Travel or work?

LegacyUser

I'm currently in a job where I'm stuck in a rut. The work has become very boring and just doesn't excite me but it's very comfortable if not too comfortable. I've been there 5 years and I've only got one pay raise (l was told it was because they compared my salary to the market ie not performance based) and I've never got a bonus because in my company I am too junior to get one apparently as I need to be one level higher. While I've been getting good mid and year of reviews I've never got promoted nor was I ever put forward for promotion. I was told the reason I haven't been promoted is due to the fact my name isn't known in the other locations and I'm not promoting the good work I do. If I'm being honest the longer I stay the more my confidence takes a beating due my work not being rewarded. I've found out my colleagues salaries by accident (leaving payslips on the screen while they are showing me something) and the interns (still has 1 year left in college). Their salary is only 6k lower than mine. While their salary is really high (about 20k higher than normal) rather than mine being really low. I've 7 years experience as a programmer in finance so it's really demoralising as the money is normally really good in my area.

Last year I got fed up and took a career break to go travelling for a few months and I absolutely loved it. I even started learning a new language which I still am learning to this day. When I came home I was really depressed and I didn't know what to do. I had a friend going to NZ and they invited me to go with them so I agreed but then my friend bailed on me so I said I wanted to go back to Latin America. As life would have it I started seeing a girl so I ended up staying around longer. But that isn't going anywhere.

So I decided I was going to quit my job and just go travelling and activate my Visa for NZ before it expires (Sept). I was planning on handing in my notice 2 weeks ago but I've been scared to do it (and still haven't) and then I got approached about a job on Linkedin. I applied as I thought it would be good experience as I hadn't done an interview in a while. It now looks like I am going to be offered the job (still waiting on confirmation) as a contractor (at a very high daily rate) which is great news but now I don't know what to do.

I've been playing around in my head what to do.
*Do I take the job and earn good money or do I turn it down and go travelling?
*Do I ask them for a delayed start date (which I'm not sure will go down well) and take two months off travelling?
*Do I take the job but ask for the London position (which is possible) instead of Dublin?
*Take the job for 6 months (that is how long the contract is for) and travel after that?

jimmycrackcorm

Go traveling. You work in IT so you'll pick up a great job on increased money when you get back.

baby and crumble

I'd take the job for the contracted 6 months, save as much as you can then go travelling. You've an easy explanation for a job break then if/when you get home (contract expired, took an opportunity to travel and experience other cultures blah blah blah) rather than quitting a job to go travelling. Better chances of positive references from that situation too.

HelgaWard

I think the advise of getting 6 months contracting experience is really good. It would look good on your CV, and help you get good employment while you are travelling or when you get back.

heretothere

I'd take the 6 month contract, save like mad and then have a great time travelling. You'll be thankful for it when you get there.

joeguevara

Always travel. Don’t think about taking a 6 month contract and saving with a view to going then. You don’t know what’s going to happen in 6 months. Life has a nasty habit of making you regret things you didn’t do.

Just go for it. Make sure every day is an adventure. Plenty of time to settle down after. Also you don’t need to be loaded to go traveling and in my opinion can negatively affect the experience. God I’m jealous.

LegacyUser

I'd take the 6 month contract
Looks like big desire of yours is change. A six month contract is a big change & if you do a home run with it you'll be very valuable on return & even when overseas if you decide to hang around or travel even more widely

Do whatever you want though & dont look back.

Take the job, some people are obsessed with the idea of “travelling” I never did it (not even a J1 too busy working on the buildings in the summer and making money to enjoy the college year) and don’t regret if for a minute. Much better to focus on your career, increasing your salary and building savings for a house deposit etc.

You can visit plenty of places on holidays when you are in a comfortable financial position.

OldMrBrennan83

Take the job, cash will be more valuable than travel. You can go travelling once the contract is up.

LegacyUser

So I decided I was going to go ahead and take the 6 months contract as my confidence is pretty low after years of stagnating in my career. But I found out today that the project has been postponed indefinitely so they have rescinded the offer.

Yeah I am disappointed but mainly because I had a reason to quit my job and now I don't besides go travelling again.

My sister and friends are telling me I should just try and find another contract job for 6 months and then go travelling but I'm really confused now what to do. I did want to be here for summer as it's the best months but I'm not sure I can stay around until October.

One fear I have of becoming unemployed is that I'll stay that way and get lazy and won't actually do any travelling or study (for my job or the 2nd language I'm trying to learn).

Sirsok

I was in finance for 6 years, similar situation, stagnating wages despite starting from the bottom and working my way up.

Ended up hating my final two years in the company, panic attacks , hating Sunday because Monday is the next day. Decided I couldn't live my life like that, so I took voluntary redundancy package, they made it hard for me, as I was quite young, but that made me feel more trapped and determined to get out.

Was initially going to move to Canada, but decided to change career instead, and I have never looked backed. The money isn't as good m but every day when I go to work I pass by the bank I was in, I thank God I don't have to go in there anymore

airportgirl83

Sirsok wrote: »

I was in finance for 6 years, similar situation, stagnating wages despite starting from the bottom and working my way up.

Ended up hating my final two years in the company, panic attacks , hating Sunday because Monday is the next day. Decided I couldn't live my life like that, so I took voluntary redundancy package, they made it hard for me, as I was quite young, but that made me feel more trapped and determined to get out.

Was initially going to move to Canada, but decided to change career instead, and I have never looked backed. The money isn't as good m but every day when I go to work I pass by the bank I was in, I thank God I don't have to go in there anymore

Interesting read, glad all worked out for you! I'm in a similar situation, wondering what to do next. What is your career now? I'm in finance myself so just curious

Sirsok

airportgirl83 wrote: »

Interesting read, glad all worked out for you! I'm in a similar situation, wondering what to do next. What is your career now? I'm in finance myself so just curious

Video production company I set up with a few friends, we just got our film accepted to fasnet film festival today!

Rubberchikken

travel. somehow or other the work will be there. but as you get older with maybe different commitments travel might not happen so easily.

Hannaho

I'm 52, and I seemed to have aged incredibly in the last few years. People tell me I look in my early 40s - but I have bad kness, and get tired a lot. Bloods fine. I seem to need a lot more rest and regular hours - I used to have bags of energy - not for partying, that was never my scene, but just doing stuff. It seems to have evaporated. I'm not depressed, and would love to do so many things, but just get exhausted a lot more easily. Had a few stressful years with a rennovaiton project that went wrong and ended up in Court, and also a very stressful job, with lots of politics and bullying, but in nice job now. Does anyone feel like this who are in their 50s on this fourm? Any tips or advice would be really welcome?

cloudatlas

TvlOWrk wrote: »

So I decided I was going to go ahead and take the 6 months contract as my confidence is pretty low after years of stagnating in my career. But I found out today that the project has been postponed indefinitely so they have rescinded the offer.

Yeah I am disappointed but mainly because I had a reason to quit my job and now I don't besides go travelling again.

My sister and friends are telling me I should just try and find another contract job for 6 months and then go travelling but I'm really confused now what to do. I did want to be here for summer as it's the best months but I'm not sure I can stay around until October.

One fear I have of becoming unemployed is that I'll stay that way and get lazy and won't actually do any travelling or study (for my job or the 2nd language I'm trying to learn).

Which second language are you trying to learn? Perhaps you can get a job in that country?