Need decision helpHi folks, Have used this board in the past and you all have been very helpful. I have been working in the restaurant business for many years, most recently as a fast food general manager. I am in my late 40's. I have an opportunity to take a multi unit management position with a gas station/convenience store company which would be a promotion in status. But the dilemma is that the salary is the same I am making now and the bonus will be less. So in the short run, ie a couple of years, the money will be less but it could open up more opportunities in the long term. Also, I have a 10 year old daughter and our schedule could become very disrupted. I sure could use some good advice. Thanks, Eddie Hi Eddie,
Congrats on the opportunity. I never want to advise anybody on what they should do. In this case, that's a decision only you and your family can make. I try to bring up some points of consideration and sometimes play the Devil's Advocate. You certainly have some things to consider. As far as your daughter is concerned, will your (assumed) travel disrupt her schedule terribly, and, as I'm sure you have given consideration to, how will your travel affect her quality of life and the routine she's accustomed to, i.e. getting to and from after school events, help at night with homework, etc? Regarding the money, is it something you could deal with for those couple years or so until things balance out, while still maintaining your financial obligations, and again, your quality of life? Better yet, is there some room for negotiation as far as the salary is concerned? Putting the issue with your daughter and the salary aside, or in other words, all things being equal, would you be happier with this job that you are in your current role? I think that's a key component to these kinds of decisions. If you'd answer, "no," then I'd say you're giving up a lot just for the possibility of some future opportunities. I'm sure you've considered it, but I'd guess this job is going to not only take you away from home more often, but will add a considerable amount more stress than you have now by having to manage more people, bigger budgets, bigger problems, in addition to dealing with the additional regulations you have to deal with when you're involved in the sale of fuel and tobacco. All of that has a cost to you, and should have a price (hence the possibility of negotiation). I don't know that I've given you any advice, but I can only hope to have given you some things to think of or another side to look at them from. Good luck. Thanks StumptownBoy for the advice. Some of what you said such as finances and the homework and school schedule issues I am sure we as a family can handle. But the issue of will I be happier is harder to answer. I am not happy with my current job. There is no challenge, no recognition and no opportunity for advancement. But there is stability and quite a bit more money. The new job, however, is more of an unknown. They tell you things are different, but do they really mean it? I think it is the challenge and excitement that interest me the most. Is it worth giving up what I have for this type of challenge? Eddie Hi Eddie, I guess the unknowns are a part of any new job venture, but where would Lewis and Clark (and American history) have gotten without the challenge of the unknown? I'm not necessarily saying you should go for the job, but there aren't many other ways you'll be able to answer the "happier" question. Is there any way to gauge if what they're saying is true? Any chance you know anyone that works in the organization that can give you some insight? I imagine there's a fair amount of turnover at the store level, but can you ascertain how long people have worked for the company in the management level? That might tell you something about how the company treats its people and whether they're happy. As you say, you never know if they mean what they say, but one of the things I try to ask in interviews (especially if you interview with several different people) is, "What is the best thing you know about this company/organization?" And, then my next question is always, "What is the worst thing?" Sometimes I get what I can believe are honest answers, especially if the people aren't seasoned interviewers. You might try it if you're not done interviewing. It's a shot in the dark, but just in case it happens to be the company you're talking with, I'll mention that I knew some people that worked at both the store management level and district management level for the Amerada Hess gas stations/stores on the East coast, and were very happy with the company in terms of employee treatment, advancement, etc. Again, I can't answer your last question, especially not knowing you. But, I'll throw this out; given the stagnant climate at your current job, do you feel like you've got a lot to lose by taking a leap of faith? I don't want to put words in your mouth, but something tells me you feel you don't have much to lose if you've been willing to pursue the opportunity this far. In a worst case scenario, if it wasn't all that they said it would be, or what you'd hoped it would be, would it be difficult for you to get back into the restaurant business at a level you're at now? My thought would be that with as many restaurants as there are, and your experience in the industry, it would be an easy fallback. There's certainly something to be said for the non-monetary aspects of a job that add to its appeal. I've read many stories about people that took lower paying jobs because another job offered other components that made the job more rewarding and/or enjoyable. Again, think about Lewis and Clark. What if they didn't have that feeling of challenge and excitement that you're having? They'd have never taken the job. How is Mrs. Eddie voting? | |
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