Well this is unexpected...
I had a job opportunity fall into my lap while sitting in the grocery store parking lot. An old colleague called. He is retiring and wanted to see if I am interested in taking over his role. I hear this is common in the FIRE/ERE world but I never thought it would happen to me. I mean, it's well established I know nothing about everything, right?! I have given it some thought over the past couple days and have decided to at least look into it. It is simply too good of an opportunity to pass up if I can negotiate the right terms.
The colleague is a veteran in the field and would mentor me closely through the end of the year. I already know most of the players in the field-- but there would be a lot of new areas to learn and gain confidence in. It is a huge opportunity for growth and, if all goes well, a significant salary at the end of the year when I officially take over the position... far more than I made at any point in the past. Of course I know the situation well enough to realize a good amount of stress comes along with it.
The opportunity is in the city and they want the candidate in the office 3x per week however remote work would be acceptable for me, as we already have an established relationship. However, to make the most of his tutelage and build relationships I would want to be in the office with him as much as possible. So this would mean acquiring lodging of some sort in the city. The office is in the urban core which makes housing very challenging and horrifyingly expensive. I would want something withing walking or biking distance because I will NOT commute in that nightmare in a car. That makes it even more difficult. DH kind of freaked out when I discussed this with him as neither of us want to live in the city long term, but ultimately he sees the upside potential.
I will only accept the position if they agree to remote work after I take over the role at the end of the year. After that, I would fly in periodically for key meetings, events and critical tasks. I need to get a better idea of the frequency of this.
More discussions on Monday so I will see how it unfolds. A fun adventure!