[delphi319]

Hello peeps,

I'm hoping to get a little feedback from you guys regarding two (seemingly) good job offers I have pending. (I have a comparison list of the companies at the bottom of this post.)

Both opportunities are great, but they also have their perks and downfalls, as with anything in life. I'm thinking of taking Co#1 because I would get to travel a lot, and as PO becomes reality, airline travel might get so expensive in 5-10 years that I'd never have this chance again. Also, I've been tied up in school and work for so long and haven't had the opportunity to really meet women that I would like to meet. I never had my "fun", so to speak, and my hometown (Co#1) offers A LOT more social life than that of Co#2.

On the other hand, it is hard to ignore Co#2. There were really great and have an exciting new product that is very similar to what I did for my master's thesis. The cost-of-living is SO CHEAP there (I could buy a nice house for $130,000---that would cost at least $400k in my hometown), and it is a really great little town. In fact, my only major gripe with the town is that it isn't really suited for single 26 year-olds that want to live the single life. Also, it is far away from my parents and siblings, and we are all very close, so it would hard to adjust to a life living all alone. I don't know anyone in the new town, but I'm sure I'd meet a few people eventually. I don't expect to meet too many coworkers that are my age... most of them are 45+ and are married, so it's not the most conducive environment to mix and mingle with your coworkers and go out and have fun.

I have no idea what to do... the money is comparable and fair at both companies. I know that travelling 80% of the time would get old after a year or two, but it would be nice to see the world in its beauty before sh*t hits the fan...

I hope I don't come across as pompous or arrogant... I am really trying to get some good advice from as many people as possible, and I know most of you are pretty wise and educated.

Company 1
-------------
-Major consulting firm; noted as a very good company
-Requires a lot of long-distance air travel (60-80%), which isn't good for PO and energy crisis, but I'd get to see the US while I can
-Close to my hometown and family
-Expensive to live here
-GREAT social life and opportunities to meet women and have fun
-Get the opportunity to travel the US before energy crisis makes this option limited
-Salary is good
-Opportunities seem good over a long period of time, but who knows what will happen in 5 years with economy, energy, etc.
-Since this is a consulting firm, the company often depends on how well other companies do... again, given the future state of the economy, this may be risky
-High-stress, high-pressure environment
-Might be kind of snooty, back-stabbing work environment


Company 2
-------------
-HUGE company with great stability
-FAR away from my hometown and family
-In the middle of nowhere with only ~80,000 people--mostly baby-boomers, so having a personal life is difficult, and most of the women are not my type.
-VERY CHEAP to live here... I can get a house for about 1/3 what I would pay in my hometown.
-VERY HARD to have a social life--town is a great town, but kind of boring, the nightlife is weak, and the single women are limited and aren't my flavor
-My position would be very similar to what I worked on my master's thesis, so I'd get to work with some very exciting and new tools
-Even though the company is huge, the team/product I'm working on is only about 30 people, and I'd be one of the youngest, so opportunity to grow seems highly likely.
-Great benefits and vacation package
-Relaxing, low-stress environment
-Good salary (similar to Company 1, but cost-of-living is much cheaper here)
-Opportunities to advance my education (MBA) on company's dime (at least for now)
-Coworkers are somewhat older and dull
-I'd be all alone

[savethehumans]

PICK #2!!!!

In the world as we know it (about to end), one of the biggest mistakes I find recent graduates making is that they go for the fast-track, high-money, big-social-life, climb-the-latter, oppressive-pressure jobs. Look, guy, you are right--there is little time left. But even if there WERE time, why go somewhere that is "secure" now and VERY "iffy" soon just cuz it looks good in the present age?

This other job is pursuing thing that INTEREST you. You will work with people who SHARE this interest, so on-the-job relationships should be GREAT. There is overtime involved at times, too, I'm sure, so that's a real consideration. And what's this "older people" crap? If someone's interests and personality are a match to yours, it's not going to make squat's worth of difference that the years aren't the same. Heck, did you and do you get along with ALL of your peers? Bet not!

And this "social life" thing--how much of that kind of "social" is going to exist during and after the crash? Huh? The kind of "social" on the other side of all this is going to have to be based on COMMUNITY. Without fosfuels, a lot of what you call "social activity" is out the window! Entertainment is likely to be less power-hungry: local musicians, potlucks, talks over coffee (or whatever we'll be drinking then), readings, local-cast plays, local sports (the farmers market takes on the repairpeople in touch football!). Maybe someone has a generator to run an old projector to show a movie outdoors on a nice night. The thing is, everything will tend to be LOCAL, powered mostly by ELBOW GREASE, and focus on community, community, community! I'd be looking into some of these "boring activities" this town does and see if its something you could be doing for "social life" a few years from now. And meeting people is something one DOES at civic activities, I've heard! Plus, I doubt you are the ONLY twenty-something in the whole town! A hundred eligible women at a big-city Singles Club meeting, maybe...but the ONE woman you REALLY want to meet might be a volunteer for the local theater in this "boring" town! You never know....

