Business & Finance Changing Jobs

[Freakie]

I've been with my current employer for the past 12 years (started when I was 18), having worked my way up from shit kicker to a middle management role earning a good pay packet. Over the past 24 months (and more so in the past 8-9) I have become very disgruntled and have been shafted a number of times where my future is now up in the air. When I say this, I'll still keep my pay designation but my future role has been undefined and has been for the past 6 months.

This is all because we have a new CEO and he has swung the axe and thinned out the company in a big way (my actually job isn't in the firing line) however my already big workload is increasing.

As I have got to a point in the company where it is unlikely that I will go any higher, coupled with the shit that has gone down I'm considering a career change. The job I'm looking at means taking a 20k pay hit, and that is the only thing that has stopped me pulling the trigger (and the Long Service leave I have accrued!)

Would like to here from those that aren't little kids about their job changes and if it's worth it?

 

[Spermbird]

If you are changing jobs you should ensure that the career prospects are going to be much better after 12 years.

A $20K cut is massive, you will really notice the difference. I have dropped $5k in a move before but I got it back the next year, $20k though will realistically take a few years to get back to parity.

Personally I would look to hang around and angle for a retrenchment if you want to leave, you get your leave plus a nice little payout on top of it (just start doing an ordinary job if there doesn't look like offering something and it will come around soon enough)

 

[Caesar]

I'm confused. The way you talk makes it sound like you're mainly disgruntled with your employer, but then you say 'career change' with a massive pay cut which makes it sound like you're jaded by the whole thing and want to change direction entirely.

Most people with experience and a good employment history can actually secure themselves a nice jump in salary by changing jobs. If you've previously enjoyed your career and you've never worked anywhere else, have you considered trying another employer in the same industry? Might be worth seeing if the grass is greener before you turn your life upside down and take a massive pay cut.

 

[Freakie]

If you are changing jobs you should ensure that the career prospects are going to be much better after 12 years.

A $20K cut is massive, you will really notice the difference. I have dropped $5k in a move before but I got it back the next year, $20k though will realistically take a few years to get back to parity.

Personally I would look to hang around and angle for a retrenchment if you want to leave, you get your leave plus a nice little payout on top of it (just start doing an ordinary job if there doesn't look like offering something and it will come around soon enough)

I would be moving from a Government Business Enterprise to a Victorian government role. So yes there is sufficent scope for advancement. This won't happen for a good 14-18 months if I did move for certain reasons.

The problem is it will be a min of 2 years before I get any sort of salary advancement in the new job....

Won't get a package from my current employer, not handing alot of them out at the moment and can't see that changing...

 

[Caesar]

Ahh, public sector. Very different.

Never worked there, but from what I've seen from working with government and heard from friends who do, I'd never do it. Despite the seductiveness of the perks.

 

[2Sewell4School]

I was in a similar position to the above poster.

I took a 10k pay cut from my previous job however in changing jobs, I no longer had to do shift work which had an immediate positive influence on my personal life.

Over the past 2 years I have gone up in pay scale, renegotiated my salary after a year and had the opportunity to salary sacrifice so that my wage in now slightly higher than my previous job.

I also found a new passion for my work having stepped out into a slightly different field.

12 years with the same employer is a great effort these days but surely it would start to become a struggle to face the same people an duties every day.

I would reccommend seeing if you could negotiate a higher salary with the new company so that the difference in pay wasn't quite a steep.

10k can be made up in a few years and who knows there could be more room to move and more opportunities to climb a further.

 

[Freakie]

I'm confused. The way you talk makes it sound like you're mainly disgruntled with your employer, but then you say 'career change' with a massive pay cut which makes it sound like you're jaded by the whole thing and want to change direction entirely.

Most people with experience and a good employment history can actually secure themselves a nice jump in salary by changing jobs. If you've previously enjoyed your career and you've never worked anywhere else, have you considered trying another employer in the same industry? Might be worth seeing if the grass is greener before you turn your life upside down and take a massive pay cut.

True, I am disgruntled with my employer but at the same time I'm bored as there is no challenge for me here any more (I can do my job with my eyes shut). I prefer a challenge and something that takes work and challenges me, probably stems from being a very good athlete. The $20k wage is cut is on base salary but with OT and other allowances that I would most likely incur I'm guessing it would be $10-15k in the 1st year.

