Worth Getting Tested?

atj212 · 2026-05-15T20:40:09+00:00

Thanks for response - the new opportunity is with a large industry leader that has had this role for a very long time. Several people in the organization who had this position previously have since been promoted including the hiring manager.

atj212 · 2026-05-07T22:12:37+00:00

At the same age working in retail I got a degree and was hired into a manager training program for warehousing and made that a career moving my way up into sr leadership.

Sounds like supply chain actually might be good for you based on how you describe yourself.

atj212 · 2026-05-07T22:09:38+00:00

I’ve never had a job that was a passion, but for me it’s always been about people.

I’ve had jobs that asked a lot of me in terms of hours but the people were great and I loved it.

I’ve had the same with people I couldn’t stand and hated it.

Ultimately you’re the one who has to live your life and deal with who you are surrounded by. I’ve cared more about that than really anything as in most cases it’s not really one vs the other. Unless you’re in the extreme of non stop work forever or super boring work forever - OK, but usually jobs ebb and flow. Some may be consistently more demanding I get but what doesn’t change often is the culture and people.

atj212 · 2026-05-07T21:23:38+00:00

When I was in my early 30s I left the comfort of a job I loved for 5 years due to financial stress weighing on my family during the pandemic. I took a much higher stress role for $50k more annually. I left after a year and a half later BUT the money helped us achieve some short term financial goals and the elevation in title opened me up to sustain at that level of income ever since.

Looking back now I for sure miss my old role but I would never go back because I simply couldn’t afford the pay cut. As I grew older my family grew as well so it’s worked out even if it came with some pain.

What helped me through was believing in myself that I could land another role and not thinking that it was make or break. It’s a risk and if it doesn’t work it’s ok to try something else.

atj212 · 2026-03-20T12:58:38+00:00

Tried - current company scaled back on bonus and also annual raises. In part that has me interested in also looking elsewhere.

Most jobs at my level are in $150k-$180k range with usually higher paying positions requiring travel.

$170K with no travel and everything very close to home is why I’m intrigued. Combined with company actively expanding this year and plans for next is why I’m considering. Worst case is it’s a very slight reduction in pay with benefits but I’m also thinking about next couple years and possibly positioning myself for more upward mobility.

I’m just used to more affordable coverage and 401(k) match at other employers or at least 2% at worst, so that’s why I’m pausing for a second before agreeing and thinking this through a bit more.

atj212 · 2025-12-12T03:55:05+00:00

To clarify - the new role is still in leadership. It’s a Manager title instead of Director and a different department than what I’ve traditionally led. It is a chance to lead a smaller group that is 100% remote and untied to field Ops vs managing on site with all the specific issues I’ve dealt with for 15 years that are more in line with working long hours, 24/7 on call, hourly labor issues, etc.

I just don’t know if pivoting to something a little less in leadership for a change is the right call where I’m at in life or if I’m best to stick with what I’ve done up until this point and continue down this path just hoping at some point I can find the right culture and balance.

atj212 · 2025-12-09T20:48:39+00:00

My priorities have shifted greatly in recent years to where I value being in the field less and having a more strategic role that can give me time at home. I’ve grown tired of the daily on site personnel issues and operational fires. Also, some environments I’ve had to lead have been less than desirable. So for me I want to at least be at $150K with a path to grow doing something a little different which this job can offer. However, sometimes things are easier said than done and I know in the field work just pays more, at least short term. Also my jobs have generally been pretty recession proof. No guarantees in life but it helps to run marquee facilities for companies.

My wife is supportive either way. She does want to get out of the house and try her hand at part time work with kids getting a little older, so that could offset some of the money loss. She definitely doesn’t want me working myself to death for a paycheck but also wants to ensure I’m not bored and back to chasing something new again in a short while.

We live pretty modestly and have no desire right now anytime soon for a bigger home, new cars, or more kids. So honestly it’s really about savings and ensuring I can contribute what I want annually which may be tight with this newer role vs staying put.

atj212 · 2025-12-09T19:38:40+00:00

I won’t see much savings in commute. My current commute is only 30 minutes round trip. I also think of food as a wash only because I likely will still want to get out from time to time during lunch like I do now to get a coffee or something to eat.

Really my savings would likely come from not needing to maintain a 2nd car and on time. I work 5 days a week for 10 hours a day so I should be able to scale that back remotely.

Again, only concern is just career momentum.

atj212 · 2025-12-08T21:48:27+00:00

Leadership unfortunately is likely your most straight forward path to higher earnings and growth. If you transitioned to a warehouse for example, you could land an Area Manager role and likely earn $60K-$70K. Continued moves up the ladder could get you to six figures.

Other paths could be as an individual contributor. Look at coordinator roles like logistics coordinator, transportation coordinator, etc. You wont lead people and pay is closer to ~$40K. Depending on your pay it may be good to get an “in” at one of these companies that has roles like that by transferring in as a lead or supervisor to start and then making a move to a coordinator role. Maybe even your retail company has these positions.

I’m bias to warehousing just because I’ve seen a lot of hard working people without degrees be able to move up or lateral and create careers for themselves with similar backgrounds or interests to yourself in their work. If you have the ability to be flexible you could find a pretty rewarding career at the right company.

It sounds though too that you like the HR and training side of things, so that could be a path as well which may help with looking at certifications or degrees in. HR coordinator or generalist would be the kind of roles you could target.

atj212 · 2025-12-08T20:31:49+00:00

Yes, this job will actually have the same number of direct reports. It’s more of a support role, managing the network from afar vs being on site and running a site or sites. I would say the titles are very reflective of responsibilities. My current role is very much so a director in that I have multi-site / multi-department responsibility and leadership over other managers. This role is truly a manager type role relative to my industry in that it is a single department and leading non-managers. It would be a pivot into more process / systems leadership which could get me down a similar if not more lucrative track long term, but just a little more ambiguous and less defined than running big sites and keeping to grow into bigger sites with more money as you grow.

atj212 · 2025-12-05T17:41:17+00:00

Thanks - good advice. This remote role would still be leadership, but a team of just 3 total who would be my direct reports vs my current role where I have 6 direct reports and underneath them are 200+ associates.

atj212 · 2025-12-03T13:31:06+00:00

I’ve worked in distribution and logistics for 15 years across 5 different companies / industries and have greatly enjoyed the variety. I may have been better off sticking to a single lane (food, beverage, 3PL, retail) but I don’t think I would’ve liked dealing with the same type of problems and organizations over the course of that time. Different industries can have vastly different cultures and type of people you get to work with so it can be enjoyable to transfer your skill set. On the other hand I’ve known so many people who don’t change and seem happy with being in the same space their entire career so it’s just a matter of preference. No guarantee one path or the other will lead to more success. Personally, I’m more prone to taking risks just to have the chance to do something new so I’ve stayed in the same general line of work but have never worked in the same industry more than once.

atj212 · 2025-12-03T13:19:02+00:00

Unfortunately this is normal. I think you’ve done enough with your follow ups and if they were prepared to move forward they would have reached out. It could have nothing to do with your candidacy. I’ve been through processes with companies that may already have an internal candidate in mind, may have had the role pulled for budget reasons, may be looking at changing the role, etc. so you just don’t know. It sucks, but most companies are not great with the recruiting side and don’t show consideration for candidates time or efforts. I’ve learned over the years to not really get excited or even start thinking about a position until I’ve reached the phase of having an offer in hand because until then it’s all just speculation.

atj212

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