<p>It seems that choices don’t stop with college. I made a commitment to myself that when D left for freshman year I would begin my own college education. That was 2.5 years ago, and I’ve made no progress at all except that I’ve completed the research and now have my list of schools at the ready.</p>
<p>During D’s freshman year, my employer was acquired by a far larger company; the incumbent president of that larger company became my new boss. He offered me a promotion and relocation, which I accepted. Being a cautious person by nature, I didn’t sell our home, but rather simply rented a new home in the new city. Within four months of my arrival in the new city he was fired by the board of directors; this was followed by a series of new bosses and then ultimately a new president who eliminated and outsourced my position in March 2004. This is the first time in my entire career I’ve been unemployed.</p>
<p>Since then - for over a year - I have been consulting, and very successfully. I can pick and choose my work, my schedule, etc., but, I really don’t like it - I read somewhere that being a consultant is like waking up every morning unemployed, and this is certainly true. I’ve had many, many jobs offers, but have turned them all down, mostly because they were not exactly what I want to do, and I’m not interested in accepting traditional employment just for a paycheck - I’m interesting in doing something that gives me some intellectual growth and reach, and also that positions me into the $250K/year earning range. </p>
<p>So I’ve turned everything down - until today - suddenly I have two offer letters on my desk and both are excellent, and I’d like to choose one, and now I cannot decide, and unlike college choices, I don’t have until May 1 - I have mere days to respond.</p>
<p>The first I was recruited for by my former supervisor - he was my boss for four years, and he was not offered a position during the MA. He sent me an email initially; when I ingored the email, he called me; long story short, after several interviews with his bosses, a background check, etc., I was offered the position; it is entirely satisfactory. It’s a large publicly traded company, approximately $100 million annual revenue, and it would be based in the city where my D attends college, and where she will be for another two years (owing to pursuing two separate undergrad degrees); there is also a college in that city on my target list for my own undergrad degree. The money is perfect too; income projections for a clearly outlined career path are about $300K around/after year three, and, it’s headquartered in my favorite city in the U.S., and the city where I would ultimately like to live and possibly attend law school or grad school. The chain of command is deep but the incumbents are highly credentialed. </p>
<p>I shared this information with my D, and she said “oh cool - we can live together again and play in this city together”! - (we’re very close). </p>
<p>The second offer is very interesting as well - I landed it by responding to a job posting - it’s also publicly traded, but with smaller revenues; the company only employs 40 persons worldwide, however, I would be in charge, and I would get to use the fullest possible range of my skill set - I would get to work with federal government, academia and large businesses, and it’s headquartered in my second favorite city in the U.S., where there are even more colleges that are of interest to me both for undergrad and grad school. </p>
<p>I like the second offer better because it seems like a better “fit” for me - on the one hand, with the first offer, working for my former supervisor would be a breeze - he thinks I walk on water, we get along very, very well, etc., however, since I’ve worked for him for four years, I’ve learned everything possible from him, and I’m wondering how much sense it makes to go back to work for the same person, although certainly the environment would be different. I’m sort of a believer of the “pick your boss, not your job” ideology. </p>
<p>But with the second offer, I’m nervous because the company is so much smaller - and, I would not be able to live in the same city as my D (though why she thinks this is a terrific benefit is beyond me). </p>
<p>With the first offer, the company is larger, certainly has greater revenue, but, it would only require about a third of my skill set. However, this could be o.k. since I will require some energy left over to do college level coursework evenings and weekends. With the second offer, my concern might be that it is so interesting that it may consume my intellectual endurance, and I wouldn’t have anything left to use to complete college level work outside of work hours. However, the second offer would put me in a “seque” position in my career, which I really, really need; whereas the first would be more of the same thing I’ve always done, I’d just be doing it with larger revenues. </p>
<p>I have been trying to digest the SEC filings and financial reports for both companies, but, I do not understand some of the information in terms of how to use it to make assumptions about long term stability, and so am having difficulty evaluating long term viability of both. </p>
<p>I did ask my D how she would choose; she said “whichever pays best”; both are equal in that regard. Of course, both offers support my long terms goals, so, maybe I should just flip a coin?</p>