Take This Job and SHOVE It!
@cynicalandoutspoken (4725)
United States
March 30, 2009 1:16pm CST
What would you do?
Pretend for just a moment that you are one heck of a general law attorney in a town of about 26,000 people. You are well known for your expertise in domestic law, like child custody and divorces. You dabble in some workers compensation. You really know your way around property disputes, but your passion is in foreclosing on peoples homes for the local banks and representing the banks when people file bankruptcy.
You have had the same job for the past 10 years and in another year and a half you will be a full partner in the firm you work at and your monthly pay will increase by about 33%. For the purposes of this discussion and to keep the math simple, lets also say that you gross $50,000 a year but you end up paying Uncle Sam no less than $12,000 a year because you are considered self employed. You pay the total cost of everything from your health insurance to all the fees to keep your license to practice law valid, out of your own pocket. Also, when you don't work. You don't get paid. There are no such things as sick days and vacation days. You are free to take off whenever you want to with the understanding that you are not getting paid for those days.
But nothing makes you happier than arguing cases in front of a judge. You feel as though you were born to argue! Yet nothing irritates you more than dealing with stupid clients.
Purely by accident back in November of 2008 you stumbled across a job being offered by the Social Security Administration. You met all the qualifications so you applied. When you hadn't heard anything by the first of January you figured you weren't going to get a call but then out of nowhere LAST WEDNESDAY you are called in for an interview which you went to on Friday and today you got the official job offer.
The job with Social Security will have you working 8 hours a day alone in a room reviewing claims for benefits that have been denied. It will be your job to review all the information and apply the appropriate legal statues for the judge to keep the denial or find the legal statutes that support the appeal and show the judge why he should grant the persons claim.
For your boredom you are being offered a federal job paying $48,000 a year which is less than you are grossing now. BUT you won't be self employed anymore. You will be working for the government 8 hours a day, five days a week. So instead of having to pay Uncle Same $12,000 every April, you will be getting $5,000 back every year. You will also earn 13 sick days and 13 vacation days a year. You will get paid over time when you have to work late. You will only have to pay a portion of your health insurance. And you get a cost of living raise and a performance bonus EVERY year.
But you lose the chance to argue. But you never have to deal with stupid clients ever again! But you know this job is going to be boring. But you also know this job is better economically for you and your family.
What do you do? Tell your current employer to shove it and take the new job, or respectfully decline the new position and stick it out where you have been for the past decade?
7 people like this
10 responses
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
30 Mar 09
This is a no brainer Cyn. Stay where you are. Unless you really do have no brain in which case grasp it with both hands. You want to trade variety for a monoculture for less pay but job security. I know that times are tough, and whilst personally I find the idea of booting people out of their homes unpalatable, I'd stay where I am and run the risk of things getting better for me. 13 days! Sheesh. You guys need to revisit the work/life balance. My clerks got a bare minimum of 20 days leave on appointment!
1 person likes this
@cynicalandoutspoken (4725)
• United States
30 Mar 09
Technically it isn't 2,000 less it is 5,000 more after taxes and all that other crap but I still don't know. You are probably right though. It makes better sense to stay where you are.
I've been at my current job for 4 years and I only get 18 days of vacation, 8 personal and 6 sick days a year. The US wants to work their employees until they die.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
30 Mar 09
You've missed my point Cyn. Who gives a stuff about the money? He has much better things coming. It's about what he does all day that really matters. He's going to gain the $5000 anyway, admittedly he'll pay more too. OK. Try this. Go into your bathroom. Sit on the loo. Take a toilet roll and pull the ply apart. Piece by piece. Exciting? Gets the juices going? Want more? That's what I mean. Monotonous, repetitive and ultimately you are screaming to be released. Welcome to the Government job.
1 person likes this
@renemouche (843)
• United States
30 Mar 09
This is sorta a tough one. Im a paralegal and I have to deal with crazy clients so I know what you mean. They can drive you up the wall sometimes. If the law and arguing it is something your passionate about I would stick with it.
On the other hand if you and your family are stuggling then going with the other job might be the way to go. You can always go back to practing law if the SSA job doesn't work out.
@cynicalandoutspoken (4725)
• United States
30 Mar 09
You could go back to practicing law but chances are you wouldn't be able to go back to almost being a full partner. You would probably have to start low man on the totem pole. But yes, clients are a pain!
1 person likes this
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
30 Mar 09
Hmmmmm, so you have extra security, but you'll probably end up feeling like a miserable caged animal? I'd try to use the new job offer to attempt to negotiate better terms with your existing employer and stay put. Everybody's goal in life surely is to be in a role that they're passionate about. IF the extra few dollars and benefits will truly change your life and make ALL the difference, then I guess my own advice is a moot point. But if you are coping just fine as is, why look to give up on something you love just for the sake of these few extra perks? Being in a job that's boring and that you end up hating will affect more than just your morale, it runs the risk of affecting your family life as well.
