Hello everyone, I am struggling with a life decision and curious to read what other people think.
I (25M) am currently employed by a large corporation in a remote engineering role, and I live in a small midwestern US city. This is my first full-time job out of school and I have been in this position for 3 years.
My job has gotten increasingly stressful over the past year due to COVID-related layoffs, and I am currently covering about double the workload that I used to since we haven't filled vacancies on our team.
I am struggling in my personal life. I am not from this city and don't have a strong social group. My fiancee is a student in a major city about 3-4 hours away, and we visit each other for a few weekends each month (we have been in a long-distance relationship for 4+ years). She has a few more years before she expects to graduate. The general lack of human interaction over the past year has added onto my work- and relationship-related stress, and while I am generally an optimistic and relaxed person, I now feel stressed and anxious throughout the entire workday and even in the evenings and on weekends.
The one big perk is that I am financially stable and compensated well; I currently make around $110k/yr, have no debt, and have been able to save and invest a good amount of my income. I do not own any real estate and am currently renting an apartment.
I have asked my company about relocating closer to my fiancee, but they won't have any positions open near her for at least another year.
I've been applying to jobs in my fiancee's city, though there are not many openings in my field; I recently received an offer at a startup that excites me and that I think would suit me well, but I would be taking around a 35% pay cut (down to ~$70k/yr).
I am struggling with whether or not to take the job; I'm very fortunate to not have any current financial burden, but am I making a bad decision by taking such a large pay cut to go to a small company? Is it better to "stick it out" for another year in this job that makes me feel miserable every day, for the chance I could relocate on the company's dime?
I appreciate any insights or guidance that you can offer as I consider my options.
Submitted March 11, 2021 at 07:29PM by fiftyfour40orfight https://ift.tt/3ex6qo3
