2 sites. Both were over 2 hours drive from home. Not bad though as I did this drive in works time.

Then I was asked to work full time for 1 site and I took the job as I was excited at the prospect.

Trouble was after my girlfriend said she would relocate, she changed her mind after I started. We had a baby on the way and I was out of the house for 12-14 hours a day (sometimes longer depending on traffic).

I made the decision to leave the company even the I enjoyed the job and people I worked with.

But family for me came first.

I am now working 10 minutes away from home and although I don't enjoy it as much, (but I do enjoy it) my family life more than makes up for it and I get to spend more time with my girlfriend and our 3 month old baby.

So I am with the many of the other posters work to live and not live to work!