What would you do?

I recently got an email about a job posting that sounds perfect for me, and am debating whether or not to send my resume. What's making this hard is that my current job is only 10 minutes away, and since I've been there so long I have a ridiculous amount of vacation time and have a ton of flexibility.

Current job:
Not much money b/c it's a non-profit
I'm in a bachelor's level position with a master's degree - which also affects my (lack of) salary
Not much room to move
Lots of field work - about 85% of the job is field work
Weird, annoying hours
TONS of vacation time
10 minutes from home
Extremely flexible

Open position:
$20K salary jump
Essentially exactly what I went to school for
Master's level position
In the city - my 10 minute commute turns into a 1 1/2 hour commute
The position is with the NYS court system, so no where near as flexible

Re: What would you do?

20k salary jump?]
in the field you studied for?
go for it.
and good luck!

Re: What would you do?

How much would your commuting costs be? I can see close to half that raise going to commuting costs.

You have to decide how much $$$ your quality of life is worth.

Re: What would you do?

It sounds very good for you. The commuting is the only thing I can think of that is a con. Working for the gov't you get a lot of holidays that the private sector may not get. Not sure about not for profit.

I would start taking your vacation time and apply for the job.

This is a career move. You have to decide if you want a career or if the flexibility is more important. Most of the time you don't fall into a perfect situation.

My LIRR and metro commuting costs from Bethpage are $300 a mo. That still nets you about $10K in take home more.

Message edited 1/1/2012 5:16:22 PM.

Re: What would you do?

DH and I talked about this tonight because I am looking into job possibilities in the city for next year. The way I look at it for us is the more money I can save while we are trying to have a family the better off we will be in the end.

The other thing is even if you apply you might not 100% get it so at least it is interview experience and will help you assess what you really want.

Good luck!

Re: What would you do?

I would definitely send your resume - no harm there.

If they call you and you go through the process, you can learn more about the position and the people and see if it would be worth it.

But send it!

Re: What would you do?

I agree with the others that there is no harm in applying. You really only have to worry about what to do if you are actually offered the job, and have the chance to ask more questions about the position ;).

I actually am in a similar boat, however, remain where I am because of the job flexibility and security.

I also have these huge perks such as being able to work from home whenever I want for the most part and my boss doesn't micromanage me.

When I do go into the office, it's a close drive to my home.

Being a parent of a 3-year-old these "benefits" are priceless.

I have worked in the city before, and am confident that I can also increase my salary and have better healthcare benefits at some point, but right now, it makes more sense to stay put.

ETA: Besides some BS that comes up from time to time, I also really like my working environment and know what to expect out of my current teammates, and how to deal with them. This is also a big fear of mine with going elsewhere.......I've made that leap in the past to follow a salary increase and totally regretted it because of a bad environment. I think I left that place within 6 months.

Message edited 1/2/2012 8:29:17 AM.

Re: What would you do?

I would suggest that you apply for this position. While you said that you have a lot of acquired vacation time plus flexibility, something seems to be still missing that you are seeking other opportunities. It won't hurt to get your feet wet and see if they call you to come in for an interview. This might be a better opportunity to put your skills to use. The thought of change seems to scare some people. You never know whats behind door #1 if you don't open it.

Good luck!

Re: What would you do?

Is it a 1.5hr commute round trip? If thats the case, and it were me I would take it.