Severance or relocate 2

[RunSomewhere]

Happy holidays everyone. I have a situation I’m hoping you all can offer some advice on. The situation seems similar to a recent post or two, but I felt it was different enough to make a new post. I work for an international company in the Midwest area. Details aside, my location is closing. Between severance and other retention bonuses, I should walk away with a year’s salary.

If I want to stay in the industry, I’d have to move. There are similar industries in my current area, however, which I may try to get into. My spouse has a great job and makes almost what I do. Most of our family, on both sides, is currently in town. I have two kids, neither in school yet.

My company has a site on the west coast (bay area) that needs help, and they are encouraging me to relocate. If I did, I would forego the severance and bonuses, but they do offer a nice relocation package. It would be a huge culture and lifestyle change. The increased cost of living and loss of spouse’s income would be tough, but probably doable. I’ve been with the company say 10 years and have a good reputation. It’s a great company and they treat their employees well, even when closing a site. Going to a new company would mean starting over in terms of relationships and reputation.

Money-wise, I feel I should take the severance. Career-wise, I feel it might me smart to relocate. That’s my dilemma. Can you offer any advice?

 

[pennpiper]

Priority #1 = Your Family
Priority #2 = Remember Priority #1

prognosis: Lead or Lag

 

[ztengguy]

Stay in town.

 

[ctopher]

I would probably stay. The bay area is nice, but expensive.
If you own a home now, you would be renting in CA.

Maybe talk to your management and see if there is anything you can do. Maybe work for the bay area for the next year as contract, from home?

Chris
SolidWorks 13
ctopher's home
SolidWorks Legion

 

[zelgar]

With your family being close to where you live now, you'll have to give up a lot if you move. I'm certain right now, if you and your wife want to go out for the night or weekend, it's easy to have someone in the family to look after the kids. Also, you and your wife probably know a lot of people and friends where you currently live. Moving involves a lot more than just a paycheck.

If you do consider moving, make certain that your wife can continue her career if she still wants to work. Additionally, make certain that you are adequately compensated for the move (e.g., salary, transportation, housing (buying & selling)). Everyone in your family will be stressed by the move and you & your wife may have additional stesses due to the new job. You are fortunate that the kids aren't in school, but you'll need to investigate about schools in the area.

Personally, I'd probably take the severance pay and see what the future holds. You might get lucky and get hired locally without too much hassle. Finally, if 6 months to a year has passed and you still can't find a job; don't feel that taking the severance pay will prevent you from getting a job at your company's other office. It wouldn't be a guarantee as it is now, but it's not totally off the table.

 

[MintJulep]

Getting a nice big severance package makes being unemployed while looking for a new job much less stressful.

It sounds like you have a good grasp of all of the various factors involved. Just write them all out and evaluate them in terms of what is important to you.

Don't forget that since your office is closing where you are that your current colleagues will become competitors for positions at those "similar industries" at your current location. But any that get in can also become an intro into a new company for you.

 

[RunSomewhere]

Thanks for all the advice, I really appreciate it.

 

[oldestguy]

Any chance this is the opportunity to start your own business? Might be tough to start. I'd only move if it meant an significant advancement. I've had to make such a move, but forced, since no local opportunities. Turns out it was a great move.

 

[tys90]

I'm sure you've thought of this and it's not really relevant to engineering but I felt like sharing. I was moved when I was young enough to not be too tied to friends, sports, etc and generally enjoyed the new location. My older sibling took the move a lot worse because of such ties. Moving with younger kids is a good time to do it in my opinion.

That said, unless you really see big things happening with this company, I think the opportunity a year's severance gives you will greatly outweigh not staying with the company. Mainly for the reasons already stated by others. Things can change a lot in a year and it gives you flexibility to act at the right moment. Flexibility is king for me, having that freedom is a great feeling.

 

[looslib]

Moving with kids can be an experience. I think I have 12 moves since getting married almost 40 years ago.
1st move (1975) was from a rented house to an apartment 4 hours away and we had 1 child.
2nd move (1976) was from the apartment to a rented basement.
3rd move (1976) was to our first house. still only 1 child, but the second was on the way. Stayed here 2 years while I finished my degree and had a third child 4 weeks before graduation.
4th move (1978) was across country, new house would be ready for 6 weeks, so my wife and the 3 kids lived with my parents for that time while I was in a small apartment, 3 hours away. I did go to my parents for the weekends.
5th move (1981) was to another house but we now had 5 children with the oldest in midyear as a kindergartener. We lived in a hotel for 2 weeks, what fun that was.
6th move (1985) was across the country again with 6 children now 3 in school.
7th move (1994) was back east again with 8 children and all in school. The oldest was in college by now.
8th move (2006) was to the south with only the youngest still at home as a junior in HS. During this time, our oldest son, wife and 2 kids moved in with us for a school year.
9th move (2009) was actually a split. My wife and son stayed in the house and I had an apartment 3 hours away because of my job and my wife's job.
10th move (2010) was to my current location. no kids came with us, but the youngest moved back in 4 months later.
11th move (2013) rented house was put up for sale and we had to find temporay housing. Moved into an apartment with the youngest son while waiting for the house we bought to be built. Second youngest moved in a week after we signed the contract for the house.
12th move (2013) 6 weeks ago we closed on the house and are still trying to figure out where to put everything. Still have sme items in a storage unit we had to have while in the apartment.

The moves with the kids in scholl were easier than most would think. One think was that the moves were made just before scholl started so they went to a new school and could make new friends immediately.




