Deciding between 2 job offers

[FNR32]

Guys,

I've been offered two positions with different companies and im struggling to figure out which one to take. I have to make a decision today for sure, so i figured i'd post up here and see what you all think.

Offer one:
Is with a major insurance company as an Auto Appraiser (the guy/gal who prepares estimates for your vehicle damaged from an accident).
-Work from home (no office close by)
-Company Car
-Company Credit Card
-Annual bonus of 15-18% of base salary
-Annual Christmas bonus of 2 weeks pay
-Tuition reimbursement of $10k per year
-401k 8% company match (2 year vesting)
-Company paid pension plan
-Eligible for Over Time

Offer two:
Manager of field investigations with a class I railroad company
-Pays 10k more than the offer one
-I'll have to buy a car (no company car)
-I'd have office hours (no work from home)
-Annual bonus of 13% of base salary
-Tuition Reimbursement of 5250
-No company card, expenses have to be paid out of pocket then reimbursed
-On call 24/7 to respond to evacuations, injuries, or deaths in my geographic territory. (no Over time pay)
-Railroad retirement instead of paying into social security
-401k match is 100% for the first 1%, then 50% for the next 2-6% (3 year vesting)

Any thoughts? Questions? Something I left out?

 

[Bender1]

on the first one - what's the max for the 8% company match on 401k?

on the second - how does railroad retirement work?

 

[D Griff]

Being on call 24/7 is pretty sucky.... Hard to know without being in your shoes. Do you think one type of work will be more enjoyable than the other?

 

[2013R]

#1 seems to be the obvious choice given all the details you provided. all the benefits outweigh the larger salary.

 

[Calvinball]

Being on call 24/7 is pretty sucky.... Hard to know without being in your shoes. Do you think one type of work will be more enjoyable than the other?

I agree on the on-call, and also am curious about this question.

 

[thedude4bides]

WFH > 10k

 

[Bender1]

I, personally, couldn't do WFH more than a couple days a month. I like getting face time with executives and being IN a meeting rather than ON a meeting.

Thats just me though.

 

[grambles423]

1) Money doesn't matter if you hate your job. Understand which one draws your attention and passion a lot more. I turned down a 15K increase from another OEM because of its local and general "Fire you at any moment, coporate" mentality.

2) Longevity and growth.

3) Working from home is nice, but you might get cabin fever.

4) DEFINITELY look at your medical benefits (if offered)

Number 1 sounds like a solid choice.

 

[FNR32]

on the first one - what's the max for the 8% company match on 401k?
401(k) Plan – “Retirement Savings Plan”: Eligible upon date of hire
Employer Match: Dollar-for-dollar up to 8% of pay.
 100% vested after 2 years
 Pre-tax contribution limit: 50% (subject to annual IRS pre-tax limit)
 After-tax contribution limit: 8%
 Maximum contribution limit: 58%
 14 Investment Funds

on the second - how does railroad retirement work?

I honestly don't know, other than the fact that instead of paying into Social Security, you pay into Rail Road retirement. It's certainly more financially stable than Soc Sec and provides survivor benefits to your spouse should you pass away.

Being on call 24/7 is pretty sucky.... Hard to know without being in your shoes. Do you think one type of work will be more enjoyable than the other?

I'm an auto appraiser now and i've done it for a few years and i find it to be enjoyable for the most part. I think the rail road offer is a new type of job and a new challenge is attractive, but I can't honestly say which one I'd enjoy better at this point.

#1 seems to be the obvious choice given all the details you provided. all the benefits outweigh the larger salary.

That' how i'm leaning

I agree on the on-call, and also am curious about this question.

The on call is the #1 issue I have with offer 2

WFH > 10k

Yea, it's really not that much money when you think about it.

 

[lilfleck]

I like WFH, but everyday? I'd go a little nutty I think. I get cabin fever on the days I do wfh.

That being said, which company has more potential career growth? What about health benefits? These are very important as well. In 5 years, are there going to be more opportunities for you to advance at both companies? This should be your primary concern IMO. You are young and ambitious. You should be growing as fast as possible.

 

[Bender1]

Also - I am on call 24/7. Its not bad but that varies by job of course.

 

[FNR32]

I, personally, couldn't do WFH more than a couple days a month. I like getting face time with executives and being IN a meeting rather than ON a meeting.

Thats just me though.

Neither of these jobs would have me rubbing elbows with execs. Both would sort of be like im on an island. Option 1 would technically be working from home, but i'd basically get my assignments, drive out to work them, then when the work is completed I come back home. There is no office that I work out of. Total autonomy.

With option 2, there is an office here that i'd work out of, but I'd be the only railroad employee in that office, the rest would be attorneys that handle our cases and i'd be working with them--giving direction on how best to defend us against whatever the situation may be.

1) Money doesn't matter if you hate your job. Understand which one draws your attention and passion a lot more. I turned down a 15K increase from another OEM because of its local and general "Fire you at any moment, coporate" mentality.

2) Longevity and growth.

3) Working from home is nice, but you might get cabin fever.

4) DEFINITELY look at your medical benefits (if offered)

Number 1 sounds like a solid choice.

Medical benefits are on par with one another, but slightly more affordable at option 1. I also think that option one would have more opportunity nationwide compared to option 2 since most railroads are regional for the most part.

 

[D Griff]

Bonuses will also be 5-10% more at job one so the pay difference might be pretty small.

 

[Bender1]

2 sounds like more fun to me, but that is just me.

ALL of Grambles' points are critical.

 

[FNR32]

Bonuses will also be 5-10% more at job one so the pay difference might be pretty small.

Absolutely. The money is almost a non issue because they're so close. Considering that with offer two i'd have to buy another car, insure it, maintain it, and put gas in it... I think that eats up the pay difference between quickly.