@cynicalandoutspoken (4725)
• United States
30 Mar 09
You are absolutely right. I got what I expected to be the best job in the world back in 2004 for an insurance company.
It was my job to sit in a room all by myself separating hospital bills from doctors bills, putting them in stacks of 100 then binding them and putting them on the scanner.
WOO HOO! FINALLY! A job that didn't require me to deal with angry clients. A job where no one bothered me for anything. No one asked for my help with anything. A job a monkey could be trained to do.
3 weeks into that job I was ready to rip out my own eyes with a staple puller. I ended up leaving it for a 50 cent an hour pay cut!
But now after dealing with angry customers 8 hours a day 5 days a week for the past 4 years I long for the silence and seclusion on my little office with a door and NO PHONE!!!
Argh! I'm no closer to helping my husband make this decision now than I was back in November when he applied for the flippin job.
3 people like this
@Gebraroest (10)
• Canada
30 Mar 09
I guess if will do it, but I don't suggest it
1 person likes this
@sid556 (30960)
• United States
4 Apr 09
Tough question in todays economy but I think i'd probably stick to what I know and love. I worked in auto insurance for 12 years and I loved it. I am now working at a menial job in a convenience store which was to be temporary until I could get back in the office. I ended up loving it and have been here for over 15 yrs. I am not getting rich but I get by and I enjoy the work and the people. I have a great boss and right about now, I am grateful to have a job.
@dawnald (85146)
• Shingle Springs, California
31 Mar 09
Seems to me that unless you absolutely NEED the extra money, it would be a no brainer to stay where you're at. Going to a job that is boring from one that is interesting (even with stupid clients) could eventually cause stress and depression and many other problems. Go with what you love and the money will follow (so they say) but go with something that bores you and you aren't going to want to stay there for long.
Not to mention the 33% increase in a year or so...
@pigeongal (13)
• Philippines
31 Mar 09
Does it feel like you're stepping out of your comfort zone? Are you anxious about the new job or what you're thinking is the boredom? Which job do you think will likely let you last for years ahead? In the long run, what matters is you realize those long term goals that you have. Which job will let you get a fast swing at it? This decision is not light for sure. But you are the only person most capable to decide which one will work out for the best for you.
1 person likes this
@tammytwo (4298)
• United States
31 Mar 09
Sounds like a wonderful opportunity. I would pray my heart out about it and do whatever God leads me to do. I know many don't believe this way but this is how I landed the position I am currently in. It isn't a permanent position for me but I am happy for the time being.
@MsTickle (25180)
• Australia
1 Apr 09
This situation begs the question...
Do you work to live
or,
live to work?
Your guy has to choose between these two scenarios from what I can see.
He is doing a job he loves and getting kicked in the teeth financially. (Lawyers are paid carp where you come from) The other job might be the pits but it will give him the opportunity to live life to the full outside of work.
I reckon after 10 years things might be a little stale and a move is probably a good thing. Besides, there might be something even better around the corner. A move has been made so things have been set in motion. That's a good thing and could be quite exciting.
Good luck
@bellaofchaos (11538)
• United States
31 Mar 09
Well hun we have had this discussion so you know my thoughts .. LOL!!! but I do think that every pro and con should be written down and looked out thoroughly before a decision is made and also maybe he could keep his current job and take a sabbatical to try this new job. That way if he wants to stab himself in the neck with the pen he's using to take the notes on where these people are denied he can go back to his old job. I love ya and want both of you happy and secure. In the end only he can say what is right for him.
@jtownesquire (104)
• United States
2 Apr 09
If I may put my 2 cents in....
First of all the numbers are not accurate, but I don't fault the writer for that...some discretion in these things is required. But, the new job will in fact be a slight INCREASE in pay.
Also, in one year there is a GUARANTEE (imagine that...the government making a guarantee!)of a promotion. That will result in approximately a 25% pay increase. And yes, I checked, it is GUARANTEED.
Now, to the heart of the matter....financially, either job would suffice. And, were it just me making this decision with only my interests in mind, things might be slightly different, but maybe not.
I think many have hit on the point: What's more important? I truly love arguing in court. I truly hate dealing with stupid clients. I truly enjoy the aspects of my job that allow me to analyze situations and apply the law. But, above all else..I truly love my family. So, there is really only one choice. The choice that allows me to do what's best for my family. The money is there either way. But the TIME, the ability to leave work at work, the ability to go on vacation and not have the office call, not have to think about clients, not have to pull 15 hours days when I get back to catch up, those things, the IMPORTANT things, I'll only have those with the new job. Things will only get worse being a full partner.
A choice between time with my family and arguing...that's not even a close call.
Besides, there are other jobs in the system that provide the opportunity to argue.