Here's the scenario. I've been working in an office position for the last 3 years and really hate my job. I don't hate it because it's a 9-5 behind a desk thing, I just don't like the environment/company. It's pretty much a dead end job.

I recently had a very promising set of interviews with a big financial company for an entry level position and I'm quite optimistic about it. It would be office/customer service work and the environment is very appealing compared to my current job. The only negative is I would be taking a pay cut of about $5k a year. I make a modest salary as it is, so it would be an adjustment. My fiance just finished nursing school and will be working full-time so in the big picture, we can afford it.

Well here's the twist. Last night a friend of mine told me he's looking for about 5 guys in his department on a maintenance crew at a large factory. It's a secure position with the same hours (more flexibility), great benefits, and it would actually be an increase in salary from where I'm at now.

I used to work in positions that were hands on in the past and I did enjoy them. There's about a $600 a month difference between both opportunities and the maintenance position would offer overtime and a higher expectation for salary increases over the next 3 years. Basically it's good money.

My concern is this, it's a complete 180 degree turn in career paths. Should I end up not liking it after a few years, then I may have screwed myself as far as getting back into an office environment. I'm in HR right now and do a lot of hiring and know what that would look like to potential employers if I were to ever want to get back into the field. It would be a huge hurdle.

I feel like I have a very big decision to make and I wonder if anyone else here has made a decision to leave the corporate/office environment for something more hands on. Were you happy with the move, do you have regrets?

Any feedback or comments would be appreciated.

Do you have a degree you can fall back on if you decide you want to make a return to corporate America? That's a biggie, employers will take one look at your resume, see a big gap in applicable experience, and wonder why.

If you have the degree, it softens the experience blow a little bit, but employers don't like to see gaps in your resume.

I only have an AA in Science.

See that's what I'm worried about, the gap in applicable experience. I figure making this move would be an all or nothing type of thing that would be hard to go back on. Of course it wouldn't be a big deal if I really loved this maintenance position.

I plan on talking to my friend about it more tonight to get a better idea of the position and what one should expect in it.

The thing about maintenance/factory type positions is that there's really only so far you can go with them. Whereas financial positions, the sky is literally the limit on how far you can go if you're talented and you work hard for the company.

Short-term, the maintenance job looks good because it offers a better opening salary, but long-term the financial job is likely the better opportunity because of the upward mobility factor. I don't know what the job is, but if you can get in on the ground floor with one of the bigger financial houses, get some more education while you learn the ropes (yay tuition reimbursement!), you could be making 5 times your current salary in a few years time.

Food for thought, but it's obviously your decision to make.

Take the maint job and go back to school part time and get your bachelors degree.

you fiance is soon going to be working full time, don't blow the opportunity to gain valuable office experience. Maintenance jobs will always be around as its considered general work and you basically don't need a degree to have that job.

Think long term not shor term, it looks good on paper at the maint. job until you start doing 12 hour shifts and your fiance starts complaining you don't spend time with her anymore.

Yeah, I'm trying to consider the long-term and not get wrapped up in the immediate money.

I might clarify this position is maintenance, but it's a lot of construction. Pipe fitting, welding, electrical. These guys do end up making a lot of money, and my buddy is a supervisor who's raking it in. It's work that I really would enjoy, I'm just nervous about doing a complete 180 with my career path.

I'm an electrician and I haaaaate it!! If you take the maintence job, can I have the office job?

Go for the job with the bigger firm. It seems to have the biggest long term potential and will look good on your resume should you decide to change jobs again in the future. But then again what do I know?

Seriously. Go back to all your crazy "Cal-cu-lus" and "Phy-sics", einstein.

QFT

You should get a job dealing blackjack or poker at Prairie Meadows. They are starting people at like $18/hour right now.

Well here's an update kiddies. I just got off the phone with the financial company and they extended an offer to me...at a higher salary than previously discussed!

They didn't need an answer right away, so I'm going to call them tomorrow and accept the position. I really feel good about this. And if I ever need, I'm sure the maintenance position will still be out there as long as my buddy works there. But I doubt I'll ever need to take him up on it.

I'm freakin' pumped!

sweet. congratulations.

Congrats, man

I hope you get fired and become an even bigger loser than you are right now.

Thanks guys. You too MJ.