Why the hesitation?
Why is it that a new job inevitably leads to change, without as much hesitation as the possibility of a new position at the same company, in a new location? Or even the same position, same company, new location? My mind's been a bit mixed up lately, and I don't know what to do.. Logically, there's the obvious (to me) decision, the obvious (to most everyone else) decision, and the completely idiotic (to everyone, including myself) decision. The third can't happen, but I wish it would.. but won't be discussed here. 4 people know approximately what it's about, and it's hopefully a fleeting desire and it leaves my consciousness soon, because it's annoying as all hell.
The other choices, however, are both possible and important. I'll not say which is obvious to whom and go over both. The decision is, in short, "where will I live next year?"
The company I currently work for has an office in Tokyo. I've wanted to go back to Japan ever since 5 hours before I left, and have accomplished it once (twice in March), but 4 weeks in 5 years is not enough, and I think I want to live there again. I don't know for how long. If I move there, I'm definitely going to a different manager and on a different realm of projects. I think I'd enjoy the work, but I worry about being separated from the mothership - the Tokyo office is rather small for engineering - and what it would mean for my career and advancement within the company. On the flip side, it opens me up to more things.. I get to practice my language skills (I hope, I didn't do much of that the first time I was there), and potentially use that later in life. Who knows?
The other possibility is said company has an office in California. I also want to live on the west coast, and could easily do that. It would mean that I'd probably stay working on the same stuff I am currently (good, because I like my manager and what I do, bad because it's somewhat secluded/specific). It also has negative affect on the career, since the office is, again, not where everyone else is, but it's much much larger engineering than the Tokyo office is, with better communication/time overlap than Tokyo/CT is. I also have a few friends in the area already, I speak the language, and I like California from what I've seen.. which is just slightly more than what I've seen of Tokyo.
I know I want to move. Tokyo or Bay Area California? I can't trust what anyone else suggests though, as everyone I'd take advice from would, I hope, desire me to stay closer so that they could visit more. But realistically, who's going to visit whom, no matter where I live? I suck at keeping up with people, I suck more at planning, and while I have a massive case of wanderlust such that I want to live everywhere (Tokyo and California are certainly not the only two places to eventually have crossed off my list), I don't really enjoy traveling much. I don't mind it, but a vacation to me involves sleeping til 4 and doing work on my own schedule. Were I to live in California, I doubt I'd see anyone/everyone much more than I would were I to live in Tokyo. I count the number of people who'd visit me specifically as very few, those who visit the area as slightly higher in both cases. Traveling to either Japan or California would be, for most, a huge time and money sink that most could not justify; I think the exoticness of Japan would incentivize more people to visit, while the monetary and time outlays would bring them to be about equal.
In the end, the lists of pros and cons in my mind just about balance out, and the decision comes down to planning for the future. I don't plan for the future well at all - I couldn't tell you where I'll be a week from now, let alone have a 5 year plan. I have a list of stuff I want to do, including 'get rich', 'be famous', 'become president', 'live in '. The last one is obtainable right now, and the list includes, quite near the top (as tied for first place), 'Japan' and 'West Coast US'. I have a company willing to let me move to Japan (not that they're going to be paying or anything, just allowing), whereas if 5 years from now I'm for some reason not working here, I can't be guaranteed that wherever I am working will be willing to do the same. I should take advantage of the possibility now, right? It's easier to get a job in California than as an English speaking computer programmer in Japan, so do the less-likely-to-be-offered-again item now, and accomplish whatever I want there, then continue to go through the list, right?
It's silly. When one looks for a new job (or at least, when I was earlier, when I got the job I have now), I didn't consider where I was moving to, it was the job. Were I to be again searching for a new job, the where I am wouldn't matter as much as the what I was doing, to the point that a move to Japan/California/Zimbabwe would probably be accepted with little discussion or consideration (ok, maybe not Zimbabwe.. it's not on the list). Why is less change (I'm staying with the same company) a more difficult decision than a change of everything would be?
For those still wondering - Japan is currently in the lead and is the decision obvious only to myself. California is the obvious one in most other people's minds. The third involves a girl, and there's no way it wouldn't lead to trouble, but emotions suck like that. Also, it's not even really a choice that could be made, as I doubt that she really even pays attention to my existence, let alone my insane desires ;) Oh yeah, and the whole "rawr, relationships suck" that I still believe in, but rather wish I didn't.. for that reason alone, option #3 is not on the table. Thankfully. But yeah, Japan! I wish I could get excited about it, but indecision ruins this. Once I decide firmly enough to declare to the people required, and the course is set, I'll begin to get excited about it, I hope.
