I work in the print industry, which has been declining due to technology. Think Internet...catalogs all but gone, mailings are down, books in general are down, paper maps, etc etc....
I make a somewhat decent rate, but its the overtime that has made things possible, seriously for 23 years, steady and reliable. My best years here money wise was a 3 year streak ending the year before last. Of course in any situation it is wrong to think that an anomaly could become the norm.
Having said that, no wage increase in over 12 years. Health care cost is CRAZY. I mean 283 a WEEK!!! and I have to have it because my wife has some serious issues. When the Overtime is rolling, I dont think much about the healthcare cost. However, there were some long slow spells this year...got in hot water with my mortgage company a year after buying my dream house (modest I assure you, coming from a Baltimore row house previously)
This year the market has slowed somewhat, and they are clamping down on the overtime hard. There are also trends here that are reducing the amount of work coming through the door that I get to actually do. I looked for a part time job to make up the difference and even started working at a warehouse on the weekends. I think I applied for 15 part time jobs but there was one full time position that I put in for,sort of just for the hell of it and after 12 weeks of tests, interviews, a breakfast, and a meeting with my would be co workers I actually got an offer. It's a different industry and yet somehow it pays more than what I am making here now after 23 years. (red flag anyone?)
My new job will be as a maintenance tech for a large multinational foods manufacturer. The hourly rate is a bit more, and the health care is cheaper. Its closer to home. They have a PENSION PLAN. (Ive got 24 good years left in me I think)....I can think of all kinds of good reasons I should do it.
I put in my notice last week and the boss hit me with a counter offer yesterday. A pay increase, and a company vehicle (paid gas) and some sort of promise that he will make sure I get enough overtime so Im on track to hit my high water mark year that happened 3 years ago.
In comparing my options so far, I have calculated the cost of healthcare and gas into $$ per hour so to speak, and of course the pay rates....even with the counter offer, the new place still comes out ahead in terms of money in my pocket on a 40 hour week.
I dont care about the car so much, the paid gas would help but it did go into my comparison. As for the promise of giving me that much overtime, how could they even do that? I dont think I can count on that.When we are slow we are slow, sometimes there is not much work to do here, and again, how could one engineer that peak of mine into a plateau? I dont think he can control the forces behind that one.
And, they have overtime at the new place as well. And there is another pay grade I can make at the new place down the road as my skills increase. Here at the old place, I got to think if it took a 2 weeks notice to get a raise after 12 years, theres not gonna be many more. And, long term....the print industry almost cant do anything but continue to go down, while people will always be eating food.
I am nervous about the new place, lots to learn but also excited...I will be going from being "the guy" to "the new guy" so that will be different. I think the environment at the new place might be better...it is a 3rd shift position, but my kids are all grown and to tell the truth I will see more of them anyway with those hours.
It almost seems that the goal of the counter offer is as much for me to tell the new place no as it is to agree to stay...if I say no to the new place, the perks of the counter could be taken away a year from now....(We have all had pay cuts, etc before.)
And this may be my end run so to speak. I dont know if this place will be here the rest of my working career, Im pretty sure the new place will be, its one of the largest companies in the world. I dont want to be 10 years older and be facing a change out of desperation when they close down here.
Anyway, Id be interested and grateful to hear about any experiences some of you might have had with career changes, jobs in general or just any input or advice.....
_________________ 1972 S2 350, 1972 F9 350 Bighorn, 1975 KX400, 1981 YZ465, 1980 XT500 (Built for MX) , 1987 KD80, 1995 MZ Skorpion, TTR 125, 1994 KDX200 , 1978 Mobylette, 1985 KX350R-F91m (Frankenstein) and a Doodle Bug
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