I'm in my early twenties, trying to do some long-term career planning...would be interested to hear what you think of these options. At the end of the next year, I have to choose between two jobs...both are with my current employer and related to my current financial analyst position.
Job 1
Hours: 80/week (weekend work required)
Salary (savings potential): $70k ($40k)
Travel: 100%, possibly international
Strengths:
- exposure to a variety of businesses and processes
- regarded as the career "fast track"
- substantially reduced living expenses means more $$ savings
Weaknesses:
- living in a hotel room gets old
- long hours & high stress
Job 2
Hours: 45-55/week (weekend work rare)
Salary (savings potential): $60k ($20k)
Travel: none
Strengths:
- more normal work schedule
- potential to get an MBA on the weekends
Weaknesses:
- harder to keep moving up the corporate ladder
- higher expenses means less savings
Because Job 1 is 100% travel, I would be able to drastically reduce my living expenses which means I would get closer to ER much sooner (saving $40k/year after-tax vs. $20k). I'm young and don't have a family, so being away from home isn't a problem at this point. But is an extra $20k in savings worth the workload and stress? The actual work content in both jobs is finance-related, so I'm indifferent about that. Let me know what you think.
Job 1
Hours: 80/week (weekend work required)
Salary (savings potential): $70k ($40k)
Travel: 100%, possibly international
Strengths:
- exposure to a variety of businesses and processes
- regarded as the career "fast track"
- substantially reduced living expenses means more $$ savings
Weaknesses:
- living in a hotel room gets old
- long hours & high stress
Job 2
Hours: 45-55/week (weekend work rare)
Salary (savings potential): $60k ($20k)
Travel: none
Strengths:
- more normal work schedule
- potential to get an MBA on the weekends
Weaknesses:
- harder to keep moving up the corporate ladder
- higher expenses means less savings
Because Job 1 is 100% travel, I would be able to drastically reduce my living expenses which means I would get closer to ER much sooner (saving $40k/year after-tax vs. $20k). I'm young and don't have a family, so being away from home isn't a problem at this point. But is an extra $20k in savings worth the workload and stress? The actual work content in both jobs is finance-related, so I'm indifferent about that. Let me know what you think.