I need help :)

[newfiemountiewife]

So I did have a job interview today, and I got offered a position.

The story is, I applied for a salaried management position. During the interview, the owner came in, and had some reservations, as I live an hour away. He was concerned, and rightfully so, that I might not enjoy all of that driving. Salaried managers at McDonald's do quite a bit of training and therefore, from his side, it would be a huge expense and a huge waste of time for him to train me, if in a month I decided I didn't want to do the drive any more, and quit. He made good points, but of course, he doesn't probably remember what a go-getter I am, and driving doesn't even phase me.

The store manager at the McDonald's I was a manager at before called me and told me there is a floor management position that's mine if I wanted it. She said she "knows I'll get promoted in no time" which makes me think that this job is sort of a testing ground to see if I would be committed, so that the owner would have a good gauge of what I am capable of. Also, she will work ENTIRELY around Tony's schedule and can offer me 40 hours a week in 5 shifts.

The pros:
1) It's at my old stomping grounds, and my store manager is someone I worked with before and had a good rapport with
2) Extremely high possibility of promotion
3) High possibility of eventual store management position (some are available)
4) I get to do something I like
5) Since I can work entirely around Tony's schedule, child care will only be a problem occasionally
6) Health insurance and bonuses
7) being completely flexible with my schedule so I don't have to miss kids concerts, etc

The cons:
1) The 1 hour drive in each direction, the gas
2) The 10 hour days
3) The time away from the kids (though I feel better knowing Tony would be here with them, not some random sitter)
4) having to buy a new car or the wear and tear on my current almost 4 year old van
5) Gas will cost me $35 or so a day

All of this, we figure, I'll make around $200-$250 a week after gas and taxes.

Do you think that's worth it? What would you do? Is the short term sacrifice worth the shot at the promotion?

[lovely1m]

$200-$250 for a week? Or for how long?

[newfiemountiewife]

For a week....sorry LOL!

[farrijc]

I wouldn't be able to get past the hour drive. lol I guess it boils down to how much you need/want the extra income and how much you enjoy working. The thought of working a ten hour day and then coming home to my kids isn't appealing... don't know that I'd have anything left for them, kwim?

[lovely1m]

No, I would not drive 1 hour each way for $200/$250 a week. That's a long drive and not a lot of pay off in return. If it was local and you weren't making the drive and paying that kind of money in gas, it would be different. Just remember what its like where you live in the winter. Do you wanna make that long of a drive when the weather/roads suck?

[Darcy Baldwin]

You're talking about less than $12K a year for being away from home full-time, and a 2hr drive a day. You can't even buy a new car for that.

I get that the possibility of a salaried promotion is pretty high...so you have to weigh how long you can keep this up for a better paying job.

[newfiemountiewife]

Since there are no jobs in this area, this is the problem I'm facing. If I could get work like that or even comparable here, obviously that would be best. I've put resumes everywhere, called them all back, put more resumes in, the problem is, there's just no work.

The drive is a non issue. I love driving, I have to drive over an hour each week, each way, just to get my kids to ballet. Not a problem at all.

I really don't know what to do. It's not the job I wanted, BUT the opportunity is there FOR the job I want. Sigh. I don't even know.

[newfiemountiewife]

Originally Posted by lovely1m

No, I would not drive 1 hour each way for $200/$250 a week. That's a long drive and not a lot of pay off in return. If it was local and you weren't making the drive and paying that kind of money in gas, it would be different. Just remember what its like where you live in the winter. Do you wanna make that long of a drive when the weather/roads suck?

I always think it's funny when people say an hour is a long drive, here in rural Newfoundland, it's not at all. We would have to drive 4 hours to get to the city from where I lived before, so if I needed to go to a specialist or something for health care, I'd have to drive there.

We don't even have a McDonald's, Subway, Wal-Mart or anything without driving an hour LOL

ETA my community has 2000 people LOL

[newfiemountiewife]

Thank you for your thoughts, I like to hear what others think. It's hard when not everything is accessible within a few minutes of where you live, kwim?

I really don't know what to do, so keep the opinions coming. Maybe you guys will have thought of something I hadn't.

[Davita]

Jamie, I totally get what you mean about the drive being nothing. I grew up in a town of 2,000 located in the mountains. We had no theater, fast food chains, large stores like Penny's etc. We routinely drove about an hour and a half to do our "real" shopping. We drove it even on the icy and snowy roads and thought nothing of it.

I was in a similar position to you a couple of years ago. Our van was about the same age and gas was not cheap. The job was an hour away too. I finally decided to open an in home daycare instead. I would have had to leave my kids with a sitter or at a preschool though. My dh works an hour away from home as well. With my daycare I make about 2,200 per month. I hardly pay any taxes so that helps (you get to write off everything.) I have any agreement with the parents that their kids go with me when I drop my kids off and pick them up at school. BUT, the days are long (11 hours) and I don't have another adult to talk to during that time. I honestly hate it but I am not sure how to overcome the distance of the jobs I have found or being away from my kids.

Since you would be leaving the kids with your dh, is their any harm in trying it and seeing if you like the way its working? I guess you would burn a bridge if you quit but.... I think the good point of the job offer is that you feel like it would lead to a promotion for a job that you really want.

[carriesmom]

If one hour is not a big deal to you and you believe that you will most likely get a promotion quickly, I say go for it. I used to commute 45 minutes each way for my work and I didn't mind it at all. And in two weeks, I'm will be moving 3 1/2 hours away from my DH and kids for a job. But you got to do what you have to do if there are no jobs in your area, which from what you say is the case.

Now if it was going to be a dead end without potential for advancement or they were rigid in scheduling, that would be a different story altogether.