I might quickly add that, after the crash, migrations, and die-offs, most of the people in the surviving community will be--or will have started off as-- strangers in a strange new world. This #2 job opportunity is the perfect opportunity to learn how to develop relationships among new people in a new place--and this, too, comes under the heading of "preparation."

You've also said that the job is in a more easy-going, less-pressured environment. Great! That's good for you physically and psychologically NOW--think of how much better it will be when all the peak/economic events come! Gives you a much better frame of mind and heart (and maybe time!) to get involved in community-like stuff, get better rest, and, hey, be a nicer fellow poster on this board! (WE are part of your "social life," aren't we? And we're wherever you and a computer are, right?)

One more thing: you might find that this place is a better place to live post-peak than where you live now. If so, you're already there--and you can bring up family and friends you'd want to live through and past the crises ahead. If not, you'll have learned a lot about community and relating to new people and new situations--even a new form of "social life"!--and can take what you learn back home with you. It might help THEM in the years ahead--heck, for all YOU know, it might make all the difference!

This #2 job offer is a godsend, delphi319! TAKE IT! (And keep us posted on what you decide. We care about each other here!)

[pea-jay]

Go for option one IF you can cut you living expenses way back: you'd be surprised how fast you can save/invest with lo or no rent and related expenses. For example you could stay out of you family's when you're home or perhaps rent a cheap apartment (alone or with others). I mean, if you are gone for so long at a time, why waste money than necessary on un-needed space. Same goes for a vehicle: don't own one. Rent one or take cabs/transit to get around. Save you money for a practical piece of post-peak real estate somewhere nice or on practical peak supplies. Dump the rest into a decent investment portfolio (don't ask me about the specifics) Take this opportunity to live a little--and secure your future.

[pea-jay]

LOL, two quick message responses and already two opinions...

[dmtu]

Simply said, don't discount the importance of family. 2000 miles of separation from those who will love you regaurdless of the situation can be a real downer. I took option two and while I don't completely regret the decision I think option one would have been more rewarding for me and my child. Hind sight is of course 20/20.

[Specop_007]

#2 for me. Travelling isnt all its cracked up to be, you wont meet that special someone one a 3 day business trip. You will however meet lots of ass for the night. When you travel, your going to work. Your employer doesnt send you to screw off. You'll get a travel allowance, and any fun you want to have comes out of your pocket. Which means a good portion of your paycheck is spent partying.
Also, trust me, stressful work environments suck. They really do. The high speed fast track shit is fun for the first year or two, but I look back to my simpler days and wonder why I gave it up. Well, for 400% more pay, thats why. But that extra money comes with alot of extra baggage.

#2 indeed. You'd be suprised the women you can meet in even a rinky dink backwater town. Low stress, good pay, opportunity for advancement, low cost of living.... These are the essential ingredients to a very happy lifestyle. And trust me, you can find women anywhere. If nothing else, you can meet them on the internet. One of my friends moved from Texas to Alaska for a chic he met on the 'net. Said man is now married and has assumed the father position for her 2 kids.
Its a crazy crazy world. Take the easy job and simple life. Be happy.

[clv101]

Number 2! Consultancy is not the business to be in as the economy collapses.

[Concerned]

I'd take one for the challenge, it would build character. Depending on the consulting if it could somehow be swung to your advantage in a neg growth environment you could weather PO quite well.

Free travel courtesy of the company is neat too saves you having to fork out the cash for it, and it sounds like the fun factor would be increased too.

I'd take two mainly on the basis of the low stress environment, if that was important to you.

[gwmss15]

me i have a similar choice which is better i would like the thailand job

1. take up an Auditing job in melbourne australia

2. take a teaching job in thailand

both are long term and i currently have no debts to pay off

however the auditing job requires a lot of travel by train and tram every day and often involves long hours in an office. my family lifes in melbourne and is of a engneering background

the teaching job is basied in bangkok thailand and may involve long train rides My boyfriend lives in thailand and comes from a farming background. his mum has a farm about 10 hours train ride from bangkok

before anyone makes a comment iam a gay guy

[gwmss15]

the audit job is higher paying than the teaching job by about double manily to do with exhange rates

[delphi319]

Some of you asked me to update once I made my decision. I made my choice this afternoon. This was hands-down the hardest choice I've ever had to make. I'm still questioning myself whether or not I made the right decision. After considering opinions here (thanks all!), having some good conversations with people very close to me, looking 3 years into the future, and thinking with my brain instead of my d*ck, I decided to go with #2.

I'm certainly in for a big change (going from city to smaller town 2000 miles away from home), but I guess change is good, they say. I wish I could have done #1 for a year, then gone to #2, but of course, that isn't reality, and #2 is a great place to buy a house, get my health back, work on a great product, and have a much less stressful life. As I said before, the ONLY problem with #2 is not the job at all--it's the personal life issue. The women are not too prevalent and it's certainly a bit of a culture shock, but I'm a likeable guy, and I'm sure things will work out for me in a few months. I think I shocked just about everyone I knew with my decision--even myself.

The weird thing is that I know I should be happy that I had so many options to choose from, but inside I feel confused and uncertain. Maybe that's just normal...