Quandry

Perhaps I spoke too soon.

He's had time to ruminate a bit...and well, frankly the offer is pretty low. By low, I mean still pretty good but lower than what he made in his last position and not accounting for the increase of cost of living associated with moving to Dream State (20% is the common assumption). And, the position is about an hour of commuting each way. And, the benefits aren't as good as he'd hoped...

So it's a quandary. Take a job that objectively you'd love (or at least like a lot), but that you feel like you're being screwed based on the pay, benefits, and commute...

Sadly, based on the literature, this is a recipe for disaster.

PC is debating the pros and cons of negotiating a higher rate (worrying that it will sour their relationship before he even walks in the door), accepting it but knowing this will set his income trajectory in Dream State and possibly the rest of his career and has already soured HIS relationship with them before he walks in the door, and knowing that he has no other offers on the table so he's got no fall back plan if he doesn't take the job. 

I know that I don't know what to recommend. I see all those same pros and cons...all of which have consequences...and I don't know what I'd pick either.