ST Alpha - "ST is good -- need some advice re: job/relocation (long post)" (Reading a Post)

SlickerTalk
Search Archives
The Leaderboard
The FAQ

Down to Post

Backboards:

Posts: 160

ST is good -- need some advice re: job/relocation (long post)

Posted by Will Hunting (aka JoeMetz) Feb 3 '16, 05:42

My name has been identified within our company as the preferred candidate for a job in Oak Ridge, TN.

When you're ID'ed in this manner, you really don't have much choice unless you want to severely curtail future opportunities.

My current job is going to relocate in the next 6-18 months to a far worse commute, (15 minutes daily vs anywhere from 2.5 - 3.5 hours daily) so I'm vaguely looking for an opportunity in the region at either higher pay or still close to the house.

I am not enjoying my current company but it pays better locally than anything else, and money is tight anyhow.

Cost of living there is significantly reduced. Like I could get a house the same value as my current home but would be anywhere between 2-3x as large with a yard.

I am not enamored with the job description, it's not much different than what I'm doing now, but it's a tougher security environment and thus tougher.

The project is 10 years long at least as on the books and likely longer.

The current tools I would be overseeing are being phased out in my company so I would in charge of a dead-end job for however long I am there.

I'm 38 years old and want to try to get ahead of a curve, instead I fear I'd be stuck in a rut as the curve races away.

We'd be moving farther from Kelly's family which at this point is the only real family I got in the area. Her mom doesn't have an issue with this; she'd get to us with a 1hr flight now vs a 5hr flight then, in her words. It'd just be different.

The relocation would be a very solid package which would make our move much easier than if we had to relocate to an external job change / location.

Thoughts? I'm really conflicted here and have no idea what I really want.

Responses:

the way you wrote this sounds like you just want us to confirm the obvious decision which sounds reasonable to me. -- nm - zeitgeist Feb 3, 11:22
I think it certainly sounds like a very posititive step. -- nm - Remlik Feb 3, 06:44
I say go for it -- nm - decline Feb 3, 06:39
I think I'm getting on board with the 'take it for now, skill up, jump in a couple of years if you want' approach, but one thing to consider on that - ty97 Feb 3, 06:27 1
- elementary school is the time do these things, though. before the bad kids become truly bad. -- nm - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:30
Don't forget to include the added benefit of being able to refer to yourselves as "The Oak Ridge Boys" - oblique Feb 3, 06:25
and the unasked question: how does Kelly feel about moving further away from her family? -- nm - Beaker Feb 3, 06:22 3
- She's more in favor of this than I am. -- nm - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:33 2
  - Really?? That would seal it for me. Welcome to Tennessee, Hunting! -- nm* - Jim Feb 3, 06:34 1
    - yup. -- nm - Beaker Feb 3, 06:37
Take the move. Maybe the new area will present opportunities you don't have in your current area - TWuG Feb 3, 06:16 2
- The schools in Oak Ridge (or West Knox) are definitely good. - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:31 1
  - (And the other plus - you'll have someone here you know!) -- nm - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:31
Having moved across the country for a job (twice) - the problem Carrie and I had moving away from here was leaving family behind. - Jim Feb 3, 06:11 16
- *nods* My family's move from NY to TX was mere necessity (Dad was losing his job) but in some ways, my family feels the impacts to this day. - ty97 Feb 3, 06:17 13
  - your last point is a great one. I just flew through real estate listings and it appears that they could get something modest and livable close to ORNL - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:23
  - AND - I guaran-damn-tee, you'll get better BBQ in Tennessee then you will in Maryland. nm - Jim Feb 3, 06:20 11
    - Yeah, but Will loves his Maryland crab which will not be in abundance in Tenn. He'll have to find a new seafood to love. -- nm - Krusty Feb 3, 06:22 10
      - Bah - they have Red Lobster and stuff down in Tennessee. nm - Jim Feb 3, 06:31 9
        
        And David can tell them where the *good* Applebees is. -- nm - spamlet Feb 3, 06:35 8
        
        FWIW - when Carrie and I had dinner with David and Kim it was NOT at an Applebees. lol -- nm - Jim Feb 3, 06:36 7
        
        Where did we eat? Damons? -- nm - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:39 2
        
        (I remember the company much more than the meal - :) ) -- nm - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:40 1
        
        Lol - as do I - but Damon's sounds about right. I believe David and I were both in a "big fat steak" kinda mood. :) -- nm - Jim Feb 3, 06:41
        
        Chilli's? -- nm - Krusty Feb 3, 06:38
        
        Neither did spamlet when he had dinner with us! -- nm - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:37 1
        
