Don't Mess with Canada

Don't Mess with Canada

My husband is very technically savvy.  He works with some pretty crazy high-tech computer stuff.  He's naturally gifted with this stuff.  I met him working at a computer company, but my technical prowess is nowhere NEAR what his is.  I am reasonably technical but I never had a computer as a kid and I never really was comfortable with hardware.  My husband is a true geek...a technical guru if you will.

The company where my husband works (and where I used to work before I became disabled with MS) is an American company.  It's incorporated in the US but has 90% of its offices and staff in Canada.  However, in order to be an American corporation, the company had to incorporate in the US...and must maintain a US home office.  So they do...in Texas.  The home office is also where the sales people work from.  The sales engineers are extremely technical but they are also sales people and earn a considerable salary PLUS a considerable commission.

My husband has resisted becoming a sales engineer because he has not wanted to travel but his bosses are now encouraging him to become a sales engineer to move his career forward.  Basically his boss said that he's a very valuable employee and they're afraid they're going to lose him (because my husband is stagnating and looking for new jobs elsewhere).  So to "allow" them to give him the money they feel he is worth, they want to CALL him a sales engineer but keep him as a sort of technical guru who can go onsite to the customers and not only sell but also fix (when necessary) any major deals or problems.

My husband has the unusual gift of being both technical but still socially apt.  He can "shmooze" but also knows everything there is to know inside and out about the software and hardware that the company puts together for their customers.  As a result he is actually PERFECT for a sales engineer role but has resisted because he didn't want the word "sales" on his resume.  He would rather remain "technical".

So today, because my husband didn't express a lot of interest in moving to the home office in Texas, they are now offering him a new option...he may be able to work from Canada and get away with occasional travel in Texas or at worst, having a bachelor pad there and having to stay over maybe for a week or so every couple of months.  More likely he would just telecommute from Canada and only go to Texas when he had to.  Of course he'd still be travelling a lot of the time but it would mean that the dog and I could stay where we are.  I personally don't really want to move to Texas because I don't know anyone there.  I'd be at home alone with my husband travelling all over the US.  That would stink....but if I could stay here...well, that's a whole new offer as far as my husband is concerned.

I hope he takes the new job and triples his salary or more.  It would be really nice to see him get what he so much deserves and have a job that is interesting and exciting.  It would also be nice for us to have some extra money to fix up the house, get a new vehicle and support my budding tattoo career! :)