SKYEG

Hi all,

So with the relocation to YWG this week and having to pick between job A or B, after much contemplating, reading through your suggestions, talking to everyone I know IRL, budgeting, I decided to go with Job A.

To give you a bit of background if you care, I'm a headhunter/hr consultant(executive search). Got a job right out of school as an account manager/resource manager doing temp stuff and worked myself up to senior/lead within a couple years doing permanent search, and hired/managed a team 10+ years older than me at 24. Starting moving into strategic roles and more on the client consulting side. Got really lucky with getting the opportunity, and the company gave me the resources and training that propelled me into success. I got headhunted away from my first gig, and decided to move on from my second to start my own agency as I couldn't understand how I would bring in $1M in pure gross margin a year and get paid pennies for it. I drank the Corporate Koolaid for 5 years(being sent on paid holidays, lots of travel which I loved, expense accounts, multiple raises a year, wine and dining etc.), and realized it all wasn't worth it. I was working 12-16 hour days, sometimes without a day off for months, and had nothing to show for it. After starting up my own, I ended up getting sued by both former employers and almost went bankrupt due to the non competes I had signed... I have a very sour taste in my mouth about agencies(they are both $25B+ companies, came after me for a measly few hundred thousand). I'm still dealing with this now. It's preventing me from doing what I do, so I've had to look for working for someone else again.

I already had taken Job A(agency) and started to relocate, but a close friend found out about me moving to YWG and reached out to me with job offer B(corporate). The director of talent acquisition gave me an offer after a phone interview. Job B offered much lower pay and terrible bonus but it's with one of the largest companies in Canada, only a 9-5, 3/5 days in office and two days at home. No after hour calls or work, no weekends ever. If I work an hour OT, I take an hour off. If I get the job done in 4 hours out of the 8, I just go home. Speaking with the director of TA, I felt like she couldn't answer my questions as well as I answered hers so growth seemed definitely possible, very quick. I would report into someone out of Vancouver, and be the only person working out of the massive tower as part of this firm so no supervision lol.

Took Job A because I didn't think it was fair to myself to move backwards or wise. This agency is privately owned in Canada, and it seems the executive team actually cares about their team. $1M GM in a year would make a massive impact rather than pennies it meant to the two giants I worked for before, plus I earn 25% of that uncapped(I got nothing at the other two agencies for what I brought in). Really hoping this time it's different, and I get good work life balance. It seems like they encourage it(5 weeks paid holidays, only email required on phone, wellness and volunteer time off programs, "37.5 work week" on offer sheet lol) but being in a senior level consultant position with a focus on expanding MB and eventually opening up an office in SK Q4 2018, I feel like there will be lots of pressure and stress for me to executive and deliver. If I don't like it, I feel like I could always go Job B with any company as long as they don't consider me over qualified. Going from Job B back to A would be much more difficult.

Worst part is I don't even know if I enjoy doing search, business development or HR consulting, but it's all I have done since school so I don't know anything else ugh. It's what I'm good at but I lost my passion after going through such tough times with the lawsuits ongoing. I still figured it was best to be in a senior position where I could move on from and get a decent job in another industry, rather than going entry level and having to explain why I lost motivation/ambition at an early age.

Both job means no travel for work which is what I want, just want to fly for vacation this year. Being in YWG also allows me to hopefully recover financially and mentally, as there's really nothing to do(I did my first 2 years of university there).

Really, really appreciate all your advice. I took it to heart and it was much more helpful than some of my friends that just said "do what you want" lol...

TLDR : I took Job A

24left

@SKYEG
Thanks so much for sharing your background and the decision-making process. Most interesting and of course I'm a bit jealous as I still don't know what i want to be when I grow up.

Wishing you success and a better QOL (quality of life). Hope to see you again soon! Missed you in ICN

capedreamer

Being around your age, I know exactly how you feel. And from speaking to my friends, colleagues, and former classmates, these sentiments are not rare.

In any case, best wishes for the new gig and city!

jc94

pewpew

I'm a bit younger than you, but this definitely resonated with me. I don't feel like it's uncommon not to know what you do when you grow up -- I once knew a senior who said he was still in the process of figuring it out!

capedreamer

RangerNS

There are unquestionably some passionate people out there who do what they love, with a company they love, and clients they love, in an industry they love, and with enough time and money to love the ones they love but I've not met any one who qualifies on all counts.

Get a few of those axis to "tolerable" and a couple to "passionate". Mostly, try to get 0 to "hate".

pewpew

Just to be clear, I meant "old person" when I said senior, not "fourth year university student"

montezume

Finding an apartment in Berlin is 100x harder than finding a job.

Yhztraveller

Here's your chance to find an apartment, and be a TV star!

Do You Want to be on House Hunters International? | Be On HGTV | HGTV

capedreamer

Ah... that makes much more sense.

If you're still looking this time next year, let me know! (I bought a place in Friedrichshain that I'm taking ownership of in Q1 2019.)

pewpew

Ah that's rough man. What're you looking for, i.e. shared or single? Budget? I can keep an eye out if any of my friends post anything on FB
Where were you when I needed you

montezume

Looking for at least a 2 room apartment, at least 50 sqm, for two people. I have schufa / 3 months (canadian income statements) and unlimited work contract. Not too worried about location as long as it's near the ringbahn or other good public transpo links

pewpew

Haha, alright, I doubt that'll pop up amongst my friends (all university students), but if it does, I'll let you know.

In the meantime, let me know when you're here and we can grab some drinks ^

montezume

I am here now lol. Been here about a week. Don't start work until 03.15, so am taking the time to try to get a permanent place for 04.01. Was able to do the Anmeldung at my temporary place though