Is This Job Worth It? Taking a Higher Paying Job with Higher Costs?

steampowered

There is no "right answer" to these questions.

At the end of the day you have to take your best guess as to where you would like to be in 5 years time, and go with your gut.

The cost of living in San Fran is absolutely ridiculous but could open doors elsewhere in the US, if you fancied a move over to the states.

At the end of the day - if you moved over to San Fran and decided that you hated it - you could always come back in a year's time, as long as you keep some savings to tide you over between jobs if necessary.

Doshwaster

annetheman wrote: »

If it helps, the company in the USA is Genentech. I don't wish to say the name of the small company because stay safe on the webs.

Well, there are countless small biotechs in the SF Bay area.

I'm sure you know how the sector works - that 12 person small company could be the next "big thing" and your share options will be worth a fortune when the business is eventually bought by one of the big boys (and knowing your luck it will be Genentech). At smaller firms there is the opportunity to rise up the ranks much quicker but there is no hiding place.

On the other hand, small biotechs go out of business all of the time once they have burned through their VC money and have no pipeline worth anything.

So, joining a small company is going to be a bigger risk than a nice safe, but maybe boring, corporate job with a FTSE 100/NASDAQ firm.

There is also the risk of working in the US on a H1-B visa with virtually no employment rights should you lose your job which you need to research.

I had the opportunity to work in the US earlier in my career but turned it down (there was a girl involved...). I often regret it as it would have been a fantastic experience and it it had all gone wrong then I still had my British Passport to fall back on.

Anthony673

No point thinking too far into the future since there are too many what-ifs that could easily change the outcome. What do you want right now, is the salary satisfactory? Would it make you happy right now?