Job Offer - Looking for some advice

[PCTNN]

I don't have any rent/mortgage payments at the moment. Moved back to my family home due to Covid, so I would get to keep my whole salary.

This piece of information seals the deal: stay in London and live rent-free for as long as your company will allow

[GhostofTarbera]

Don’t even consider mate , it’s Leeds, it’s almost jockland,


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[AnthonyQuinn]

I was due to start a new job in July but it was cancelled due to Covid. Been on the bench 3 months, haven't been able to find a contract gig. Almost every contract gig I've interviewed for has been FTC anyway, which is crummy.

Yesterday, I got offered a permanent job in Leeds after just 1 interview, which really surprised me (as they initially said there would be 3 rounds). Salary wise its £15k less than I was going to get as a permanent in London.

I guess i have a few questions:

1) I've never lived so far up north in Leeds (the furthest "north" I've ever lived is in Cambridge for university lol). Is Leeds a good place to live?

2) Does £15k less than London wages, seem sensible? I did some research and it seems about market rate. However I am planning on asking them for an extra £5k. Once you factor in rent, bills, outgoings, car expenses etc. i'll end up saving barely anything each month.

3)Is the general consensus that the job market is going to continue being this bad until next year? I have seen an encouraging uptick this week, but if Covid spreads like wildfire again, will the job market go down again?

Note - I do have a very large war chest, but as I'm still early in my career (late 20's) I am CV sensitive.

In summary, unsure about taking a permanent job up north on lower wages

Thanks.

Leeds was rated the best city in England to live in in 2017. Friendly people and cheap beer. Also its got an international airport and close to Manchester so well connected. Leeds are back in the Premier League. This is the time to move there. One of my mates moved there and never returned. Got married and settled down.

[aaaajin]

I actually live in Leeds, and recently got a job in London during Covid, and WFH at the moment.

It is definitely a good place, cost of living is reasonable. But if you enjoy London, like you mentioned it is really rural outside city centre, you may feel bored quickly. However if you like outdoor, lots of nice places to go. I enjoy my house is just walkable distance to farm and woodlands. I am at late 20s as well and already bought my first property here, even go back to live in London after covid for work, I can still cover my mortgage here, cause it is cheap comparing to the property in London.

If you move here, pick a place close to your work, generally the transport in the north is worse than London. You mentioned Horsforth, the train in peak time may only have few carriages and runs every 15 mins, and bus here is not convenient and frequent like London neither. Driving during peak time is a nightmare as well, the road network is not that good. But since you don't pay any rent and mortgage, and can WFH, i don't see the reason to move up. I did my last contract in London by travelling weekly and staying in hotels, it was cheaper than renting in London and saved me all the hassle of moving. So if in the future you only need to work in office 2/3 days a week, hotels in Leeds are also much cheaper than London.

It is true people in the north are more friendly and chatty comparing to the capital, but job opportunities are much less here comparing to London. I have friends feel stuck at their jobs, because the thing they do is so niche, and they don't want to move down to London. I think like above mentioned, it is definitely a good place to settle down, and for people like quite, stable life.

[sira]

I actually live in Leeds, and recently got a job in London during Covid, and WFH at the moment.

It is definitely a good place, cost of living is reasonable. But if you enjoy London, like you mentioned it is really rural outside city centre, you may feel bored quickly. However if you like outdoor, lots of nice places to go. I enjoy my house is just walkable distance to farm and woodlands. I am at late 20s as well and already bought my first property here, even go back to live in London after covid for work, I can still cover my mortgage here, cause it is cheap comparing to the property in London.

If you move here, pick a place close to your work, generally the transport in the north is worse than London. You mentioned Horsforth, the train in peak time may only have few carriages and runs every 15 mins, and bus here is not convenient and frequent like London neither. Driving during peak time is a nightmare as well, the road network is not that good. But since you don't pay any rent and mortgage, and can WFH, i don't see the reason to move up. I did my last contract in London by travelling weekly and staying in hotels, it was cheaper than renting in London and saved me all the hassle of moving. So if in the future you only need to work in office 2/3 days a week, hotels in Leeds are also much cheaper than London.

It is true people in the north are more friendly and chatty comparing to the capital, but job opportunities are much less here comparing to London. I have friends feel stuck at their jobs, because the thing they do is so niche, and they don't want to move down to London. I think like above mentioned, it is definitely a good place to settle down, and for people like quite, stable life.

Thanks mate, that's very insightful information - much appreciated. I spoke to the company yesterday and they said that there is no plans to open any UK offices yet and that I can work from any location. They also said that once offices do re-open it will only be 2-3 days a week in the office. I guess it kinda helps soften the blow of a lower salary.

Hard to forecast this pandemic but I reckon we'll all be working from home till at least March/April 2021, as we'll hopefully have some kinda vaccine by then.

[eek]

Thanks mate, that's very insightful information - much appreciated. I spoke to the company yesterday and they said that there is no plans to open any UK offices yet and that I can work from any location. They also said that once offices do re-open it will only be 2-3 days a week in the office. I guess it kinda helps soften the blow of a lower salary.

Hard to forecast this pandemic but I reckon we'll all be working from home till at least March/April 2021, as we'll hopefully have some kinda vaccine by then.

Later than April - it will take 3-6 months for the vaccine to be given to everyone.

[sira]

Later than April - it will take 3-6 months for the vaccine to be given to everyone.

Indeed. I guess some point in 2021, who knows when.

Will be interesting to see if the biggest companies get access the vaccine sooner. Could be a targeted policy which the government may consider.

[PCTNN]

at which point we'll be all waiting for a vaccine for covid-20 therefore working from home until April 2022.

[ladymuck]

Thanks mate, that's very insightful information - much appreciated. I spoke to the company yesterday and they said that there is no plans to open any UK offices yet and that I can work from any location. They also said that once offices do re-open it will only be 2-3 days a week in the office. I guess it kinda helps soften the blow of a lower salary.

Hard to forecast this pandemic but I reckon we'll all be working from home till at least March/April 2021, as we'll hopefully have some kinda vaccine by then.

That sounds good - well worth giving it a try anyway.

[quackhandle]

Dirty Leeds!

Remember, no one ever admits they are wrong if they are from t'Yorkshire!

qh