At almost forty, is it still worth leaving home to change jobs?
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In four months I’ll be 39, and I feel that my physical strength and energy aren’t what they used to be; I no longer have the enthusiasm I had when I first started working. Currently, I work for a state-owned enterprise in an industry related to the petroleum sector, doing technical work. The job presents no challenges for me – I’m an experienced worker with many years of experience in this field. [Sometimes I’m dissatisfied with the various irregularities at work, and I even curse.] My wife works in a different department within the same company; she’s a designer. Our incomes aren’t high, but we manage to get by. We’ve already bought a house and a car. Our daughter is 6 years old now. I think this is probably how life will be for us from now on. Recently, our parent company was designated as a pilot unit for the “Double Hundred Action” reform, so it’s likely that our factory will also undergo restructuring. The policies are still unclear, and things could change rapidly. [There’s talk of employee stock ownership, requiring employees to invest money to become shareholders – essentially trying to create value without any real investment. It seems like another scheme designed to take advantage of people.] The best outcome, I guess, is that things remain as they are. Recently, there was an opportunity to work for a multinational company from the top 500 list in Europe or the United States, in a county town located 700 kilometers away from my current city. The salary would be roughly 1.8 to 2 times what I earn now [the year-end bonus at foreign companies is not certain]. The job involves basic equipment maintenance and management – I would have to repair the equipment myself. A branch manager talked to me and said that my current job aligns well with their key equipment, and he expressed interest in developing my skills [he didn’t specify in which area]. I’m not quite sure what that means; it would be great to have someone who can guide me in my career, but my lack of knowledge about foreign companies makes it difficult for me to understand this statement. I’ve also heard that foreign companies tend to lay off employees who are older and have long years of experience. I wonder if technical personnel in charge of critical equipment might be laid off at the age of 50 due to this practice; I would appreciate some advice from those with experience. At nearly forty years old, with a child about to start elementary school, one would expect to seek stability. However, the management of state-owned enterprises is currently poor; there is conflict between management and frontline staff due to information asymmetry, and there is severe shirking of responsibilities among departments. Everyone ends up doing all the work and suffering as a result, leading to intense internal strife. On top of that, higher-level companies are unscrupulous, paying no attention to the well-being of their subordinate units and only focusing on the executives’ salaries. The various evaluation criteria keep changing constantly. With the enterprise facing restructuring, its prospects are not optimistic. If things go well after the restructuring, it’s likely that the status quo will be maintained, allowing for a comfortable life ； If things don’t improve, it’s hard to imagine – there are hardly any decent job transfer opportunities locally. The foreign company introduced by the headhunter is a U.S.-based giant that serves the chemical industry, providing on-site services and raw materials for chemical plants, most of which are located in chemical industrial parks. If I accept the offer, I can usually return home once a weekend; the high-speed train ride takes four to five hours each way, and the cost for a round trip is around 450 yuan. It’s unlikely that I’ll be able to return home every week – it’s too expensive and tiring. But if the current state-owned enterprises start to struggle in the future, I won’t end up with my whole family in trouble; I can even try to get a position as a supervisor this year. One person should be able to support their entire family. I discussed this matter with my in-laws [I moved here after graduating from university; my wife’s family is also from here]. At first they agreed to follow my lead, but recently they have started to object. They didn’t say outright that I shouldn’t go; instead, they said things like it’s fine where we are. After all, they don’t know the specifics of the situation, so they feel satisfied with their current life. Everyone, please give some advice. Thank you!
Follow what your heart tells you; make yourself happy
We’re in a similar situation; I’m leaving! State-owned enterprises don’t change much; in other words, they can’t starve to death, but they also can’t thrive. If you want stability, just keep it ； If you want to give it a try, go ahead and give it a shot. I hesitated for half a year back and forth, and finally went through the procedures after some time. Going out is stressful; if you’re not in good health, it’s better to stay home. If you’re in good health, why not go out and give it a try. To be honest, sometimes I wonder too: might the end result be that a good hand is ruined by one’s own actions? ； But now I have no way back; I can only move forward! Those who come from state-owned enterprises generally don’t have any technical problems. Each company has its own internal dynamics; if you plan to join such a company, it’s a good idea to ask colleagues for information about the actual situation there. Some companies are calm and peaceful, while others may seem calm on the surface but are not in reality. Be careful when changing jobs! If everything in the other party’s environment is favorable, go for it without hesitation! Let’s chat often when you have time, buddy!
Thank you for your advice. I’ll talk to you privately when I have time. If I leave home, I’ll give up my family; I only return once every two or three weeks. Living alone, without the joys and burdens of a family, I have no choice but to work hard. Yesterday, my mother-in-law told me not to take the kids with me, and my wife can’t quit her job either. It seems I’ll have to stay single until retirement. Is there really no other way? Reply to them tomorrow
"The revenue on the books is basically 1.8 to 2 times the current level, haha. I don’t understand what you mean by that. Has the salary doubled or just doubled once? Now that it’s reached 40, it’s probably time to get promoted and take on a smaller leadership role or something like that One really can’t become a leader; it’s better to live a peaceful life, with a wife and children by one’s side, how comfortable that is. Five eight forty; there aren’t many coins – 5 times, 8 times, 5 jin, 8 jin… What’s the point of jumping around? For just 2 taels, being separated from one’s wife and children and traveling hundreds of miles – it’s utterly not worth it. .
In today’s societal conditions, there are still many people who work away from home. My spouse and I are what’s known as a couple who live apart; I go home once a week, sometimes twice a week if I’m on duty. I don’t think this is a sustainable solution, so I plan to leave by the end of the year. My current employer is part of a state-owned enterprise; as 3# said, it’s not enough to keep one alive, nor is it sufficient to provide a comfortable life. Moreover, the situation at this workplace is quite complicated, and I don’t want to keep wasting time there any longer. I advise the original poster to think it through carefully; in fact, the biggest challenge of working outside is the sadness and loneliness that come from being away from one’s family. If it’s a man in his 40s, he should be even more cautious.
Pre-tax income is 1.8 to 2 times the current level, which means an increase of 0.8 to 1 time; there should be no doubt about that. In our department, there’s an 80% surplus of officials at the moment; it doesn’t really matter whether they work or not. There are many officials in their forties who just stay in their positions waiting to retire. I can’t afford to keep working at my age; I probably don’t have any chances left.
If a company is growing fast and offers enough opportunities for you to develop your skills, there’s no need to change jobs just for the sake of it. However, if the company is declining, with no increase in income and no prospects for improvement, it’s time to consider changing jobs and seeking a new environment. If the current opportunities are good, then it’s worth taking the chance; 39 isn’t an old age for a man. If you don’t go out and see the world, both your horizons and intelligence will decline. There are also negative factors affecting the growth of the next generation
There’s only one child; it’s a change of job, not a change of career. The family doesn’t strongly object to it, but it would be a shame not to take advantage of such good opportunities!!! The world is so big........... Sigh!!!
Change career, change workplace； I currently work in mechanical manufacturing, but I have switched to working on the maintenance of chemical equipment. It’s not important; it’s mainly the significant change in geographical location.
You need to find out what is produced in chemical plants, whether there are any toxic or harmful gases present, and that the working conditions there are likely much worse than what you have now