[Chipload]

I did extensive job searching over the past few months as a CNC Machinist/programer. After much debating, I choose to work at Small company, four employee's, for a fair wage. It has been great. The boss is easy to work with, parts have easy callouts .005" or greater, 40 hour work weeks, and room to grow with this young company.

The problem: an employer has contacted me that they are in need to a set-up/ programer. They are a large company, 200 employees. They will probly require this person to work 50 hours a week. This position will need a person who is highly skilled at doing mutipul set-ups and to provide input on machining processes on new jobs. Along with with position is high pay (checkbook is open).

What dose one do? Work at a small shop yearing to grow with a boss that is easy to work with or leave him for a large employer that requires more skill, hours, more stress, with higher pay such as $5/hr.

Which job have you enjoy the most, easy boss with fair wage, or high pay with a diffcult boss?

[Verfur]

This would fall under the five yaer rule. What would be the split in the wages in five years. And which one would have more loyalty to you. I would rather have a long term than a short shot in the pants with a slight twist at the end. Machinest are in demand at the moument what about next year? In a 4 person shop it would be a big percentage dif at letting one go vrs a 200 person shop (ie 1/4 vrs 1/200) one would be aperson and the other a small number.

just my 5 cents worth.

[fuzzyracing1967]

I think you have allready made your mind up on this,(you say boss easy to work for, easy parts,40 hours and room to grow) all this first. Then you say about offer to work for big company with more resposnablilities,people,hours of work.
I would rather have someone who wants to work, then someone just coming for the money.
Stay where your at you'll be much happyer,there is more to life then money

[dertsap]

the root to most evil is money and the possibilities of advancement
i've recently dropped from a higher position and my next advancement which i figured was coming in the near future
i had it and got fed up with the pressure which began to affect my home life , so far i haven't been with this new job for long but i go in do what i'm told to do and do it .
i'm no longer responsible for what everyone else is doing nor do i feel beat on everyday, i feel releived and am beginning to enjoy doing what i do again

it all has a price but the stress comes at a far greater cost and it eventually takes its tole

but then more money buys more toys

[cam1]

Ask yourself:
What motivates me to go to work every day?
Most of us would probably answer "not for the money".
Do you look forward to the challenge awaiting you on Moday?
Do you feel valued for being there?


Big frog in a small pond?
or
Small frog in a big pond?

regards

[crazythunder]

Well I have been on both sides of the coin more time than I care to count. I have gone from a 6 person shop to a company that does $12billion a year in sales with over 25,000 world wide employees. I have managed 6 to 120 people been responsible for as little as 2 to 70 CNC machines. I have worked for complete tools to one of the greatest I have ever worked for, my current boss. I guess my hard work over the last 22 years finally paid off because I have the easy going Boss the Owner, Excellent Pay, very little Stress (Only me caring about doing good work and caring about the welfare of the company) and work 50-55 hours week big catch being I work 2 days from home. I have had offers for $20,000 a year more turned them down. I can pay my bills, provide for my family, be there for my family, and I am respected to the point almost all things I have a part in the company decision wise. Money though thought of as evil is just as important and if I were struggling paying the bills, I could not provide for my family, more money it is.

Only you know your situation and God will put into your heart if you pray to him what is best for you and your family as well as your future.

[MrWild]

A real toss up. Time to spend the money, but no money to spend, or money to burn and no time to spend it. Knowing that money in the end may be the root of all evil, I also know money helps grease the wheel. You need decent retirement. You need decent health care, Low stress and low/fair pay don't set you up well for retirement versus a large company contributing to the kitty. If the pay is liveable, the insurance covers your neds, and the stress is non-existant, then the only disadvantage I see is your short 40 hour work week. The real money starts after 40 hours.

$5 more an hour with a 50 hour work week is 40 x 5 + 10 x 7.50 which is sweet change ($275 a week) and overcomes a LOT of stress. When multiplied by a 48 week year (vacations and holidays pay 40 hr), yopu're taslking over $13k a year difference.

What you also need to do is look at the intangibles. Which is closer? Travel time eats up a part of the day you aren't gettng paid for, but is dedicated to work. Also add in the fuel/transportation costs. If the low stress is close, and the high stress/pay is far, there goes a lot of your extra pay. $13k a year don't mean much when you're blowing $6k to get there.

[Mike Nash]

I'm not a machinist, but I voted easy boss. I've been service manager twice. I stepped down twice. Money doesn't offset stress for me. The road to good pay was a long one for me, and both my brothers make way more than I do, but I like my job and my boss is really a good one. My wife also never liked it when I was stressed. Now I can't change jobs because I've been doing this so long it's too easy!

Keep the good boss and add a paying hobby you enjoy instead.

