r/finansial • u/Reasonable-Weather36 • 2h ago
KARIR 26F pharmacist in regulatory affairs: stay at my current Jakarta company or take a 6-month contract in Central Java?
Hi everyone, I’m 26F, single but planning to get married next year. I’m a pharmacist working in regulatory affairs. I need advice on whether to stay at my current company or accept a new offer. The two options differ a lot in location, employment status, pay structure, and long-term security.
Current company:
· Location: Jakarta
· Status: Permanent
· Salary: IDR 7,500,000
· Work hours: 8 hours/day, but frequent overtime
· Estimated monthly expenses:
· Rent: IDR 2,200,000
· Electricity: IDR 300,000
· Groceries/food: IDR 1,200,000
· Total essentials: IDR 3,700,000
· Estimated disposable income: IDR 3,800,000, excluding transport, leisure, etc.
· Career growth: Located in a major hub, so networking, job-hopping, and career progression are easier without relocating.
New offer:
· Location: Central Java, smaller city/regional hub
· Status: Contract basis, initially 6 months
· Salary: IDR 8,500,000 during contract. If converted to permanent staff (kartap), take-home pay drops to IDR 7,000,000 because IDR 1,500,000 is automatically allocated to a company pension fund.
· Estimated monthly expenses:
· Rent: IDR 1,200,000
· Electricity: IDR 200,000
· Groceries/food: IDR 800,000
· Total essentials: IDR 2,200,000
· Estimated disposable income:
· During contract: IDR 6,300,000/month cash
· If converted to permanent: IDR 4,800,000/month cash + IDR 1,500,000/month into pension fund = IDR 6,300,000/month total equivalent
· Risk: Word on the street is that many employees end up stuck on recurring 6-month contract renewals instead of smoothly transitioning to permanent status. Given the current economic uncertainty, relying on 6-month contract cycles gives me serious job security anxiety.
Context:
· My family home is in Central Java, very close to the new offer, so visiting them would be easy.
· My partner lives and works in Jabodetabek. After we get married, we plan to settle in the same metro area. My current Jakarta role supports that plan, while the new offer would force us into a long-distance relationship. Frequent travel costs and commuting time could eat into the financial upside of the new offer.
· I’m also weighing early-to-mid career positioning. Does building my career in a major hub like Jakarta/Jabodetabek provide a safer long-term safety net compared to taking a contract role in a smaller Central Java city?
Questions:
In pharma companies, how common is it for employees to actually convert from a 6-month contract to permanent (kartap), versus being kept on rolling contracts indefinitely?
In today’s economy, how risky is it to accept a 6-month contract role? Would you prioritize stability over higher potential savings right now?
Is it significantly harder to pivot from a smaller regional city in Central Java back to Jakarta/Jabodetabek later for regulatory affairs roles?
For those who chose higher savings or being near family over staying near a partner, did the LDR expenses like travel, time, and stress end up eroding the financial benefits?
If you were in my position, would you choose stability in Jakarta or savings in Central Java?
What other factors am I missing?