Feeling guilty about leaving a job

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I'd been looking for work for about a year after leaving my old job in a restaurant due to the management taking the p**s, and have been waiting for a job at my dads work in the railway to come up since before then, although i'm also really trying to get a job at royal mail (worked there doing 2 different jobs over 2 christmases and loved it).

Basically i got my old job back about a week ago (I start this monday) after applying again due to it being under new management, and some of the people still there who worked there when i did says its great now, but my dad said earlier today that theres finally a vacancy at the railway now too :/

I really doubt i'm going to apply for it because my old work was good enough to give me a job again, the people i used to work with are looking forward to me coming back and gave me good references too. It would just feel like theyre giving me a hand and i kick them away becuase something betters turned up.

Has anyone else had this problem, or think they would if they were in the situation? Am i stupid for not applying for this job?

My plan at the moment is to keep at this job for a few months and save up for my driving license, there are always jobs at royalmail involving minimal driving going that i cant apply for at the moment, plenty of other jobs open up with a license too.

I think you may be best to keep your job, unless you're 100% guaranteed the railway opening. If your old job has to give you a reference, well, it might not be pretty.

Alternatively, you could always apply for the railway job and then ask the restaurant if they can change your hours because you now *need* to work 2 jobs... they may fire you, but at least you wouldn't have to make the decision.

My best advice.

1. Take whatever option offers you the best options for the future. Note that more money does not = better in every case.

2. Never leave one job for another without a firm offer, preferably in writing (which should be the case with many formal hiring processes, but not always), from your new employer.

3. While you never want to advertise that you plan to move on lest it cost you opportunity where you are at, work hard and if accept an offer elsewhere, at least arrange the new employer to allow you 2 weeks to give notice to your current employer so that you aren't just leaving overnight. Resign simply because you were offered a better opportunity and apologize for any inconvenience (employers know they can't expect you to stay if you get offered something really better than what they are offering you).

4. Don't let yourself feel guilty. Nobody is going to look out for you except for you. You have to make choices that best benefit your long-term interests.

i wont be guaranteed the opening but my dad works there so that helps, and my hours are full time at the restaurant so if i worked 2 jobs i'd be doing the same hours anyway :/

the railway has better future options becuase theres so much i could get into there, whereas the restaurant basically has either chef or manager. I read more into the railway application and i'm pretty sure that they wont contact the restaurant for a reference unless i get into the interview stage anyway so i think i should go for it. I really doubt theyd fire me for applying for another job, peopel do it all the time, so its just the guilt i'm going to suck up. Best case scenarios are either i dont even get an interview or (much better) i get an interview and get the job.
thanks alot for the advice.

1. You are "guaranteed" the job once a firm offer is extended. Until then, nothing is certain. I should have been more clear about what I said. I like real job offers in writing only because if you quit your job then show and are told that the job is no longer open, they can be liable (US law) because you left your employment based on their promise of employment. In other words, don't leave what you have until you know you've been offered a job you want to accept.

2. If you put in for any job, you can indicate (again, how it's done here in the US) that you do not want them contacting your current employer. This should not be an issue because all you need to say (honestly) is that you don't want your current employer knowing you are looking for another job. If they feel a need to talk to your current supervisor, say it's only permissible IF they have pretty much decided they want to extend you an offer and they figure the job contact will be little more than a formality. Keep in mind, if working for something like the railroad is like it's here in the US, I expect they must talk to all employers you've had more out of a security concern than just checking your employment references.