Turning down an amazing professional opportunity

The Champ wrote:

What is wrong with you people? I grew up with dogs - but they are just animals. They are not people.

I feel as though somewhere along the line my generation has forgotten this.

A dog shouldn't impact your actual life plans. Grow up and learn to live without your stuffed animal. It will be dead soon anyway.

What's it like to not have a soul?

It's perfectly OK (and shrewd job-hunting) to tell employer B that you have another offer (with employer A) that you need to respond to by a certain date (11/26). Be "matter of fact" about it versus pressure, attitude, etc. Request that they give you a response by then or at least tell you when they will give you a response. You could also do the same with employer A and ask for an extension on giving a reply due to a delay from hearing from employer B, but don't expect anything if that reply date has already been agreed upon. This is no different than a college graduate who has multiple offers to consider at graduation.

If you can continue at your job for a few months (and be unhappy longer), but continue looking for a better opportunity that you feel comfortable with, then that's worth considering.

Granted you can't always quantify an opportunity cost, but it still might help make a better informed decision. A similar idea is to write down a "pro-con" list for the job offer with employer A (by itself or in comparison with another offer, plan B, etc.)

ripple wrote:

Make the call to Company B. Let them know they are competing for you. Worst case, it has no effect. More likely, if they were leaning your way, they'll pull the trigger. I don't see a case where letting them know (tactfully, as you've suggested) that they are not the only game in town will hurt you. If they've decided they want you, they will do what they need to get you.

You sure? What if Company B is still fairly undecided? What if Company B still has more people to interview?

You don't think it's possible that Company B could react by saying "Well, we've got other candidates that we need to consider, and if he's gonna put a clock on us we can cut him loose."

bonksy wrote:

Put yourself in an environment that makes you consistently feel happy to get up in the morning. At the same time, be constantly mindful of being productive and taking initiative, and sooner or later good opportunities come knocking one way or another.

+1

You corporate drones are so depressing.

You sure? wrote:

ripple wrote:

Make the call to Company B. Let them know they are competing for you. Worst case, it has no effect. More likely, if they were leaning your way, they'll pull the trigger. I don't see a case where letting them know (tactfully, as you've suggested) that they are not the only game in town will hurt you. If they've decided they want you, they will do what they need to get you.

You sure? What if Company B is still fairly undecided? What if Company B still has more people to interview?

You don't think it's possible that Company B could react by saying "Well, we've got other candidates that we need to consider, and if he's gonna put a clock on us we can cut him loose."

That's not how hiring works, at least the hiring I've been involved with. If they want him, they want him, and will do everything they can accommodate his timeline. If they are not done with their process and can't give him an answer by his deadline, they will tell him that. If they don't want him, him calling and telling him he's considering another offer is not going to be the reason he won't get hired. In my experience, the marginal candidate may even get a bump when he makes it known he's in demand. In general, companies compete for talent. They do not generally throw hissy fits because an applicant tactfully communicates with them about his situation.

PetGuy wrote:

The dog is no longer an issue, as my mother has offered to care for him during the week.

Something to keep in mind - if there is something very important to you, it is wise, especially these years, not to trust its care to anyone who is not you. Several years ago I had to go to Argentina for 6 months for work. I had a 76 BMW 2002 I really enjoyed. It wasn't cherry or anything, but I'd put a lot of work into it and it ran very well. I didn't want to just leave it sitting at my apartment for 5 months straight so a friend offered to keep it at his house, and drive it round the block every so often to give it some exercise.

I wasn't gone two weeks before the friend's wife was backing carelessly at speed out of their car-port and smashed right into the side of my car. The damage was basically unrepairable. The car still drove fine, but the side was bashed in, the door wouldn't shut right, the window wouldn't roll up, etc. My friend bought me new window glass, to replace the glass that shattered.

This wasn't a matter of leaving my car with careless lowlife scum either. Friend is a successful doctor, posh house in toniest part of town. Anyway just keep it in mind. You can't trust someone else to care about your shit the same way you do.

PS-- regarding those who are trying to indicate the bright side of the "travel" aspect of the gig, what sort of travel are we talking here? Domestic, USA-only travel? Or travelling round the world? If it's domestic, it hardly counts as travel any more, the USA has become so homogenised. You can drive from Miami to Seattle and eat the same hamburger, listen to the same radio station and hear the same no-nuance accent the whole way. Most likely the "travel" this job will entail is an endless stream of faceless Hampton Inn rooms, every one the same, every one as depressing as whatever office or cubicle you'd otherwise be sitting in if you'd stayed home. These corporate gigs take it out of your ass no matter which side you lay on. The best advice is to find some other line of work.

I did the 100% travel for a while in my early 20s. It was fun at first - got to see a lot of new places. But after a while it really wears on you. Think about what your weekends will be like:

Friday night - get home late, probably no time to do anything, so you go to bed, exhausted from work/travel. So that's a good chunk of your weekend gone.

Saturday - laundry, catching up on bills, whatever.

Sunday - you have the evening flight hanging over your head all day. You get to pack Sunday afternoon, go to the airport. So no nice relaxing Sunday either.

I would think long and hard about whether or not this is right for you.