        :) -- nm - spamlet Feb 3, 06:39
        
        But it was almost certainly at a Def Leppard them restaurant. -- nm - ty97 Feb 3, 06:37
- where did you move, james? I never knew this about you. - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:13 1
  - lol - shortly after Carrie and I got married (like - pre HSX/TT/ST) she got a promotion an we moved from Tha Lou to Charlotte, NC. - Jim Feb 3, 06:16
So the 100% opportunity is to stay and have the insane commute or apply for a position in TN which is not guaranteed? - amoxy Feb 3, 05:57 1
- TN would be almost a guarantee if they're inquiring as to my interest. - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:01
Use is as an opportunity to save for a year or two and then see what opportunities are around. -- nm - LMS Feb 3, 05:56
How sure are you of the project sticking around for the full 10+ years? You mention the tools are being phased out -- nm - Beaker Feb 3, 05:54 3
- Project would be fine -- any project starting with the tool finishes with them - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:01 2
  - is there any way to have them train you on the new tools during the project? That way you don't come out behind the times - Beaker Feb 3, 06:05 1
    - It would be something I would need to do. - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:07
Clarification - Volnelk Feb 3, 05:53
Thoughts - ty97 Feb 3, 05:52 23
- Answers to your queries - Will Hunting Feb 3, 05:58 8
  - As for things of interest in the new digs - are you guys "outdoorsy" at all? - Jim Feb 3, 06:25 6
    - We're not outdoorsy and there's plenty to do. Especially for kids. -- nm - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:32 3
      - Sweet. We are - so we did a lot of that stuff and didn't really look into anything else. - Jim Feb 3, 06:34 2
        
        Downtown Knoxville is super vibrant and there is *always* something to do there. - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:37 1
        
        We had a great day trip to Asheville when we lived in NC. Also, honestly, for an extended weekend trip - you're not that far from Memphis, either. - Jim Feb 3, 06:40
    - Not really for me. -- nm - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:31 1
      - Hmmm...that's a bummer. -- nm - Jim Feb 3, 06:32
  - My read (based on this and other responses) - ty97 Feb 3, 06:13
- one minor thing to add: there are no non-stops from PVD or BOS to Knoxville - ty97 Feb 3, 05:57 1
  - Right, now, it's 1hr PVD to BWI ... it's 4 hours from TN to PVD with a stop. - Will Hunting Feb 3, 05:59
- 97 forgets to ask: have you looked recently for work outside your current company? how transferrable are your skills? if you didn't take this job - amanda jonas Feb 3, 05:56 10
  - [deleted]
  - Excellent points. And one more I forgot: have there been any possible jobs pop up in the NE region? - ty97 Feb 3, 05:58 8
    - I'm looking (to a degree) but nothing has really been a good fit. - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:00 6
      - when would you have to tell them? and when would you move? here's what I would do, I think. - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:09 5
        
        It would all happen very quickly -- one addendum, if you take money from them, you're stuck for 12-24 months - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:23 2
        
        honestly I would do it and still look. start saving (you'll have a ton of extra cash as I note above) and if you get some dream job - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:26
        
        I think you would want to stay for at least 12-24 before possibly jumping to something else. Looks better on a resume. -- nm - ty97 Feb 3, 06:25
        
        I really really really like - ty97 Feb 3, 06:14
        
        yeah, this is good. (unless part of the relo money is realty fees for a purchase of a new home, don't leave money on the table) -- nm* - Beaker Feb 3, 06:11
    - but they get so much snow in new eng... ohhhhhh wait. -- nm - amanda jonas Feb 3, 05:59
- great points -- nm - Beaker Feb 3, 05:55
for the lazy, here's a wiki link. -- (link) - amanda jonas Feb 3, 05:47 14
- 500 SF for $400k. -- (link) - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:17 10
  - That's a 1.2mil home here. We're looking at 1800-2000sq ft stuff for the same. - Will Hunting Feb 3, 06:25 1
    - you have equity now, right? so that equity goes into new house. but again, I wouldn't buy right away. -- nm - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:27
  - oh I like this -- (link) - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:19 6
    - These places are huge and the mortgage is affordable. Though, that's way more space that I would need or want. I'd have rooms I never go into. - Krusty Feb 3, 06:25 3
      - word. I have 1131 and I almost never go upstairs. -- nm - amanda jonas Feb 3, 06:29 2
        
        Seriously. I had 1060 in Chicago and when my roommate moved out, I didn't know what to do with all the space. -- nm - ty97 Feb 3, 06:34 1
        
        I have second bedroom right now that is just storage and a lounge for my cats. -- nm - Krusty Feb 3, 06:40
    - I wouldn't know what to do with all this space / would not want it. (I'd also want to be in the city, not OR) - ty97 Feb 3, 06:22
    - holy shitballs, I want to move there -- nm - Beaker Feb 3, 06:21
  - *5k sq ft. -- nm - Krusty Feb 3, 06:18
- Population less than 30K surprises me, since the town is well known (I think?). But as discussed yesterday - ty97 Feb 3, 05:54 2
  - It's a 15 minute drive to Oak Ridge from our house. - Dark Callisto Feb 3, 06:34
  - It's really only known for the lab. -- nm - spamlet Feb 3, 06:18

Post a message top

ST is good -- need some advice re: job/relocation (long post)

Replies are disabled on threads older than 7 days.