There isn't really the same role for me at a competitor as what we do is unique in some regards (I'm surprised no-one has guessed my occupation and the one I want to move to yet!) plus I want to do something entirely different, so I don't go ......

 

[r dub 19]

Australia post?

 

[Caesar]

Nah, I'd say it's Melbourne Water or something. One of the SOEs.

 

[Mooster7]

I would be moving from a Government Business Enterprise to a Victorian government role.
.

Ah, government. When I read your first post I was pissed off. I hate it when some metro monkey-****ing suit of a CEO comes in and starts swinging the hatchet on people to show on paper that he's turned some cash. They're all ********s and the only good thing that can be said about them is that they all eventually will go to hell.

Government is different. In the US anyway, I would be pleased to see 85% of all government jobs done away with. Australian government is none of my business, but I think I like this CEO of yours.

But as to your dilemma, you know better than any of us if you can get by on a pay cut. Most people can do much better than they think if they made less - although no one wants to, naturally. I've had four jobs in my life and have always moved up the pay scale with the exception of my current job. In this instance I went to a place where I would be happier, with far better benefits and it was only about a 4% cut which I made up after the first year. Moving here and away from management I despised was the best move I've ever done. Been here now almost 11 years and am happy as a pig in shit.

I wish you the best regardless of what you ultimately decide.

Peace,

 

[Freakie]

Dub is a smart man despite what some say about him...

 

[r dub 19]

Nah, I'd say it's Melbourne Water or something. One of the SOEs.

Stay losing bro.

 

[Caesar]

Nice work, kiddo.

 

[geejay76]

FWIW - I can relate fully to the OP, I spent 11 years in one place (my first job) and ended up facing very similar frustrations in my role. 6 months ago I decided to leave - and it was the best decision I reckon I've ever made.

It sounds like you've already decided to leave and you're looking for someone to come up with a rational answer for why you should say. One of my friends gave me some great advice "the minute you start looking elsewhere is the minute you've already left."

With limited career options in your current role - I think it would be career suicide to stay.

 

[Dan Moody]

I've been with my current employer for the past 12 years (started when I was 18), having worked my way up from shit kicker to a middle management role earning a good pay packet. Over the past 24 months (and more so in the past 8-9) I have become very disgruntled and have been shafted a number of times where my future is now up in the air. When I say this, I'll still keep my pay designation but my future role has been undefined and has been for the past 6 months.

This is all because we have a new CEO and he has swung the axe and thinned out the company in a big way (my actually job isn't in the firing line) however my already big workload is increasing.

As I have got to a point in the company where it is unlikely that I will go any higher, coupled with the shit that has gone down I'm considering a career change. The job I'm looking at means taking a 20k pay hit, and that is the only thing that has stopped me pulling the trigger (and the Long Service leave I have accrued!)

Would like to here from those that aren't little kids about their job changes and if it's worth it?

sounds like me a few years ago.
racked up 12 years, felt like i was institutionalised and had to get out because i may have pigeonholed myself.

• went from a national role earning $50k, company car, laptop, company amex, interstate travel, mobile, the perks
• manager at a large retail business, earning $55k, no car, no perks but no more travel, home every night, same shit every day. left after 12 months
• manager, (poached) another large retailer, $59k, same shit as above but far worse business, working around 75 hours a week. left after 12 months.
• manager, large sporting goods retailer, $50k (big drop but desperate to get away from previous job), okay job, no perks but boring as shit.left after 12 months
• regional manager, large retailer, plenty of travel, car, company amex, laptop, mobile, $61k, there for 3 years, got redundancy
• now, $120k, approx 65 hours per week, high pressure job, very target and sales oriented, big team, manager in large bank (big 4), meetings daily, daily conference call at 5.30 every day.

i've had a shitload of jobs and never been completely happy at any, except for this one. once you've left a long term job, you will likely drift for a few years until you find something that suits.
i wouldn't drop $20k in salary if i were you. may take you a while to work your way back up there and some employers will question why you took a drop.
my advice, stick at it. make the job work for you, get educated about what you want to do before you have a weak moment and just bail out.
good luck though, i've been in exactly the same position

 

[WheatsWorshipper]

 

[Freakie]

For clarification i will be going from Post on $70k to the Police on $52k