Career advice

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by Stuuk1

I wouldn't do it if I was married with kids.

That's the thing right there, it's alright in bits and bobs but when it's all the time it is a bit much...I started on the premise it would be working from home with the odd trip for workshops here and there and it became 2 weeks away and 1 week home (and that I have had to constantly fight for...). I have a 7yr old son and a girl almost here, I want to be at home (most of the time)

I may well continue the job again after a month or 2 break at home with the new baby helping out for a while and spending quality time with the gang....that's on the premise they still need me after such a break....if not I'll be on the look out for something closer to home rather than having to travel to Preston from Norwich all the time

edit: Keith_d has hit the nail on the head with the pros and cons...and 10K isn't much really when you look at what you might be giving up

[G]

Originally Posted by keith_d

I've done a job with more than 50% of my year spent travelling.

The good bits were:

* Living on expenses saves you a fortune
* Your holidays are all on Airmiles
* It's great for the first year or so eating in good restaurants every night and expensing the bill.
* When you're single, weekends away with your work mates in a hotel on the lash are great fun

The bad bits are:

* It's bloody hard to keep relationships together
* You can never plan anything because you might not make it back that weekend
* Lunches and dinners with customers really pile on the pounds
* It f**ks up your social life something horrible
* Staying in hotels and working long hours soon gets very dull

I did it for a few years, but these days I would need more than £10k/year to tempt me. But as other people have observed it might be quite a good bargaining point with the current boss.

Keith.

That is pretty much exactly it... It's great while your young, build up amazing experience and CV material.

But if you already used to something and have kids, stick with what you know as its a completely different lifestyle and you have to be 100% committed to it will kill you.

Edit: having just re-read one of your replies it says your covering the midlands and south!!! That's not a big deal at all... It's not like your going to be all over the world out of contact with people all the time.

[steveg]

Will be far enough away not to get home all week

that will suck big time

I'm lucky to have a less than 30 min commute by bike to work at the moment

cheers Steveg

not worth it imo, if you had no kids then i would say go for it, other wise a recipe for disaster, as said the 10k won't make you 10k better off, money is not everything, still your choice, good luck either way, andy.

[timwilky]

Originally Posted by kaivalagi

I may well continue the job again after a month or 2 break at home with the new baby helping out for a while and spending quality time with the gang....that's on the premise they still need me after such a break....if not I'll be on the look out for something closer to home rather than having to travel to Preston from Norwich all the time

Move to Preston then, us natives don't bite. But we sure can drink

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Move to Preston then, us natives don't bite. But we sure can drink

That's what I am afraid of! I've had too many nights in the bar drinking until 1am...that's the trouble with those hotel bars, you think they'll kick you out at 11 and then it's early hours

The Norman Jepson Premier inn is the worst, there is a regular stayer called Jerry there (a scotsman who has been staying there for 5 years) and if you get into rounds with him you're doomed. He loves the rum like I do......

Being up that neck of the woods with a bike would be good though, the highlands aren't too far away

The wife wouldn't have it though....you know what it's like, they call the shots ultimately