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Hi fishes, Need suggestion which one to join PwC India or Infosys YOE 3+ SAP functional Associate consultant role PwC offers me 9 LPA + variable pay Infosys offers total ctc 9.6 LPA
Which is better to join and in terms of WLB, hikes , bonus, Work culture etc..
As I'm shifting frm domain based company into full time consultant firm.
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Which consulting firm has the best 401k match?
I recently joined nagarro.... was on bench for almost a month as I was not getting project as per my skill set. Recently got one project as per my skillset and cleared client interview also.
But during the time, I was also looking outside for good opportunity, I have one with same package from a product based organization.
What should I do now ? If I resign , would Nagarro release me early or I will have to serve complete notice period?
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Chief
Neither! I’d say Chicago because it’s a real city. And it’s beautiful. Much more than SD. Lived there for 20 years but left because of the winters and the crime.
San Diego has a weird vibe. And California is an awful state- yes, it’s beautiful but when you live there you overpay for everything and don’t really get that much.
As someone who surfs 3-5 times a week, I think we can disagree respectfully here, PM1
Hot take but I think SD is wildly overrated. Yeah it’s sunny in the winter but summers get miserably hot. Beaches are nice but how often are you actually going to go? It’s basically a big suburb. It’s slow. For me it’s too conservative and the food scene is mediocre (except for Mexican food). Might be a good place to retire, but that’s really not my vibe.
Chicago is dark and frigid in the winter, but if you can handle it it’s a real city with a lot happening. Summers are amazing; can’t beat that. There are “beaches” to enjoy in the summer. Arts and culture are top notch (SD doesn’t even compare). Each neighborhood is unique whereas in SD everything feels the same. Plus your dollars will go further here; you can buy a bigger AND nicer home in Chicago.
Both cities are family friendly.
Sincerely, a lifelong Californian who spent a 4 years in Chicago and time in both northern/southern CA
D4 that sounds right to me.
San Diego by a mile. I’d choose SD over Chicago even if comp is the same.
Chief
OP - I moved to SD four ago and my comp was around $250K. This is a great place to live and raise family. Yes, it’s expensive here and you would have to make some compromises in terms of home size and type of cars you would drive. You can find a decent 1800-2000 sqft house in good school district suburbs at $800K-$1M.
Chief
Just moved from Chicago to San Diego early last year. 100% San Diego (and surrounding areas)
Chief
Married 1 kid, buying next year. Housing is not cheap here but I feel better about the values than in Chicago
Rising Star
San Diego is like a dreamland - visited there for the first time and am doing everything in my power to move out there permanently. Abundance of things to do outside, good food scene, good looking personable people, laid back European vibe. It’s just perfect
Chief
D3 This isn’t the Oppression Olympics, somebody else having things worse doesn’t absolve lmao. But nice whataboutism.
Seems like it would come down to personal preferences I'm based in LA but currently in Chi for an engagement. Chicago is an awesome city, I could never live here. For me personally, the higher cost of living in California is totally worth the fact that you get to, you know, live in California. That calculation may not be the same for you, but here are some other thoughts:
1. Will the pay gap continue as you progress in your career? (If so, to me, it's a no brainer.)
2. You have two kids - are you planning to pay for two college educations? There are few deals out there better than $8K a year at UC Berkeley, UCLA, or UCSD for in-state residents compared to a comparably ranked education at a private university for $40K+/year.
4. How much do you mind the cold? Do you and your partner have mental health concerns that are affected by the weather? (When I lived in NYC and was going through a period of suboptimal mental health, going 6 months out of the year with no sun was really difficult. Again - this is extremely specific to the individual, some people wouldn't care about this at all.)
3. Are you planning to purchase a home, now or in the future? Real estate prices are obviously lower in Chicago, but in San Diego, your house will probably appreciate much more and serve as an investment in addition to a residence. If you don't need to be close to your office, you can find amazing deals on prices if you're willing to go a little further out from San Diego proper to areas like Encinitas, Carlsbad, Oceanside, etc. San Diego also has excellent school districts and relatively low crime.
5. What is your area of specialization, and where are your clients concentrated? If you're in biotech or tech and work primarily on the West Coast, then San Diego will offer you an easier lifestyle on the travel front.
To be clear - a lot of people live in Chicago and absolutely LOVE it, so there's probably not a wrong answer here. Best of luck to you in the next step of your career.
