Leaving permanent job for fixed term

devils_vixen

I’ve worked for current company for almost 10 years. The last couple of years I’ve went through periods of feeling unsettled. The commute is a pain an hour each way however I do get school holidays.
I applied for a new job during period of feeling unsettled and have just had an interview and been successful.
It’s couple of minutes from home but no school holidays. More money each month but it’s only a 2 year fixed term contract. I’m trying to weigh it up. It is in a sector where I would like to work and could possibly open up more career paths. 2 years ago I applied with this sector was successful but unfortunately had to turn it down due to childcare issues. Now kids older life gets easier. I currently don’t get home until after 7pm but this job it would be back of 4pm when I’m home.
Looking for a wee bit of advice - no-one can make up my mind for me but just wondered if anyone has been in a similar situation?

Comms69

As long as you accept there's a pretty good chance you will be looking for a new job in 2 years, why not?

getmore4less

you are trading
a better work life balance for the 39 weeks of school
for
knowing when all your 13 weeks off are go be to not knowing when the 5.6 weeks(or more) are and having to plan/ask/book them

Silvertabby

As long as you accept there's a pretty good chance you will be looking for a new job in 2 years, why not? Posted by Comms69

There's no guarantee that you'll still be in your current job in 2 years time.

ReadingTim

Silvertabby wrote: »

There's no guarantee that you'll still be in your current job in 2 years time.

That also applies to the FTC role, so can be disregarded in terms of weighing up one over the other as it applies equally to both.

The point is that with a permanent role, assuming the company doesn't go under or you're not fired for not being able to do your job, then (generally speaking) the only person who can terminate your employment is you, the employee.

With a fixed term contract however, your contract comes to an end on a specified date, and there's no guarantee that it will be extended. So unlike the permanent role, it can be terminated by the employer, as well as the employee. That is the point

Savvy_Sue

It is worth asking the new company what their long term intentions are: we offer jobs on FTC because sometimes that's all we've got funding for but we fully hope and intend to renew the contract.

ReadingTim

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

It is worth asking the new company what their long term intentions are: we offer jobs on FTC because sometimes that's all we've got funding for but we fully hope and intend to renew the contract.

Sadly hopes and intentions don't pay mortgages...

agrinnall

Silvertabby wrote: »

There's no guarantee that you'll still be in your current job in 2 years time.

While this is true being made redundant from the current job would give the OP 10-12 years of redundancy pay, which isn't the case with the FTC.

Savvy_Sue

ReadingTim wrote: »

Sadly hopes and intentions don't pay mortgages...

Sigh. I know that. But if the company say "it's a fixed term contract because we have a particular job to get done / we anticipate changing the way we work before the contract ends / we don't anticipate extending the contract" then the OP knows where they are, which might help with decision making.

If they say "we always advertise our jobs as FTC but more often than not the contract is extended" that might also help.

It doesn't make anything certain, but it may make it more certain than not asking ...

TELLIT01

There is always the possibility that a FTC with end up being converted into permanent employment, but I don't think even the best employer would want to commit to what might happen 2 years down the road.
How valuable or how much of a frustration is having all your holidays when the schools are off? If you will need to arrange child care for half the holidays that will eat a big chunk of any payrise and reduced travel cost / time.

Always_Alba

In 2006 i left a "job for life" to start a new job that was 30 miles away and doing something i'd never done before. It was also a ftc of 2 years with no guarantee of the job continuing after that date. I took the risk and so began the most satisfying job i will ever do. Fortunately, the funding got rolled every few years and after 9 years, it was my decision to leave.

Changing jobs is always a risk. It's like logs floating down a river, you just have to get on the right one and know when to jump to a better one.

My advice is, if youre ready for a change and you have the support of your family, then go for it.