For neither love or money

[MSDuckmen]

Had a company call me again this morning for the third time offering me a position in a corporation that installs and maintains Cisco Routers/switches and manage a large IT shop.
I have been in the computer field since punch cards and the very idea of taking on another job makes my stomach tighten up. So I gave him the low down of what it would take for me to take the job. This job would require me to move to Portland Oregon.
First the company would have to move me, buy my house and supply a relocation allotment. I told him I would require 8 weeks vacation a year. Full Benefits such as health, retirement, comp time, sick leave, and company vehicle, as well as a key to the executive rest room. The salary would have to start out at 120,000 with a 2% increase per year for the first five years. The contract would have to be for five years or full compensation for the years under five.
(I can retire in 5 now). So I thought that would do just fine to get him off my back. Now they returned my call and asked me if they could fly me up for an interview. Damit!!!!!

[teul2]

No wonder I can't find the IT job I have been looking for.

They all want Dan!!!!!

[DuckyDan]

I think I may find me a good duckhole in Oregon for five years before returning to MS!

[dukbum]

sounds like they called your bluff dan! oregon..... wut da heck is in orgeon? any good huten? any of them gators? moving sticks? i bet they aint go no SWEET ICED TEA

[MSDuckmen]

sounds like they called your bluff dan! oregon..... wut da heck is in orgeon? any good huten? any of them gators? moving sticks? i bet they aint go no SWEET ICED TEA

You got that right...
Nothing but rain and cold all the dang time...

The package I put together for them is a good package for Mississippi but it may be medium to low for Portland. The real problem is that My wife already makes good money here and she would have to find another job up there... No big deal cause Cancer Research is everywhere and people in her field are just as hard to come by.

[RedEyed Duck]

I believe I would hold em' at bay until they could send me on an Oregon duck hunt or two this winter. That will be the true decision maker! However, with 8 weeks vacation you could certainly hit Mississippi during the holidays and Jan. to get in on the good parts of the season! Good luck, and enjoy that looooooooooonnnngggg flight out there.

[DuckyDan]

I'd check out what living expenses would be like, what the avg. salary for that position in that area with your experience is, etc.

Bump your annual raise to 5%. Inflation is usually around 3%, so they'd be less inclined to give you 5.

[Double R 2]

You don't have a damned thinmg to loose. I say go for it and see what they got to offer. Oregon has both ducks and geese and lots of them. 107 day season with 7 mallard limits. Lots of pintail and LOTS of quality public hunting. The watehr's nic this time of year and I hear the coffee's pretty good. Go for it! Good luck! Take their offer and be glad! And remember to send me your forwarding address

[SB]

You're gonna need more vacations days if you plan on hunting 107 days.

[tennduckdog]

Hey Dan,
I could use you to negotiate my next job for me!! If I asked for a week of unpaid vacation they usually laugh and call me unrealistic! hahaha

Bryan.. who thinks Dan needs to write a book about salary and benefit negotiations!

[tupe]

Hate to see you go but I will tell you this, Although Portland is a big city the available types of game and fish within a few hours is stunning. Duck and goose hunting can be stellar and the Willamette valley was the sight of introduction of pheasant inthe US. There are elk, black tial, white tail, bears, grouse, banded pigeons, chuckar, quail then theres the fishing, Salmon, trout, bass, bream, crappie, soul, crab, clams

I lived up in the PNW for a while and yes, it does rain a good bit but man the stuff that is available for sprotsmen is astounding! Plus it just doesn't get that hot. Me, I would rather have cool and rainy than a MS summer any time.

Oh, yeah, I forgot, mountian climbing, white water, sea kyaking, snow skiing, ...Oh man now I want to go back.

Truth is when I can, I will and I hope to settle just west of portland in Astoria OR, where the columbi river meets the pacific ocean. Or maybe further around the coast ina slightly more remote area.

Tupe

[HuntFishGolfer]

Tupe's right - it's a beautiful part of the country with plenty of hunting and fishing - and some pretty good golf, too. The PNW is one of my territories for work and I always enjoy travelling out there. In fact, my company has a sales job open out there and there was some talk about me moving out there. Well, my Louisiana-girl wife let me know pretty quickly that was not an option. Something about family... friends... the south... and me living alone.

Anyway, I wish you luck, whatever you decide. By the way, $120k in Portland roughly corresponds to $100k in MS. The cost of living is definitely higher out there.

[RebelYelp]

here's the main thing, he wouldn't be MSduckmen anymore, he'd be ORduckmen

[Wildfowler]

Pro's/Cons:

Pro's: you'll get to regularly chase other game birds that we only get to dream/read about:

http://www.dfw.state.or.us/ODFWhtml/Reg ... _03-04.htm

Cons: You might not make any new waterfowling friends when they learn of your 3/30 crusades back home. 30 days is nothing to those guys who are used to duck hunting for an entire quarter of a year. I'll bet the thought of that is just staggering.

Seriously, I'm sure you have a tough decision to make. I'll pray that the Lord will guide you.

[Double R 2]

Hope you explained that salary as "mississippi dollars"! According to this link http://www.bankrate.com/overkeyword/movecalc.asp

A $120,000 income in Jackson MS is equivalent to a $140,044 income in Lincoln County OR...will need an increase of 17% to maintain your standard of living.

Good luck and keep us posted.