And BTW, there's nothing inherently wrong with money. It's how you feel about it that can be a problem.

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil." 1 Timothy 6:10 ESV

[Chipload]

Wow, this is alot of input. Thanks to everyone.

[Kipper]

My boss is the nicest person in the whole world...He pays me 5 days pay and I only work 3! I'm his only employee so it's just me and him to make a crust.




Oh I'm self employed as I quit my job in January I'll never work for anyone again except me....Hopefully 4 days a week for just "ME" to play around with interesting stuff (to me) I've always voted with my feet regarding employment.

[ImanCarrot]

Actualy it's the "lack of money is the root of all evil"

http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/famouspeoplequotes.htm

[Geof]

....Oh I'm self employed as I quit my job in January I'll never work for anyone again except me....Hopefully 4 days a week for just "ME" to play around with interesting stuff (to me) I've always voted with my feet regarding employment.

Just you wait. You will probably do something silly like being successful...then you will need employees. Are you going to be the easy boss or the difficult boss?

[Kipper]

Just you wait. You will probably do something silly like being successful...then you will need employees. Are you going to be the easy boss or the difficult boss?

I have no objection to success it's the whole thing of "expense" that troubles me. Whose expense! the hardworking reliable "plodder" or the daring "make or break" type? I prefer to have a little of both 3 months later and I reckon I made the right choice (days of work have risen due to people offering me money but hey...I'm a wage slave after all ) All in all..If ever I become successful..I truly hope I remember the feeling of just being a number on the payroll and can alleviate that feeling for my employees. Profit sharing may help

[JustSomeGuy]

I've been lucky. I don't work in your industry (as a matter of fact, I don't even work in the industry I was trained for).
I used to be a chef. I worked 60 -70 hour weeks and managed staff of dozens. After getting burned out, I took a job in another industry with a very large corporation.
I figured that I could use a break and get back into the food industry after a year. I never did.
This corporation ended up being a very good employer. I've moved up several steps from the bottom rung to the point where I work from home several days a week at a job that I find challenging and rewarding. My boss is very supportive and the pay is excellent. They encourage (actually require) me to get training in areas that interest me and provides a path for career advancement.
I've found that small companies may have certain advantages but large companies can provide room for lateral changes that could lead to a career that you may not have thought about.
BTW, my feeling has always been that my job is not my life. It's what I do so I can have a life.
I guess it all boils down to... BE HAPPY!!!!
:rainfro:

[JROM]

I once worked at a shop where the owners worked at setting the department managers against each other with a bonus system and a lot of bull s--t. I was hired to make custom wheels. The guy before me bought a big wheel lathe but didn't buy any tooling so he could impress the owners with the great deal he got. Then he went down the road and I arrived....... Well after looking the deal over I told the boss that he would have to spend another 45K on tooling or the lathe was useless! That almost got me canned on the spot. They just wanted what they wanted and could not see how it really was. NUTS. Everyone was so busy covering there ass that almost nothing could get done! I was out of there in 2 months and glad for it.
Now I am working in a small 2 man shop building medical prototype stuff and the boss could not tell you the differance between a drill and an endmill. So he leaves all of that stuff up to me and is gratefull for the stuff we make for him. And all for the same money! The old saying "that's why they put wheels on tool boxs" is true. If you know what YOU ARE DOING and come to work all the time you can have it all! GET THOSE WHEELS TURNING UNTILL YOU FIND THE RIGHT PLACE.

[mongo46538]

I call it the Stress to Dollar ratio. I work in the Medical implant industry and have to listen to pretensious marketing people blah blah on the phone all day long. It's obvious if these people had a soul they sold it a long time ago. They have to up and go at a moments notice just to fly econo class to all points to be screamed at by doctors for just a few $K more than me. Phooey.......

[Hack]

I had once read the phase golden handcuffs. What it was referring to was workin at a job that was paying you to much for you to afford to leave. Working for the bigger company may lead to just this. Also, what are you going to do withe the extra money? 50 hours a week does not leave as much free time as one may want. Do you have a family?

Best case scenario is to find an employer who is fair in the way they treat you. You may not always see eye to eye with them, but everyone needs a bit of a challenge. Without it, our jobs would get boring and unenjoyable. You will want to develop your skills and by having it easy, this job may get very monotonous.

We spend alot of time at work. It is best to enjoy it. Pay is very improtant as you have to have enough, but it is best to keep a balance between the two.

Dan

[ChsBrown]

YEAH, SURE 50 HOURS NOW.... THEN ITS 55.... before you know you're so use to the money, not only can't you afford to quit.... you practically live at work, and your family doesn't remember who you are!!!!! BTDT