Career advise: To take this job or not.

[Jasonw1178]

I'm an mechanic, manufacturer certified master technician. Currently work about 35mins from the house. I work in pretty nice area, for a strong company, work in a really nice facility. Work with a crew of competent people who are if anything, above my level. I work next to someone who's taught me a lot, who I worked with previously and we are buddies. I could complain about some things there, but can't we all. I'm paid by the job. Although I'm usually under in production because it was slow the last 6mo, things have turned around a bit and looking promising. Work is basically easy, and if anything gets difficult, I have plenty of people around me to at least get a second set of eyes on it if not help, as we do each other almost like a team. I haven't really been stressed out much, except it gets kind of slow as there are quite a few fish to feed in a small pond.

A couple weeks ago, a former service advisor from my old work called and is now the manager of another dealership. He wants me to come work for him. Offering salary and a higher position. The pay they are offering I don't know if it's more or less than what I'm now making but it's more stable. The area is SW Atlanta, near the airport, anyone who knows that area, ghetto and slums. Not a nice area. I live 50 miles away so it will be at least 1hr10min drive to work each way. My first order of business is to fix these cars they can't fix. Who knows what kind of headache that is going to be. From there, it's to triage vehicles and do diagnosis, repair the hard one's, be the guy to go to when they are having issues. I'll be the only master technician there. It will be all on me. They said I will have direct connections with the engineers at the manufacturer. The manager, and the CEO both want me there. Yeah, it could be a huge boost for my career, but then again I am giving up a good job that is easier for one that I really don't know about. If I was miserable where I'm currently working, I'd be all over it, but because I'm not, it's hard to leave.

I'm really torn on this.

[Exiled93]

I wouldn't want to drive that far unless you're moving closer.

You're wasting an additional hour each day, so 5 hours a week just in driving.

Depends on the salary increase I guess - but is there no upward mobility where you're at now? I'd rather work around smart people and learn from each other than having a bunch of people ask me questions all day.

[jn677]

Seems pretty obvious you want to stay. I also think it's the right decision to stay.

I don't know why you think it'll be good for your career to move. If you start out as the top guy there, there is no where for you to go and your salary probably won't go up much. Unless the CEO will want to bring you in to potentially partner in on future business deals, it isn't worth it. I would go meet with the 2 of them and ask about future plans for the business and see if there is room for you to get in on something with them, if they are planning on expanding and are open to partnering with you in some way on that future business then that could be a reason to do it.

Otherwise I wouldn't bother, more headache, further away, no more money.

[Jasonw1178]

I ended up taking the job. Gut instinct was this was the next step up. I think it was on Joe Rogan or whatever where I heard them say that management promotes who they like, not necessarily who is the best. So I figured, even if I'm not quite up to speed, maybe their liking me will get my by. The whole two weeks notice, I'm wanting to pull back. The whole time I'm seriously nervous that I'm making a mistake. Everyone was trying to get me to stay, but I wasn't offered anything.

Turns out to be the best decision I have made in a long time. A lot more responsibility, and duties such as keeping the equipment and computers operational. That wasn't that bad, just turned out nobody was reporting broken equipment or sending it for repair, nobody was updating the computers. Those problem vehicles, if they were done right in the first place there probably wouldn't have been these problems. One young guy, probably saved his job, they were about to fire him but I've been working with him trying to get him to shed some bad habbits. I honestly enjoy the challenge. I can see they are moving me towards a management role. I've learned a lot in the past two months, and I'm doing a lot of things differently. I'm doing a lot of things that I never thought I could do. I guess it's because it's something assigned for me to do, and I don't have anyone to lean on, so I just have to make it happen. They say I have exceeded expectations. Feels good mane.