Higher COL in San Diego but if you’re like me and hate winter, I would take the San Diego offer
We moved from Chicago to LA recently. We had the same income offers. We would've been living more comfortably if we didn't move and stayed in Chicago but we chose to do it for more career growth and opportunity that we couldn't refuse.
I feel the people from the Midwest are a bit nicer and warmer but that's just an observation I have so far. We own a 1800sq townhome in Chicago but our apartment here is around 1100sq for the same price as our mortgage. Our circumstances are a bit different since we only have a 6 month old baby and have some time to think about school.
Personally, we wouldn't have moved if it wasn't for the better career opportunity here because we loved it there. However, I lived in the cold and snow for more than half of my life and I can say that I don't miss being super bundled up to step outside.
Lol I've never thought about that regarding Midwesterners. Interesting!
This should be a black and white decision for you and the spouse because the two cities are total opposites. One is east coast and career focused, resulting in a bit of a conservative slant (finance/consulting vibe), harsh winters, and the other has amazing weather (relatively speaking), laid back vibe, people will wear hoodies to work, etc. Have you been out west? Sunshine and good vibes with plenty of tacos.
If you somewhat enjoy the grind and want to be surrounded by smart, driven coworkers, Chicago is a better fit. If you wish people weren’t so high strung about work and talked about their hobbies more, do SD.
It’s funny because I came from Boston/NY and currently live in Chicago. I feel like it’s so laid back/friendly/relaxed/family oriented. I don’t feel like work is east coast competitive or fast paced at all - which is why I moved out here.
San Diego hands down. Quality of life. Sunsets. Nature. Ocean. Craft beer. Good food. Encinitas- go!
What are you going to do about school in Chicago? Chicago public schools are one of the worst in the nation
Chief
That is so true.
175K in Chicago will go way further for you and your family. Lots of great suburbs to pick from.
Go to the city that you will enjoy the most and flourish career wise. Please see my comment about the difference in two cities. Your kids will grow up and embrace wherever you move to and they will consider that place home. Kids should not be part of the equation because you will be upper middle class either way and the kids will get a good education
Chief
Ooo that’s tough. SD probably
Go to San Diego, that is pretty good $$$ for SD.
Pro
San Diego is beautiful, I'd pick that. On your TC you will still be living comfortably at least
Chicago guy who spent 15 yrs on the east coast.
My Advice:
Go spend a weekend in Chicago right now in the dead of winter. If you HATE the cold/snow then there ya go.
I’d choose San Diego, but only if I were able to live within walking distance of the beach.
My own personal life goal is splitting time between both. Both me and my spouse’s families are in Midwest. Being close to them is a priority for us.
Is tax liability much different between the two? I know IL has high property tax and income tax, but doesn’t CA have low property tax and higher income tax?
CA will obviously have higher COL for things like fuel, housing, food
Chief
It’s actually closer than you might think. Still higher in CA
Should have clarified a few things :
Currently in Chicago and the 175k is my current Comp.
Have family here so moving to SD likely means daycare
Currently own a home and would look to buy if I moved to SD
If you have to start paying for daycare when you move, that 225k is not enough I can PROMISE you that. If 225k in SD balances the scale, you’re taking a big pay cut if you need to add daycare on top of it.
Chief
Chicago
San Diego is basically the only tolerable place in California (Orange County born and raised) but you can’t afford it.
If you have two kids under 4 you are going to be looking for a home in a solid school district. Homes in the good school districts within 40 minutes of the water are going to go for $1.5m minimum, and even those you probably wouldn’t consider because you won’t have much room for growth in them.
Sure you can afford Poway, but that doesn’t have any of the real benefits of San Diego
The inland areas are… fine I guess? People underestimate how hot they can get in the summer without the ocean to moderate temps and how far of a trek it is to get to the beach.
The food scene out there is also fine but nowhere near as solid or diversified as San Diego proper.
Which northern suburbs are you referring to? Because if you mean Del Mar, Solana Beach, Encinitas, Cardiff they are incredibly nice, but they are all going to be outrageously expensive. Anything that gets you in to Torrey Pines high school is going to be $1.6m plus.
These areas are actually substantially nicer than San Diego proper, but it’s where all the money is.
To put this into perspective Bill Gates has a $30m beach home somewhere in Del Mar / Encinitas