Actually....having some relatives up in that area...I gotta agree that Bartlesville aint really that bad...it aint Houston thats for sure...but it isnt as bad as you would expect out of OK. Best of luck on your decision...btw...Ill take the job you are leaving behind...hook me up bro...
Some where some Yankees having a good laugh about Texans saying how boring OK would be . But in all seriousness, I think I would take the job. Working for a big company always looks good on your resume I think. But I haven't offically enter the work force yet so what would I know
18K will buy a lot of plane tickets home. And really for most work weeks if you have satellite TV, your just gonna be at work or going to bed or getting up anyway. $400 bucks round trip, 12K, thats like 30 weekends in Houston for you and the wifey if you have a place to stay. At your age , at that much money, I think you have to reluctantly go and let the company know you'd like to get back to Houston if at all possible. Good jobs are hard to find and you won't be there that long I bet, unless it turns out you like it.
Tough call, but to me quality of life and happiness beats money and career advancement. Sounds like you're very happy in Houston. It would take more than a move up to a strange and unappealing town for me to leave friends, family and a town I loved living in. And that's from someone who's not afraid of moving (I've lived in four states in the last two years.) What does your wife say about the whole thing?
Well, unfortunately, I can't help you on the job front. I thought it might be Conoco-Phillips - when I was working for Schlumberger I knew a lot of people who used to work on the IT contract we used to have to support Conoco up there. (Before the Phillips merger and the decision to do all IT in-house anyway) Anyway, I just called up a buddy who was up there for a while and he said that it was really quiet - the kind of place where Wal-Mart is a happening joint. Apparently there are a few restaurants and a couple of clubs. I'd recommend two things: 1. use Google maps to check the place out (maps.google.com). You can type in stuff like "golf courses near bartlesville, ok" 2. Try and find another job, but if you can't and you have to move, make damn sure your wife is ok with it. I don't know what she does, but she could have a tough time finding work in a town that size.
Yeah, I've been up there 4 or 5 times. What I'm most worried about really is leaving friends and family. And just getting up there and being completlely bored out of my mind. Sure I would know some of my co-workers, but most of them are older and have kids. Me and the wife are fairly young and it doesn't look like we're going to have kids anytime in the near future. The few times I've been up there I just haven't been impressed. I think they got a Chili's a few years ago and that is the hot spot in town these days. Hell, I even went up to the local sports bar (Hoops) on the night of a Rockets game, and they didn't have NBA league pass! This poll is almost a dead heat.....you guys are just as indecisive as I am!
Well, I certainly agree with B'ville being a dull place -- it pretty much is, especially compared to Houston. Now, I think visiting there definitely shows you the dullness of the town (I think that TV station where they sell stuff on air shut down recently -- . But living there is better than visiting. I think it's a great family town. Seriously, if you had kids, or were anticipating having kids soon, it'd be a perfect move. But like you said, it's an older person's town. Several years ago, I heard that it was ranked the best city in the country for the elderly . . . I'll post more soon. I think, if I were given the option, I would move there, but because I've spent SO much time there, I have a soft spot for Bartlesville. Do they still run the "limo" service between Bartlesville and Tulsa? I know they used to, but I seem to recall my father saying it was stopped. It used to be a stretch Suburban that fit like twenty people, and they'd go back and forth from Philips to the Tulsa airport several times a day. If so, you could live in Tulsa and just get a ride in every day.
I moved away from Houston for work-related reasons figuring, I can always move back. And it was for a place way the hell better than Oklahoma. That was almost 15 years ago and not a day goes by that I don't regret it. Stay home.
I think you could easily settle down in OK, making new friends and enjoying a peaceful life. Small cities are especially good if you want to raise a family, and in time your wife will find another job. Alternatively, you can try to find a new job in Houston. The job market looks better this year. With your experience, it should not be hard to land a permanent job in another big company. Screw the contract company I live in Madison, WI for almost six years and really enjoy my life in this cold and small Midwest city. Unfortunately, I have to move to central New Jersey for my first job this June.
i say move. especially if your company hasn't given you a raise in 4 years. if you don't like it you can always try finding another job keeping in mind that how much you make at your next job is determined by how much you make at your current job. however there are so many factors to consider. i say follow your gut.
Ask them if you can live in Houston, but take the corporate jet to work and back home every day. If you get stuck there, just stay in a hotel.
Don't be enslaved by your work. If you know you're not gonna move up if you stay, now's a good time to inquire elsewhere. It'll happen sooner or later if you stay. If things aren't bad as they are where you live, why mess with a good thing? Just for a nicer car or a larger tv?
What offers you the better career perspective (moving up, etc.)? Have you ever considered getting an MBA? Getting more money in the short term does not necessarily mean that you will earn more in three or five years.
$15,000 extra a year...assuming you save your raise (like smart savers do)...translates to $535,788.44 extra savings after 20 years at a modest 5% return a year. That is not compounding future raises upon the $15,000. This is a quick a dirty look at $15,000 a year extra in savings over 20 years at 5% a year. It would be about $213,000 extra in 10 years. This is using the first year's 15,000 as the initial deposit. If you have savings already, it would just compound on that. $18,000 a year extra is $642,946.38 after 20 years. Just something to think about.
Besides the fact that you're young and the crazy pay increase remember this: Oklahoma is like Conroe w/o the humidity, if you like Conroe you'll like Oklahoma.
