Job Opportunity Dilemma: Love Location or Love Cash. WWYD?

[exmediahack]

Because I respect quite a few of you.

Decision time.

Current: I LOVE where I live. But I hate my workplace. Have a day each month where I have chest pains at work. No longer anchoring, now running the newsroom and took a 20k pay cut. (It was that or be fired). Unsure if we’ll even be “open” in two or three years because of having other nearby stations just doing the work for us. Again, I love the location. I don’t take vacations because, well, living here is like vacation.

Opportunity: Boring market BUT the people watch. Anchoring again. No beaches. No mountains. But the compensation would be what it was when I moved to current job — I’d get the 20k back. Rental house would be about 7% of my monthly income. Dirt cheap to live. Pretty sure this place will still be doing news in 20 years. Instead of buying and trying to sell later, I plan to just live cheap and build up cash to invest during the next recession in either real estate or stocks. Oh… and legal sports betting. Haha.

Everyone in my life says take the opportunity. In a decade, I’ll be 60. At that point, hoping to have built up enough abundance to truly do what I want.

JFC, now that I write this out, I take the opportunity. I’ll hang up and listen.

Got a week to decide. Also, no debt and kids are outta the house. Just me.

(Seriously, thank you).

 

[dixiehack]

How far is it to somewhere interesting? A four hour drive (or cheap flight) is tolerable. But if Dullsville is the biggest thing going for 700 miles, I might have to think twice.

 

[Regan MacNeil]

^^^^
I grew up in Chicago, then spent a few years in BFE. I have no desire to go back.

 

[exmediahack]

How far is it to somewhere interesting? A four hour drive (or cheap flight) is tolerable. But if Dullsville is the biggest thing going for 700 miles, I might have to think twice.

My “home city” and one of my kids would be within 5-hour drive. A flight and drive to my current location would be 4 hours or so.

 

[Slacker]

Current job situation, even in "paradise," ain't worth the chest pains and other crap.

I've been there a couple of times. Miss those towns, but sometimes you just gotta move on.

And you're a "glass half full" guy. Go do the anchor role you love again. Nothing is forever there, either.

 

[BurnsWhenIPee]

Sounds like there's a lot in favor of the new, boring market.

Especially if there's no chest pains and more $$$$, plus you love what you'd be doing.

There always will be chances to seek out excitement. And the sports betting ...

 

[sgreenwell]

Current job situation, even in "paradise," ain't worth the chest pains and other crap.

I've been there a couple of times. Miss those towns, but sometimes you just gotta move on.

And you're a "glass half full" guy. Go do the anchor role you love again. Nothing is forever there, either.

Agree with all of this. Plus, an extra $20k can allow for a couple extra trips a year, to wherever.

 

[SoloFlyer]

Location doesn't matter if it's impacting your health, including your mental health. And with the massive salary increase coupled with lower cost of living, you can afford travel to more exciting places.

No brainer to me.

 

[swingline]

Not to be alarmist, but your chest pains bother me. They could be hitting you because of stress or anxiety, which is the best case scenario.

As many of us who are getting older know, life is shorter than we thought. I wouldn’t want to live the best of my remaining years in a soul-sucking job just because I like the location. With the extra money of the opportunity, you’ll be able to travel and see your kids — and maybe upgrade that La-Z-Boy recliner.

Go for it, and never look behind.

 

[exmediahack]

Not to be alarmist, but your chest pains bother me. They could be hitting you because of stress or anxiety, which is the best case scenario.

As many of us who are getting older know, life is shorter than we thought. I wouldn’t want to live the best of my remaining years in a soul-sucking job just because I like the location. With the extra money of the opportunity, you’ll be able to travel and see your kids — and maybe upgrade that La-Z-Boy recliner.

Go for it, and never look behind.

I did get the heart checked out. Was told the heart looks okay - probably the stress and stress/eating over the job doing its thing.

 

[Matt1735]

Take the job. Happiness (and money) worth it.

 

[Songbird]

Maybe you're the boring one if you think the place is boring.

Shouldn't have to say it ... but take the ****ing money and the face time and the lack of chest pains ... which I'm 99.9999% sure you want to do.

 

[BitterYoungMatador2]

Unsure if we’ll even be “open” in two or three years because of having other nearby stations just doing the work for us.

When Lean Dean bought our paper in 2005, we became one of about five he owned in the region, with the hub paper being in a bigger town an hour away. After about a year, it was obvious that this paper was calling the shots for the region and I made the comment that, "X-paper will probably just absorb us and we'll become a glorified bureau." I was tersely told that would NOT happen and that they have a commitment to the region.

Then the advertising department got outsourced to X-paper.

Theeeeeeeen the printing press, which was just installed four years earlier, was shut down and printing of the paper was now down at X-Paper.

Theeeeeeeeeen they sold the building and moved into a storefront.

Sounds like a glorified bureau to me.

I say all this to say that if your gut says they won't be open, you're probably onto something.

 

[exmediahack]

Maybe you're the boring one if you think the place is boring.

Shouldn't have to say it ... but take the ****ing money and the face time and the lack of chest pains ... which I'm 99.9999% sure you want to do.

I lived in “boring” towns before for the first three decades of my career. Never had an issue — mostly because I was too busy working and raising the kids. On top of this, the people at this opportunity have treated me incredibly well the entire process.

 

[PCLoadLetter]

If they took you off the air and cut your pay, staying where you are in that newsroom is not an option. That's a Dead Man Walking situation.

You either take the opportunity or find another gig in the city you love. Staying in your current job is not a reasonable choice.

 

[playthrough]

Take the opportunity. Put away money. Take great vacations.

I lived in what most people would call paradises a couple times and shake my head now at how stark the contrast was of "holy cow I live here" and "I hate my job." If your mood's not good, it doesn't matter where you live.

 

[TigerVols]

As long as we're not talking about Albuquerque or its environs, it's a no brainer. Take a gig where you are wanted. Besides, you'll be surprised how interesting you can make a boring town be.

 

[Songbird]

Albuquerque or its environs

Albuquerque is more deadly than boring but point taken. And Santa Fe is just an hour away.

 

[exmediahack]

If they took you off the air and cut your pay, staying where you are in that newsroom is not an option. That's a Dead Man Walking situation.

You either take the opportunity or find another gig in the city you love. Staying in your current job is not a reasonable choice.

Thank you, fellow TV lifer. Appreciate it more than you know.

 

[MileHigh]

No brainer you make the move. These media companies don't give one **** about you or other workers.

You do this because of the chest pains.

You do this because of the money.

You do this for the sports gambling.

You do this for you.