Further to what Pete O'Hanlon said, I can't tell you what to do and you should take any advice as just that, because everyone's particular situation is different than everyone else's. However, here is what I would do to make a decision: First, list all the pros and cons, which you've got a good start on. Play devil's advocate and think of all the really bad and good ones. Sleep on it and review a few times, so that you don't fall into the trap of deluding yourself. Contact the company and find out if there is any negotiating possible. If not, then maybe they don't really need anyone. If so, be candid and tell them you have a problem with moving and living for such a paltry salary and see what they say. Figure out if there is any way to defray some costs or earn some extra money in the short term to live. Can you rent a small room instead of a flat? Can you moonlight doing other software? You decide if there are additional possibilities. Review your longer term plan. You do have one, I hope! If not, write down a list of objectives you want to accomplish in the next 5, 10, 20, etc years. For each of those, write down what you need to do to get there and then plan what you do to survive and move towards your goals at the same time. Review periodically and change as your desires and progress changes. See how this opportunity fits into your plans. Make a backup plan. Consider the worst case: You don't continue or discover you really hate doing that job everyday, or the company is a terrible place to work. What will you do? What will you have added to your resume? Be objective and make sure you have a backup plan, just in case. Once you've done that, evaluate everything, think it over, sleep on it and the decision will likely be fairly straight forward. The trick is getting all the information, evaluating it objectively, and making sure you aren't deluding yourself in the process.
CQ de W5ALT
Walt Fair, Jr., P. E. Comport Computing Specializing in Technical Engineering Software
