Got promoted but it means more travel - not sure if it's worth it

1w ago1 min read

Been with this company 6 years and finally got the offer for a senior role I wanted. Problem is it's got about 30% travel, probably 2 weeks a month out of town. My kids are 4 and 6 and I know those are important years. The pay bump would be good for the family financially but I'm wondering if I'm choosing the wrong thing here. My wife is supportive either way but I can see the hesitation on her face. Would appreciate honest thoughts on whether career advancement is worth missing time with young kids.

6 comments163 views

Comments(6)

MMike C.Regular1w ago

I turned down a similar situation two years ago and honestly no regrets. My wife basically said 'more money doesn't help if you're not here' and she was right. The thing is, there'll be other promotions. Your kids' ages where they actually want to spend time with you? That window's limited. Six years with one company means they value you, so they might work with you on travel frequency.

DDanielRegular1w ago

What's the difference in salary? I'm not trying to be harsh but sometimes the math doesn't work out the way they make it sound. Plus if you're traveling that much, are they factoring in the cost of extra childcare or is that your problem to solve? Worth digging into before you decide.

GGary R.Regular1w ago

Big decision man. I've found that the senior roles that require constant travel aren't always worth the trade-off with family time. Ask yourself if you'll regret missing two weeks every month.

MMarcusNew Dad1w ago

The money's nice but you can't get those years back with your kids. I turned down travel-heavy roles for exactly that reason. Maybe see if they'll negotiate the travel percentage before you accept?

TTim B.Regular1w ago

Congrats on the promotion, that's huge. But 2 weeks a month gone is a lot with kids at home. I did 30% travel for a while and honestly I missed too much. What does your gut say about it?

CChristopher M.New Dad1w ago

Big congrats on the promotion offer though. That's legit. But yeah, 20% travel with two kids is a lot. I got offered something similar and the money looked great until I realized I'd miss coaching my son's soccer games half the season. What does your gut tell you when you imagine being gone that much?