job advice please

dilemma · Jan 10 07 01:19

you have the choice of 2 jobs in van, one is public sector job, at 66 000 $ a year from 1 to 9 pm, 4 weeks of vacation.

the other is 68 000 $, will top at 72 000 $, but in the para-public sector. You will get 3 weeks of vacations for the next 8 years, then you'll get a 4th one. Lots of what seems unavoidable overtime that can be exchange for vacation time only (no money). Pension from public sector not transferable also.

Are these considered good jobs in Van?

PS. If you move to Van, you leave behind the same salary as job number 1 but you work 9 to 5.

purelife · Jan 10 07 01:34

Hello.

I don't really know you or your situation. Do you plan to raise a family here in Vancouver? Are you moving from Seattle? If you're planning to raise a family, then I would go with the higher wage and the 9-5 hours instead of the 1-9, but that's just me.

The salary for the second job will give you a somewhat comfortable life in Vancouver. If you're single, you'll be living the luxury life, depending on your assets and how you spend your money. I know that I would live very comfortably making $60Kish.

Buying a house is difficult. But if you have a good downpayment and excellent credit, then you might be able to afford your own home.

Vancouver has a high cost of living. It is expensive and Toronto and Calgary are no different. Finding friendly people are rare in this city as many people tend to keep to themselves. This is my opinion, of course, so take it with a grain of salt.

Outdoor activities are abundant here. If you're a nature lover and an outdoorsy person, then Vancouver is certainly made for you.

I hope this helps. Please do tell us more about yourself because my post was general as I was trying to cover most or all aspects about Vancouver.

P.C. · Jan 10 07 02:03

Is it the same work ?

dilemma · Jan 10 07 02:06

Thanks Purelife, I know about Van weather, people nature and so on, and I'm not from Seattle. I'm only annoyed by the 2 relatively bad choices that have been offered to me. I can not get in any more detail about the jobs, but basically they're both a drawback from what I have now except for the fact that I will finally be in Van, something i'm looking for the last 3 years now.

P.C. · Jan 10 07 02:09

If salary (and all other details) weren't a factor, which job would you enjoy doing the most ?

dilemma · Jan 10 07 02:10

Basically yes, one will be the nearly the same work, the other very similar. One is a drawback for the schedule, the other for vacation and loss of public employee status, which means if I ever get annoyed by my new "day" job and that I decide to go back for the government, I have to apply and do everything again just like anybody. And you know how hard it's to get these kind of job, so I really have to think about it...

dilemma · Jan 10 07 02:12

P.C. wrote:
If salary (and all other details) weren't a factor, which job would you enjoy doing the most ?[/DIV]
I don't know, the day job I assume, but I will lose my pension and my job security.

P.C. · Jan 10 07 02:13

Money is manageable.......minor tweeks in lifestyle can compensate for a lot. Being happy at the end of the day seems more valuable to me.

purelife · Jan 10 07 02:32

It's better to chose a job that you'll feel most happy about. Bring factors such as how the people are, how convenient to and from work will be, how you can advance with pay and the corporate ladder and how flexible the job is. Other than that, go with what your heart feels. Like PC mentioned, money isn't everything.

P.C. · Jan 10 07 03:14

One store bought cup of coffee per work day for a year is $750. ($3 for coffee, for 250 days not including tax)

Lunch twice a week for a year (cheap lunch....$6 no tax no tip) $600.

Already well over half way to sucking up the $2000 wage difference.

Lise · Jan 10 07 03:19

Second option works well but then again you never know in Vancouver. Lifestyle is ever changing (EDIT), not to mention the standard of living.

Don't know if you can afford housing at that amount..... actually, affording a house anywhere in Vancouver area is ridiculous.

dilemma · Jan 10 07 05:19

yeah the real estate is horrible. I prepared myself for commuting from maple ridge to downtown.

Thanks to everyone, I have serious thinking to do.

49er · Jan 10 07 05:24

dilemma wrote:
you have the choice of 2 jobs in van, one is public sector job, at 66 000 $ a year from 1 to 9 pm, 4 weeks of vacation.

the other is 68 000 $, will top at 72 000 $, but in the para-public sector. You will get 3 weeks of vacations for the next 8 years, then you'll get a 4th one. Lots of what seems unavoidable overtime that can be exchange for vacation time only (no money). Pension from public sector not transferable also.

Here are some additional points to consider:

Pay for Job #1 is actually less than $66K if you factor in a premium adjustment for working the swing shift.

Pension not being transferabe - is it that important after once you are vested in the system? You just take retirement from this system in the future.

dilemma · Jan 10 07 05:52

There's actually a ridiculous 10 $ premium a day for job 1.

Thanks for your reply.

P.C. · Jan 10 07 09:35

So what conclusion did you come to ?

I have little knowledge about finance.....in the grand scheme. But on a day to day level, I can work a dollar lak hek. My only contribution to your dilemma, is you have to assess whether this is a financial issue (as the dollar figures are so close) or an issue of which job may bring you greater happiness. (I always have a backdoor approach to cover myself when I'm stumped)

I would definitely choose to do what allowed me a more comfortable lifestyle.....from the point of view of what brought me greater contentment, over a few extra bucks in my pocket. Wasn't it Mark Twain who said, 'a man who enjoys his job will never work a day in his life' (or something like that)