[nun69]

here are my thoughts...it sounds like you want to work and you don't mind the drive and if you can afford to work for $200-$250 a week and it not wear on you and your family then I say go for it! I spent 20 years in the Navy and have had to do my fair share of 10 hour days and an hour's worth of driving daily, so that wouldn't phase me either...what would bother me is the money...so my suggestion would be to give it a shot and give yourself a time limit to get promoted and if you don't get promoted in that time limit, quit...no harm no foul also $200-$250 may be more to you as is to us here in the US {depending on what your cost of living is like }

[lovely1m]

If the promotion is enough to make it worth it and you really don't mind the drive (I couldn't handle it..lol), then I say go for it. But there is a big difference between driving for fun activities that you can not go to and driving for work, when you have to go. But I have never lived in the middle of no where either. Then again, I do work a job not a lot of people would do as a single mother though either (shift -military- work in a town without shift daycare or family). You do what you gotta do though, right?

[Traci Reed]

It probably wouldn't be worth the money to me to make 200-250 a week for 5, 10 hour days..that's only $2-$2.50 an hour for every hour you're away from home..

[LeeAndra]

Sounds like it's the best you can do for now, James, and what you have to do in order to get a job that's worth all that hassle.

[MissKim]

I don't know how Canada works for income taxes, but my first thought is that here it might bump you into a higher tax bracket where you'd have to pay a higher percent of your income in taxes, and negate any money that you're making.

I'm really not against driving for work. I've done it many times. However, once my kids were in school, driving was less attractive. I really hated it when I'd drive all the way to work and then get a call that one of my kids was sick. That gets me to thinking "What if there's an emergency?"

On the other hand, I'm one who needs to work in order to be happy. So I understand that. I would work for free just to have a reason to get up and get out of the house every day. I love my job, so that helps.

I have no idea what I'd do. I'd probably take it, knowing it might not work for us.

[newfiemountiewife]

Thank you ladies, I appreciate all of your advice and insights!

I think being away from the kids would be more difficult if I were leaving them with a sitter all the time, but since it's their dad, it's not SO much of a worry. I've done this job before, I EXCEL at it and I love it. I think that's why I want to do it so badly.

Tony had a few questions, so I will call the store manager today to see if we can arrange a sit down, I need to go in Friday to the dentist anyway (see, we even need to travel in there for the dentist), so I might go in a bit early and sit down with her. We are planning on a transfer for next summer, so it's really just the short term that I'll have to deal with it.

Right now, I WANT this to work. Very badly. I'm hoping we can arrange something to keep the gas down. I have my SIL in town, who I can stay with, so I could do an 11-7 shift, then open the next morning, and stay with her for a night, kwim?

There are things I can do, if anyone has any other insight, I'd appreciate it. I have to over analyze everything before I make a decision you know hahahaha!

[KristinCB]

It is exactly the same here.. we don't have jobs really and you have to go out of town to get them.. I mean there are the odd jobs but the chances of getting them are slim to none - we have a small market, two gas stations and a couple family restaurants but thats about it.

Have you looked at anywhere besides this job going an hour away? I know you have looked in your town you are in but in the place you are driving to as well? I'm just wondering if you would be able to get a job somewhere else if you are willing to make that drive - even something like a bank job etc etc. If you are going to make that extra hour drive and put the wear and tear/gas on your vehicle I would just make extra sure that you are getting the best that you deserve

Also if you are working sep from tony's hours would you ever get to see each other

oh and does this mean you are done coaching?

[Kara]

Personally, it wouldn't be worth it to me. I quit my fulltime job a year ago because I just couldn't balance being a mom and wife on top of being an employees, too. My family was getting my leftovers and it was just too hard! I understand wanting to get out and the need to make a little extra cash, but $2.50/hr (as Traci pointed out) just isn't enough for me to compensate for the hassles and all the things I'd miss out on with my family.

[color of my heart]

Originally Posted by KristinCB

If you are going to make that extra hour drive and put the wear and tear/gas on your vehicle I would just make extra sure that you are getting the best that you deserve

this is my thought. if it's something you LOVE, then do it.

i'm like you, i don't mind driving. i just put the iPod on through the radio, and go. but i'd make sure it was something i really wanted before i made that commitment.

either way, good luck!

[newfiemountiewife]

Thanks ladies. We will be moving closer next summer, so then it won't be an issue, it'll just be the short term until then. I guess I don't want to turn it down, and in 10 months time be right next to the place and not have the opportunity I have now.

My kids are getting older. I'm getting older. I want to do something for myself now. They don't depend on me for as much now, I'm really just a driver/food prep/homework helper at this point. I want something besides looking at the four walls of my house while the kids are at school. I don't know what, but this just dropped into my lap Monday night...so there's still a lot to consider.

I appreciate all of the advice. I knew I could count on you girls. ♥

[mummytothree]

I must be weird but $200-250 bucks a week (for a second income) sound like a ton to me!!! Guess I'll need some schooling before I enter back into the work force or I'll be cheap labor for someone!!!! If it was me, at this time and place in my life considering this job I'd say no way...no how...but if it was me with only 3 kids (soon to be all in school) and a place willing to work around my hubby's schedule I'd probably take it!!! Even if I only worked there for a few years!!

For the first 6 years of our marriage hubby and I worked totally opposite shifts...we both had to work and we didn't want "others" raising our kids so we made the sacrifice to give up time together so that one of us could be with our kids all the time. To us, that was the most important thing and we were willing to make that sacrifice!!!

Go with your gut Jamie!!! I'll be thinking of you and hoping for the best!!!