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Recently been closing in on a possible job offer - fully remote, 40k raise on my current position. The work is quite different from what I'm doing now, electrical engineering design, and this would be more software configuration and setup for client end-use, where engineering knowledge is a big plus in interpreting customer requests. Anyone made a change like this before? Remote Work sounds exciting but I'm worried that the grass isn't greener there, more money sounds good but I really really like what I'm doing right now and the thought of leaving it is really hard.
What kind of electrical engineering do you do?
Remote work is fantastic, but five days a week alone in your apartment can be a huge drag. Something to consider before going completely remote.
Also, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to appreciate company culture much more. Some companies really care about their employees. Some companies could give a shit. If that’s important to you, also something to think about.
I design and draft electrical drawings for commercial and industrial construction jobs - basically stamp and hand off to electrician and then babysit more or less until job is done. It's a lot of fun, every job is different, get to go on field trips, learn about logistics and construction.
I would be stuck at my house with wife and kids, who are generally well behaved so it wouldn't be a nightmare or anything (well, easy to say now). We've talked about possibilities of traveling way more and just working on the road during the summer (wife is stay at home). But again, grass is really rarely greener, which concerns me about this stuff
I can tell you my experience as someone who has worked as an electrical engineer in the power industry. I left my first job (where I also put together electrical blueprints) to do consulting work. I found it to be very boring, slow, and unfulfilling. There was none of the excitement of watching my design actually getting built and none of the camaraderie you get when working with construction guys. I regretted my decision and ended up returning to my first company about three years after I had left.
One of the reasons I left in the first place was because I HAD to be in the office 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. This schedule, coupled with an hour commute each way, sucked the soul out of my body. I was too tired to do anything after work and during the weekend, I was so burnt out from the work week, I hardly left the house. This was always going to be unsustainable for me, even for as much as I enjoyed the work and the team atmosphere.
One of the conditions of my return to my company was the option to work from home two to three days a week. They begrudgingly agreed to this request and I’ve had a hybrid schedule ever since. And honestly, it’s fucking wonderful. I go into the office two days a week, get a ton of work done, hang out with my team, and show my face to let everyone know I’m still working. I work three days remotely, saving a ton on commuting expenses, food, and most importantly, my time. I’m able to do things on weeknights without feeling exhausted. I can run errands during the day instead of after work. It’s a complete game changer and I am super fortunate to be in this situation.
So for me, I’ve found a company with a perfect work schedule, great company culture, and reasonable pay. For you, I can only recommend doing some soul searching on remote work. For most people, it’s a benefit. But for some, the isolation is grueling. The other thing to think about is the company culture. If that is important to you, and you’re not a person who just wants to get his work done and get his paycheck, you might inquire about that from the new company.
Lastly, you’re getting a 40k raise. Even if you find the work is not what you signed up for, you can grind it out for two years, stack a lot of extra money, and figure it out after that.
This is helpful thanks. It sounds like you liked the same things I like about my current job. I think my plan is to take the job if it's offered, keep living at an income level based on my current income, and if it doesn't work out - I won't burn any bridges and I see a number of people that come back to my company after a few years, so my thought is they keep the door pretty open. At least I could pay off my student loans and put a decent dent in my mortgage before my rate goes up in 2 years
No problem, and good luck!
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