I've worked a job where I ended up living in another city during the week (granted, I made the choice not to relocate for the job due to circumstances outside work) and another job that required quite a bit of travel. Both were fine jobs with good pay, but being away from home during the week was very tough for me and not worth the extra money in the end. I'd agree with the previous poster that being on the road felt like working 24 hours a day. Even going to a fun place never felt like any sort of vacation.

You should also consider that a job that requires so much travel is going to eat up some of your free time on the weekends. That increase in pay might actually result in a lower hourly rate. You'll inevitably spend some of your time during the weekend packing and making travel arrangements. If they sometimes expect you to be onsite 9 to 5, Monday through Friday, you might find yourself traveling Sunday and Friday nights. Then you've got 1.5 days at home per week at best.

But, you might be suited for the road warrior lifestyle. Some people love it. I could certainly handle another year of it if there was a guarantee of something great at the end of that year.

Also consider that Company A has chosen you once already. That might be a good sign that they'd choose you again for a future job with less travel.

PetGuy,

What is your end game? You keep mentioning prestige. Do you one day want to work for the Big4? If so, take the job. If you want to be a local accountant at H&R Block, don't take the job.

Long-term, what is going to satisfy your ego? Saying you are part of the Big4 or saying you work "at a really good company, almost like the Big4."

I sold out for salary, left a brand that I loved for 2 x the salary at one of the Big3 in my industry, and have not regretted it one bit. Travel ebbs and flows. Also, if you prove yourself valuable at the Big4, your future earning potential is unlimited. One of my colleagues has been with PwC since he graduated from college in 2001 and is now a Sr Mgr and doing phenomenal with a beautiful family in one of the largest homes outside of Pittsburgh.

If not being at the Big4 will bother you or always be a goal of yours to experience (you can always leave), then take the job. They are a rarity and you will be blacklisted going forward.

Best wishes.

eFarmer wrote:

I did the 100% travel for a while in my early 20s. It was fun at first - got to see a lot of new places. But after a while it really wears on you. Think about what your weekends will be like:

Friday night - get home late, probably no time to do anything, so you go to bed, exhausted from work/travel. So that's a good chunk of your weekend gone.

Saturday - laundry, catching up on bills, whatever.

Sunday - you have the evening flight hanging over your head all day. You get to pack Sunday afternoon, go to the airport. So no nice relaxing Sunday either.

I would think long and hard about whether or not this is right for you.

This is good perspective, thanks for the insights. I knew that some of the preparation-time would eat into my weekend, but your comments add clarity.

Voewl wrote:

If not being at the Big4 will bother you or always be a goal of yours to experience (you can always leave), then take the job. They are a rarity and you will be blacklisted going forward.

Best wishes.

You think that if I decline this job, I'll never be considered at any Big Four in the future?

What is the growth opportunity with the company? Generally corporations like this find a way to sink their hooks into a person who is doing a good job. No company intends for someone with 100% travel to be in that role more than a couple of years. If your good at it you might find yourself training others, or running your own team. Fast forward 2 years, is this a role that makes sense to you with your current career goals? Don't listen to the people who tell you 30% isn't a sizable increase. It probably fast tracks your career by 5 years. If your only earning 50K then 65K looks pretty good. If your earning 200K, then 260K looks pretty good. People are full of shlt on here.

If it actually comes down to the dog, you have to make that decision for yourself. The fact that you are asking for an opinion on whether or not to get rid of your dog tells me that you are not that attached. Personally, I wouldn't put my dog in a shelter, but I might find him a good home. Especially if I can get a friend to take him.

In my HR experience, you would not be considered at the Big Four that you turned down the offer as long as the same infrastructure and management team is in place. These offers are not jokes. They are serious investments by the Big Four. Don't think of the offer simply as a salary and bonus/commission, but also the resources to train you, relocate you, etc. Every hire at my company is in excess of $200K and that is for Manager level.

And since your field is in Consulting, they value your perspective NOW and rate it relevant. In 5 years, your knowledge may be irrelevant, thus no job offers.

If you are really good at what you do, there will be a better opportunity that doesn't require you to stress about the decision. This isn't the right fit.

Last night I emailed Company B and told them that I've received an offer from another employer. I also told Company B that they are my first choice. I asked Company B if it would be possible to have a response from them by 11/26.

If I don't get an offer from B, I am leaning towards accepting the offer from A. But I'm still really struggling with how I would handle the lifestyle of travel mon-fri. It would be a significant challenge and a major adjustment.

Voewl wrote:

And since your field is in Consulting, they value your perspective NOW and rate it relevant. In 5 years, your knowledge may be irrelevant, thus no job offers.

This is wrong. If he works hard and stays motivated, he will keep his skill set relevant to the marketplace.

Voewl wrote:

In my HR experience, you would not be considered at the Big Four that you turned down the offer as long as the same infrastructure and management team is in place. These offers are not jokes. They are serious investments by the Big Four. Don't think of the offer simply as a salary and bonus/commission, but also the resources to train you, relocate you, etc. Every hire at my company is in excess of $200K and that is for Manager level.

This seems like the kind of nonsense that HR likes to puff themselves up with, but has no bearing on the real world. You seriously are going to hold it against a guy if he doesn't take your offer that includes 100% travel? An offer is just that: an offer. It's not an investment any more than my emailing some guy about his car is an investment.