"Wildfires are dangerous, hard to control, and economically catastrophic."

Ben Loosli

 

[zdas04]

I haven't lived near family since I graduated from high school and left for boot camp 2 weeks later. Raised two kids with just my wife and I. I often thought a family support system would be great. Now my youngest son has a son and lives 4 blocks from us. While my wife, his ex-wife and her mother all do a lot for them, it really seems like he is having a harder time raising his 5-year old than we ever did. We mostly just put our non-professional lives on hold for 20 years and were available for the kids (scouts, sports, school activities, etc.). He has friends and parties and hobbies, etc. Juggling all that looks a lot harder to me than the way we did it. He keeps finding himself committed to do something with his friends before he checks his support system to see if anyone is available. Every so often no one is and he gets really cranky and stressed.

The point of that story, is that I've always found the benefits of a move to be worth more than the stability of not moving. The kids always made new friends. The kids schools always worked out. The commute always worked out. The inevitable problems with the new house, the new boss, the new office politics always worked themselves out quickly. And I always noticed that the people who were advancing were the ones willing to move to the opportunities.

In the OP's case, if you don't take the move to Hell (I've always hated the Bay Area, the coldest period of my life was the summer I spent in the Bay Area) then you will always be "that guy" who just never realized his potential, the big fish in the small pond, the individual contributor--because if you talk yourself into staying in your home town once, then the next time will be even easier, the one after that won't even be a thing.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

Law is the common force organized to act as an obstacle of injustice Frédéric Bastiat

 

[TheTick]

When I left Silicon Gulch after two years to return to Wisconsin, all the expat Mudwesterners came by to congratulate me.

 

[cry22]

How about quit, get the package and get hired by the previous as a consultant while looking for a permanent position in town.
In charge of your own time, get to come home often and make more - employer has the latitude of terminating you any time.
downside, you will pay your own taxes/more social security contribution, no 401K, no vacation, no paid holidays, etc. just figure that into your fees.

 

[ajack1]

When ever I see a post like this I do wonder what the OP thinks anyone can really tell them that they don’t already know. I guess we only confirm doubts or do away with fears.

The first thing to establish is what do you really want out of life and what gives you the best chance of getting it? Is money the main factor, or your career and its progress or what is best for the family? Like speed, quality and cost you generally only get a maximum of two out of the three, when you decide which it is you want other things fall in place more easily.

You say your spouse has a great job but in what sense? Do they make almost as much as you but absolutely hate every minute of it or make nearly as much as you but love their job and or have a close set of social friends through the job? That would seem a big consideration to me.

Whilst the company may be great and really look after it’s employees the culture in one office might be very different to the culture in another and unless the chain of command stays the same the new people above you will probably give the job a different feel, maybe better maybe worse, but it is unlikely you will be getting like for like, worth considering.

The big call for me would be if I did decide my career and moving was the most important would it be better to take the money and then decide for who and where I worked, or be dictated too but with a firm job offer and much more known circumstances?

Of course lots of unknowns then come into the equation, would someone else offer more money/ a better position and a relocation package? How long would it take? Could you work in between leaving the current job and finding what you really want? Would a suitable job for your spouse be more likely in another location? All this assumes you actually want to move as a family.

Finally someone has suggested starting out on your own, whilst financially this would seem an ideal time and you wouldn’t have to give up a good job to do so, making these sorts of decisions based on unknowns is what you will face on pretty much a daily basis, you might thrive on it but it is not for everyone and the fact that you have posted this question on here would suggest to me it might not be for you, I could be totally wrong however.

Good luck with whatever you decide I hope in a few years you look back and think that was one of the best calls I ever made.

 

[Latexman]

Is it possible your company will hire your wife in the bay area and treat ya'll as dual career employees from that time forward? It depends on how bad they really want and support you. Of course, that comes with its own risk and rewards.

Good luck,
Latexman

Technically, the glass is always full - 1/2 air and 1/2 water.

 

[RunSomewhere]

Wife is in a completely different field, teaching. No chance for double-hiring there. I'm leaning towards staying in town, or at least within a reasonable driving distance (say 5-6 hours). I appreciate all the advice.

 

[oldestguy]

On the self employment alternative, I'd suggest posting a question to those that did it as to factors to consider. How about a government agency environmental deportment?

 

[floattuber]

I used to live in the bay area and moved out of state because of the cost of housing. Can you afford to buy a house for $600,000-750,000? I moved away right before the economy went down, but at the time I could only afford 300k-400k, and we were only able to look at run down, 2 bedroom apartments in bad neighborhoods.

 

[enverd]

I live on the west coast and it is expensive here. The Bay area is even more expensive. I am originally from Europe and have been in the US for about 15 years. Currently married w/ kids but no immediate family in the US, I mean none at all. The worst thing is not having someone around. If I could find a job now in Europe I would move back knowing that I can't make what I am making here and that I would take a setback in my career (most likely). But being around family is worth much more that making more money and having the greatest career you can possibly have.

Holidays are the worst time for us.

Good Luck, Like the previous posts mentioned, sit down, think about what is important to you and talk it over with your wife then you will make the right decision.

 

[TomDOT]

Move from the Midwest to the Bay Area, plus all the other stuff you mentioned?

I would need fully covered relocation expenses, plus at least a doubling of salary.

Yes, doubling. Housing will cost 4x as much to live within a 2-hour commute (one way) of the job.