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+--- Thread: A New Job (/showthread.php?tid=1376)
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A New Job - Dividend Watcher - 10-25-2015
After 18 years in business for myself and the loss of my two largest long-term accounts through no fault of their own (their parent organizations decided to move in a different direction), it's time to call it a day and go back to being a paycheck employee. The stress and expense of rebuilding my customer base at my age didn't appeal to me as much as a decade ago.
Since there is a pretty good demand for the field I was in previously, I really liked the work, and degrees aren't the be-all, end-all for a good career in that field, I started spewing out resumes a week ago. One week later I have one firm job offer and one that will be getting back to me tomorrow. I've been getting HR calls and emails all week but these two have been the fastest movers.
So, as of right now, I'm leaning towards the first which means I'll be moving on my own for the first time in 20 years. My wife will be staying put to run her own business and I'll manage her books remotely. It's an emotional but exciting time and I'm looking forward to new challenges.
RE: A New Job - rapidacid - 10-26-2015
Good luck wherever life takes you DW. I selfishly hope your valuable contributions here won't take too much of a hit.
RE: A New Job - EricL - 10-26-2015
Best of luck in your career path DW, hope all goes well for you and your family.
RE: A New Job - Kerim - 10-26-2015
Wow, DW, big changes. Best of luck to you. And it is great how quickly you've gotten yourself some solid offers!
FWIW, I have a buddy who recently turned in his self-employed shingle for a paycheck, and he couldn't be happier. Says the predictability is welcome and the stress level is a ton lower.
And I second Rapid's sentiment that I sure hope you are able to hang out here some!
RE: A New Job - Jimbo - 10-26-2015
Congrats DW, I went from 20+ years of self employment to a solid paycheck a few years back.
Though it is awesome, it does take some getting used to, little stress, paid holidays and vacations, medical and benefits, 8 hrs a day instead of 24 hrs etc etc.
Really wish you the best and agree with the others, do not abandon this site. I for one love reading your posts.
Jim
RE: A New Job - Dividend Watcher - 10-27-2015
You'se guys are too kind.
I've tentatively accepted the first offer. Don't know if the pay is the highest I could've gotten by waiting but the benefits package and opportunity of moving within the company anywhere in the country after the first year of employment is much more than I expected. When they told me that not only would I have Thanksgiving off but I'd get paid for it and Black Friday too it took a long time to register.
Now I've got to finish cleaning up around the house for winter and start on my office. I never imagined I could've hoarded that much sh*t in an 800 sq. ft. office over the last 13 years in that space.
Don't be alarmed, I'll be hanging around but may not write as much as I totally rearrange my life and re-learn all the minutiae in my old field that I'd forgotten. What else am I going to do with all that free time?
RE: A New Job - Roadmap2Retire - 10-27-2015
Thanks for sharing your details, DW. Best wishes with the new job.
RE: A New Job - rayray - 10-29-2015
Good Luck DW!!
RE: A New Job - Dividend Watcher - 11-14-2015
I made a site visit to my new place of employment and it was very interesting.
First off, I noticed that the 5 other guys in my department are not busting their a$$ for a full 8 hour day. To put it kindly, the work pace was leisurely.
I'm sure there are times when they could be busting a leg for a full shift but nobody mentioned that the day I visited was out of the ordinary. When I asked if there was any reason I couldn't stay after hours for a bit to learn how the production process works, they stared at me like I had a third eye. That's not to say the job won't be strenuous at times and it's a dirty and dangerous place to work. Dodging forklifts, cranes and high speed production machinery took up a good part of the time on my plant tour. I thought it was humorous that eye protection and hard hats were almost non-existent on the production floor and I didn't see any areas with 120 degree (F) temperatures with no air movement like I had in my job many years ago.
I think it's going to be a culture shock.
While I was away, the employment paperwork arrived in a 3/4" thick FedEx envelope. Of course, 1/2" of it was the obligatory employee manual, state and Federal required notifications and colorful brochures. Then I started looking through the benefit forms. Health insurance at much better coverage and cost than I could ever get on the consumer market - unbelievable! All the other stuff was included such vacation, disability, etc.
Then I got to the 401(K) paperwork. My selections included the smattering of Fidelity funds, a couple Invesco funds and some TROW target date funds. No mention of a self-directed brokerage account.
Of course I'm going to take advantage of it. That 100% match on the first 4% of contributions and 50% on the next 2 percent is nothing to sneeze at. I guess when I retire I can roll it over into my "real" retirement account but then I have to invest it. In the meantime, I now have to research a bunch of funds to find out which would fit my dividend growth philosophy and temperament.
RE: A New Job - Jimbo - 11-18-2015
Hey DW, how bout an update on the new job.
Isn't it grand to be out of self employment.
Jim
RE: A New Job - Dividend Watcher - 11-23-2015
Thanks for asking, Jimbo.
So far, so good. Today was my first day walking solo into the plant and I didn't get lost after the first 2 tries finding my office.
Confirmation of the dirty job: I was introduced to the area that will be my primary responsibility today and I got black in about 40 minutes. The upside is all these new (to me) manufacturing processes. I could stand and watch a lot of it for hours but I don't get paid much for standing around watching.
Living the single life again is not bad once I get myself settled in. Sleeping on a cot and sitting in a camping folding chair is getting old. Will be going home for Thanksgiving and renting a truck to haul the creature comforts back with me. Note to self: allow more than 3 weeks to get interviewed, tour your workplace, accept the job, move 500 miles, find an apartment and get all the utilities turned on.
Also, no Internet in the apartment yet so I'm working online at the library. Not a bad choice but the hours are limited. The have a pretty good library here.
Unfortunately, local radio stations leave much to be desired. At least half are religious stations, then country followed by a smattering of rock in all it's variants. I read a lot.
Hopefully in a couple weeks I'll be a human being again.
RE: A New Job - Kerim - 11-28-2015
Hang in there, DW! Big moves like that always seem to take a lot longer than you imagine to get settled in.