Making a job change possibly...what would you do?

[cgasner1]

I think he sells feet pics.

Everything is negotiable

 

[Keep'er Movin]

This conversation I may really be coming off as a asshole but my wife has also worked in athletics at a college for over the last 15 years it’s a labor of love she is over worked and under paid such as yourself. I tell her the same shit if you don’t like it quit. She is worth more but even at a college level the money isn’t there. By trade I’m a journeyman lineman. The gives up a fair amount of my time to teach a apprentice class for a utility that is across most the state of Montana

Fair enough. My dad was a lineman as well.

 

[cgasner1]

Fair enough. My dad was a lineman as well.

He chose a great trade hope he kept all his fingers.

 

[Keep'er Movin]

He chose a great trade hope he kept all his fingers.

He did...worked a hell of a lot during all types of terrible weather.

 

[ignorethefringes]

My wife is a teacher for 16 years. Currently making less than $30K teaching at a small private school in Tennessee.

Yes the job is hard and often sucks. On a yearly basis, she works less than I do but makes substantially less money also. But there is never a shortage of open teaching positions. But you might have to move districts.

Your power to negotiate is that there are fewer teachers than the market needs. Go where they pay you the most if you aren’t getting paid enough. If that’s not an option because of your spouse and his/her, you’ve chosen your highest value item and that’s fine. But don’t complain there are no options. A lot of professions would require you to move to find the best opportunity, teaching is far from the only one.

As far as your conundrum, you’re in the middle of hunting season and early in the school year. You’ve missed this hunting season already. Tough it out the rest of the school year while finding the best possible next job for you with the right combination of pay and schedule.

 

[Steelsearchin]

Man, good luck. 15 years ago, while wife was preggers with #2, I turned down $35-40k/yr for trout and a 2# gray bird. I don't regret it for an instant.

 

[FI460]

I'm not trying to be inconsiderate to teachers. However, there are a LOT of jobs out there that don't really allow you to take off much time on your schedule.

Don't I know it. I keep telling sammichfreak I'm just a slave to the grapes until the Cabarnet gets harvested.

My job has evolved to keep me on site from mid September to mid November which is super annoying, but my schedule is still significantly more flexible than my wife's.

 

[Johnny Bravo]

Those that can do. Those that can’t teach. May be a slow learner

You have it a little wrong.... It's "those that can't do, teach, those that can't teach, teach gym"...lol

 

[NEWHunter]

@Keep'er Movin I don’t think I could offer any thorough advice without more information. I’ll ask some questions and make some observations instead.

I’m fairly analytical and I’d be running a lot of numbers around that pension. What would you get if you hang it up after this year? How much would you get if you stick it out for the 8 years?

My wife’s district gives 3 days with 5 years. Can you move districts and pick up an extra personal day or two and possibly shorten your commute? I just had a great three day weekend in Vilas County hunting grouse.

There’s some good ideas and things to think about in the thread so far. Others have already made good points about not selling yourself short, trying to find another state job, etc. Also, you can get a lot of hunting done from September through November on the weekends with a long weekend or two sprinkled in. Or maybe focus on the hiking, kayaking, and fishing now with some hunting thrown in and then look at hunting more down the road.

I’ll note that I have relatively average insurance coverage available through my job at a bank. We are on my wife’s insurance through her district. Even after what Walker did, her insurance still saves us over $2,000 a year.

At the end of the day it really comes down to what you and your wife are comfortable with financially and how you want to live your life together. If she is good with you being gone more often to pursue your passions and the numbers work, do it and don’t look back. Hang in there. Good luck with your decision.

 

[CPAjeff]

Here’s my $0.02:

You can always make more money, you can’t make more time. When your hourglass runs out, you’re done. Take less money and see if it works out. It’s not like you can’t go back to teaching if the new opportunity doesn't work out.

 

[bluespruce]

Maybe the answer got lost in the discussion but do you actually find the new job interesting and think you would like to do it?

I've only seen comments on how good the schedule is. If you are considering it solely for the schedule, I question whether it will work out. I mean taking a pay cut to do a job you don't like, no matter how good the schedule is, doesn't seem like a recipe for happiness.