A Major work decision to make

[lumberjim]

hi.

I got a call the other day from a guy that used to work in finance here when i was the sales manager, offering me an interview with a strong reccomendation for a job doing finance at the store he now works at. ( in NJ) They sell about 2 1/2 times as many cars as we do each month, but there are 2 1/2 finance guys. he mentioned a figure that is more than 150% of what i'm making now.

The downside is that the store is twice as far away as my current 40 minute ride. They also work more hours because they are so busy. He got out at 10pm on Saturday. I got out at 5pm. They sold 28 cars, we sold 6.

I could use the dough, and this place has been slipping of late. I'm well liked and respected here. been here for 6 years. like everyone........guh.

I'm going to go see him tomorrow night and interview, I guess. Everyone I talk to about it says hell no.....it's not worth it.

I keep thinking about all that money, and that i already work shitty hours, get home after my kids are in bed most nights, so what's the difference?... AND i'm not making enough $$. Every year of my working life, I've been able to make more than the previous year. This year should break the streak.

a lot of it depends on what I see in the interview........

i'm buggin.

[lookout123]

i've been in the car biz before - my theory is that if you find a store that doesn't make you want to eat a bullet ride that puppy for all it's worth. that being said though, you would be afool not to take the interview. at least check the joint out.
the hardest thing about that business is the hours away from family. there were times i wasn't home before 1am, just to get a couple of mini's. if it means more time away from the fam - is it worth it? i'm assuming moving closer is not something you are considering? you said that you aren't making enough$$. in the end i guess the answer lies in a) are you truly not making enough money? or b) are you just not making as much as you'd like?

i think you'll know after the interview. listen to what they've got and spend some time talking to the guys who've been there for awhile. the floor salesmen are always willing to dish the negative side of the store.

good luck and keep me posted.

[Undertoad]

I vote no f-ing way. I worked 6 months going to a place 2 hours away. Every morning when I got in the car, my soul was sucked away. It was horrible. And I swear, any extra money I made during that period went right to stuff I bought justifying it because I thought it would improve my crappy life.

And I bet this place is more than an extra 40 minutes. Most places are.

See, I bet you could just get a 20% raise just by putting yourself out in front of all the big dealerships that are closer and where there's been a lot of development for new customers. I bet they have people they would like to get rid of in favor of someone intelligent and if you put yourself in front of them they would go for it.

[Carbonated_Brains]

Be sure to tell them you had your tubes tied and you wont be taking any maternity leave.

[SouthOfNoNorth]

i'm new here, and still a relatively young punk, but for my two cents worth i'd say definitely no.

i used to work a job that was an hour and fifteen minute commute. it was awful. i spent all my free time worrying about my free time, effectively making it impossible to enjoy it. to top it off, it made me the most angry, agressive driver ever. the gas prices right now even make it worse.

everyone says this, and sometimes it's hard to see the truth of it, but nothing is more important and valuable than your time, for yourself and with your family. over 150% sounds like a lot of money, i'll admit, but i'd say unless there is something specific you are trying to put cash away for (something big, and life-altering) it's not worth it. longer commute + longer hours + higher pressure work environment? no way. i'd definitely vote to try and find something different closer to where you are right now. one positive thing generated by this, though, is that this opportunity will get you thinking about change. change almost always has some good facet to it.

[lumberjim]

i had considered that. there are a couple of big stores closer....i should have been looking at that already.....this is a timing thing, i guess.....this is an opportunity right now. Bank reps tend to network for guys that want to move, or dealers that are looking to replace someone. Finance people don't move around nearly as much as salesmen or even salesmanagers, so openings are less frequent. then all of the sudden, there will be a shakeup, and a lot of people move to different stores....kind of like musical chairs.

i wasnt even thinking seriously about leaving here, but now.......every stupid thing that happened today grated a little worse.

it's in Cherry Hill, NJ...I've never been there. I would be fighting traffic each morning on the way in. That is one of the major cons......

this is brutal.

[lookout123]

hey LJ - out of curiosity is this a local dealership or part of one of the big boys? for that matter, are you with one of the big chains now?

reason i ask is that, for me, i would rather cut my left nut off with a pocket knife than work for Tex Earnheardt or either of the Larry's. maybe it is different there, but those places are full of the bad Juju

[Elspode]

You didn't mention (I don't think) if you had ever been in the finance end of the business before. If this is a surefire opening to the finance end, it might be a smart long term career move. I've known a couple of finance guys in the auto biz, and they did *very* well for themselves.

Paying dues for a major career move is a much bigger deal and far more worth the investment of time than simply changing to a dealership with higher volume. This could be a move that will open many more, and better, doors.

[novice]

What do you think Jinx?

[jinx]

Originally Posted by novice

What do you think Jinx?

I think he should go talk to them.

[Clodfobble]

Ok, I'll play devil's advocate here: I know nothing about your financial situation, but all other things being equal, a 50% raise for my family would mean we could move pretty easily. If that neighborhood is selling that many more cars, does that perhaps mean it's a nice enough neighborhood to live in?

That doesn't, however, take care of the longer-workday issue, for which I have no answer.

[lookout123]

in arizona most of the guys duke it out to get to the sales desk. out this way salesmanager is usually the progression after f&i, but it may be different there.

[Clodfobble]

Hey, look what a brief googling turned up...

http://www.cherryhill-nj.com/

[xoxoxoBruce]

Cherry Hill is a high rent neighborhood. It's also high traffic as is every damn inch 'tween here and there. Maybe 40 minutes on a good day, but they'll be few and far between.
Els, he's finance manager now.
Maybe this new place sells what Jinx really wants to drive.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous "yes."

"Now," said the professor, " I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things-your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions-things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car. The sand is everything else-the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you. Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your partner out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal."

Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand."

Watch your prorities Jim, it's easy to fuck up. Believe me.

[Beestie]

It seems to me that you already know in your gut that you don't want to do this. Ultimately, let your gut decide and not your checkbook or visions of zero balances on all the credit cards or [insert short-term financial goal here].

So: Take the interview. Talk to jinx. Think it over. Make the call.

If nothing else, there might be room for your current employer to sweeten your current deal.

My experience with high-paying positions is that they want too much in return. Don't undervalue what you have to give up to get it. Insert Bruce's post here. Money ain't everything. Then again, if its easy then take it.

Last thought. What would your kids tell you to do? Once you make the decision, will you look forward to telling them or be anxious about telling them?