Someone make the decision for me, so that I can decide whether or not I like your decision, and then go with what I want. It's like flipping a coin and then going against it because you really wanted the other, except then I get to silently despise you forever for making a horrible life-defining choice for me, and it not being what I wanted. Asshole.
The other choices, however, are both possible and important. I'll not say which is obvious to whom and go over both. The decision is, in short, "where will I live next year?"
The company I currently work for has an office in Tokyo. I've wanted to go back to Japan ever since 5 hours before I left, and have accomplished it once (twice in March), but 4 weeks in 5 years is not enough, and I think I want to live there again. I don't know for how long. If I move there, I'm definitely going to a different manager and on a different realm of projects. I think I'd enjoy the work, but I worry about being separated from the mothership - the Tokyo office is rather small for engineering - and what it would mean for my career and advancement within the company. On the flip side, it opens me up to more things.. I get to practice my language skills (I hope, I didn't do much of that the first time I was there), and potentially use that later in life. Who knows?
The other possibility is said company has an office in California. I also want to live on the west coast, and could easily do that. It would mean that I'd probably stay working on the same stuff I am currently (good, because I like my manager and what I do, bad because it's somewhat secluded/specific). It also has negative affect on the career, since the office is, again, not where everyone else is, but it's much much larger engineering than the Tokyo office is, with better communication/time overlap than Tokyo/CT is. I also have a few friends in the area already, I speak the language, and I like California from what I've seen.. which is just slightly more than what I've seen of Tokyo.
I know I want to move. Tokyo or Bay Area California? I can't trust what anyone else suggests though, as everyone I'd take advice from would, I hope, desire me to stay closer so that they could visit more. But realistically, who's going to visit whom, no matter where I live? I suck at keeping up with people, I suck more at planning, and while I have a massive case of wanderlust such that I want to live everywhere (Tokyo and California are certainly not the only two places to eventually have crossed off my list), I don't really enjoy traveling much. I don't mind it, but a vacation to me involves sleeping til 4 and doing work on my own schedule. Were I to live in California, I doubt I'd see anyone/everyone much more than I would were I to live in Tokyo. I count the number of people who'd visit me specifically as very few, those who visit the area as slightly higher in both cases. Traveling to either Japan or California would be, for most, a huge time and money sink that most could not justify; I think the exoticness of Japan would incentivize more people to visit, while the monetary and time outlays would bring them to be about equal.
In the end, the lists of pros and cons in my mind just about balance out, and the decision comes down to planning for the future. I don't plan for the future well at all - I couldn't tell you where I'll be a week from now, let alone have a 5 year plan. I have a list of stuff I want to do, including 'get rich', 'be famous', 'become president', 'live in '. The last one is obtainable right now, and the list includes, quite near the top (as tied for first place), 'Japan' and 'West Coast US'. I have a company willing to let me move to Japan (not that they're going to be paying or anything, just allowing), whereas if 5 years from now I'm for some reason not working here, I can't be guaranteed that wherever I am working will be willing to do the same. I should take advantage of the possibility now, right? It's easier to get a job in California than as an English speaking computer programmer in Japan, so do the less-likely-to-be-offered-again item now, and accomplish whatever I want there, then continue to go through the list, right?
It's silly. When one looks for a new job (or at least, when I was earlier, when I got the job I have now), I didn't consider where I was moving to, it was the job. Were I to be again searching for a new job, the where I am wouldn't matter as much as the what I was doing, to the point that a move to Japan/California/Zimbabwe would probably be accepted with little discussion or consideration (ok, maybe not Zimbabwe.. it's not on the list). Why is less change (I'm staying with the same company) a more difficult decision than a change of everything would be?
For those still wondering - Japan is currently in the lead and is the decision obvious only to myself. California is the obvious one in most other people's minds. The third involves a girl, and there's no way it wouldn't lead to trouble, but emotions suck like that. Also, it's not even really a choice that could be made, as I doubt that she really even pays attention to my existence, let alone my insane desires ;) Oh yeah, and the whole "rawr, relationships suck" that I still believe in, but rather wish I didn't.. for that reason alone, option #3 is not on the table. Thankfully. But yeah, Japan! I wish I could get excited about it, but indecision ruins this. Once I decide firmly enough to declare to the people required, and the course is set, I'll begin to get excited about it, I hope.
Someone make the decision for me, so that I can decide whether or not I like your decision, and then go with what I want. It's like flipping a coin and then going against it because you really wanted the other, except then I get to silently despise you forever for making a horrible life-defining choice for me, and it not being what I wanted. Asshole.