What do I do?

[Bosshog]

Before that I tackled crocodiles and loved it

Given your profile pic, the above quote and your indecision over which job to take one could assume you are motivated by working with animals and not necessarily by money and there is nothing wrong with that.

My point exactly, $100K per annum for 6 months is a $50K contract, if the $50K ranger is not on contract it begins looking more attractive.

However, as Krafty has pointed out make sure you are comparing apples with apples. Is super included or is it over and above the $50 or $100k?

 

[will]

If you've got a job that you enjoy you'll never work a day in your life.

That said, money brings with it "options", and that is (IMHO) worth working for. want to get that imported beer instead of VB - no worries, want go away this weekend or stay home, want to live in the "big" house....... you get the picture.

If it was me i'd be leaning heavily towards the one with more in it for me. and if job satisfaction is worth more than $50,000 then it's a pretty easy call.

 

[Dave]

I am lucky in some ways.

My job, I can work when I want, its good money and I usually enjoy it.

Just dont enjoy putting up with other peoples sloppy work.

Do the job that you will enjoy.

 

[superiorcruiser]

No kids but definately planned in the next 18 months, I'm staring to think the ranger position is the right choice. I may nit have all the toys in the world but I will have a smile on my face.

you have to be sure the 50K will pay for all your needs when/if you are the only bread winner or the smile will dissapear when all the bills roll in.
every one would love the rangers job,but happiness alone doesnt pay the bills.
good luck with whatever you decide.

 

[pup125]

A ranger job up here in NQ for $50k tackling Crocodile,s sounds ok if thats all your going to expect,, but there are a lot more things that happen up here than just wildlife, and are a lot nastier, i rekon $50k wouldn,t cover my life for that

 

[digbyj]

Hey alphabet,
I presume there's gonna be room to move up in the rangers position at some point?
I changed careers a few years ago to shit money, I've worked hard and studied and am starting to get somewhere now... I'm still below 50 but next promo will put me above. Have found it tough with mortgage and all that blah blah but am looking at the big picture and will be where I wanna be in a couple more years. Until then I just use bricks to body lift my nav!! Haha. Nah but I'm learning heaps about my nav doing everything myself.
That's one way of looking at it but Jesus, 100k would be nice!!
The mines might be a good experience and you enjoy it and it leads somewhere so who F'N knows... shit, I've been no help really!!
Good luck!

 

[ST-R]

Go the rangers position. It is a rare opportunity and you may never be offered it again. it will be secure, good superannuation and good work/life balance. You can climb to a senior ranger position in due course.

Regards
Greg

 

[navarian]

Work 20 years in the mines,then buy a wildlife park.

 

[Bosshog]

Work 20 years in the mines,then buy a wildlife park.

I understand Australia Zoo could be purchased relatively cheaply at the moment

 

[Leprechaun]

I wouldn't work at a mine for 100K, no where near enough IMO.

Take the Rangers job, and give us access to all the good tracks!

 

[heata]

No kids but definately planned in the next 18 months, I'm staring to think the ranger position is the right choice. I may nit have all the toys in the world but I will have a smile on my face.

Mate, my kids (5 & 6) dont want expensive toys. They want to wrestle with you, they want to ride bikes with you, they want to build sandcastles, they want to go camping with you etc etc. I don't know much about mine work, but if its a week away a week home, It wouldn't work for me. But as others have said its a call only you can make.

 

[terryc]

How far out of Cairns is the rangers job? It has been a few decades, but Cairns was the last of the cheap food at the time. Elsewhere it cost a bit more

+1 on your time is more important to kids than toys.

Also heard a few horror stories of families affected by the mining one week off and one week on. Worst is they will have their routine and you won't see that much of them when you are off.

But $50K/6mont contract looses out to $50pa for a long time in my books. Also, keep in mind that you are going to be making the government very rich in tax.

 

[KraftyPg]

Worst is they will have their routine and you won't see that much of them when you are off.

You'll also have your own routine which your body forces you to do that may not fit into their routine. I can vouch for that, I was never a FIFO worker but after 5 years of delivering bread from 10pm to 10am 6 nights a week and many hours behind the wheels of trucks since I left school my sleeping habits are screwed. I can fall asleep at any time and sleep for as little as 15 mins or as long as 4 hours, but no matter how hard I've tried to change my routine again since the last stint of night shift I just can't do it and I am now lucky to manage 4 hours sleep a night. It's part of the reason I end up going back to truck driving every few years, if I'm going to be awake at that hour of the night some bugger may as well pay me to do it.

FIFO is obviously a different routine to mine as most people possibly work day shift hours but you still get into a routine and sometimes that routine is a family killer as well as a personal time killer. But surely you've made your decision on this by now.

 

[alphabet]

Time is ticking and I must decide.... The government job sounds awesome but the wife does not want to go....can't find a job up there for herself and it's going to be real tight with cash! I know the mine is difficult but I go away for work on a weekly basis now so tha is no different but the money is close to double.... I think either way I'm going to be disappointed!

 

[goldyz]

There in lies your answer, Happy wife, happy life.

Good luck

 

[Dave]

Id chase the money.

Go the mines.

 

[Old.Tony]

If you're already living the life that you would in the mining job AND your wife can't get a job up where your ranger job would be then your decision is already made for you.

The mining job might open other well-paid doors for you too - I wish you luck!

 

[Biscuits]

I would be taking the ranger job. It won't be 50k forever, being ex-government myself i'd imagine that is a starting wage, as you stay longer and get more quals your pay will increase, most governement work is tiered. Government work is more certain than random mine work. Money isn't everything, no point having a wife if you never see her.

The advantage i see with the ranger job is, better home life and eventually you can transfer to another place. Mines are where the minerals are, usually in the middle of nowhere.

 

[mitch92]

Ranger....

 

[superiorcruiser]

There in lies your answer, Happy wife, happy life.

Good luck

the biggest reason couples argue is MONEY related....
get as much as you can or it will affect you both...
go to the mines....