Job Dilemma

Casdawer

Casdawer

Casdawer

Soldato
Joined
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Hampshire
Morning GD,

I'm in need of unbiased advise.

At the moment I work in a very well known Optician in their IT department. I've been here 3 years and have changed role 3 times and I enjoy the people I work with but my current role doesn't offer me any challenges. However, I've recently decided to go down the Management career path and my Manager is fully backing me on this, offering advise and funding me to do ILM Level 3. The only problem I have with this job is the pay... it's not great at all.

So, a couple of weeks ago my cousin who works at a well known energy provider, tells me that they're looking for some 2nd Line Infrastructure Support people and after reading the role it does sound an interesting role that will both challenge me and help me to learn more technologies. The best thing about this role is the pay and if they offer me the higher end of the possible salary, I could see a 10k payrise. This is great and with me trying to save for a mortgage, this will help a lot! I would then fund ILM myself and do night courses. I've done the 2 interviews and I should hear this week if I was successful.

The problem I face is that I don't know the people whom I might work with and for all I know I could hate the job and the people and I could leave behind a job where I was respected by my team and other teams in IT and where I felt happy (minus the pay of course...)

I've got some people saying take the new job and get more money and I've got other people telling me to stay as there are a lot of opportunities where I am at the moment. I feel no matter what option I take, I'm going to be losing something of significance and and I don't know what to do.

TL;DR Got a potential new job coming up offering me a 10k pay-rise but unsure if I should leave my current employer as I do enjoy working for them.
 
Whenever you move to a different employer you are taking a risk that such things will not pan out quite the way they were. However, in my experience in every place I have ever worked most people are generally friendly, a few become good friends, and without fail every place has "the one" who is a complete and total utter ****. I suspect you will find the same. 10k is most likely a big rise for you and whether you like the job long-term or not will be inconsequential as you will be doing something new and challenging and developing new skills for quite some time. Personally I think go for it - I believe as long as you've thought things through then leaving your comfort zone is good and healthy. If you don't do it now then leaving the comfort zone in the future will be far more difficult and then you will just stagnate and in 20 years you will be that bored you will be at risk of becoming "the one".
 
Ide be inclined to stay put, not because I like the people I work with but because I think it would be a faster, easier route into management, presuming that's where your set on progressing to. Your current employer aren't going to fund your ILM Lvl 3 course just to have you stay put in your current position, there doing it as an investment, that'll bring progression opportunities quicker than doing it yourself via nightschool, and I suspect you won't just get thrown in at the deep end, but eased in via acting as a relief manager at first to gain experience, which to me would be worth its weight in gold in the long run.
 
VoG said:
Ide be inclined to stay put, not because I like the people I work with but because I think it would be a faster, easier route into management, presuming that's where your set on progressing to. Your current employer aren't going to fund your ILM Lvl 3 course just to have you stay put in your current position, there doing it as an investment, that'll bring progression opportunities quicker than doing it yourself via nightschool, and I suspect you won't just get thrown in at the deep end, but eased in via acting as a relief manager at first to gain experience, which to me would be worth its weight in gold in the long run.
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Yeah, this is good advice.

If you want more money, move; if you want to advance your career into management, stay.
 
Only takes a couple of people to leave and suddenly those people you enjoyed working with and put your career on for aren't the same anymore. Those people you enjoy working with also won't help you get a mortgage.
 
Tell the current employer you'll stay if they'll give you a competitive offer. From what you're saying "people asking you to stay" it sounds like you're needed round there.

If they don't, move to the other company. Money matters at the end of the day, £10k isn't to be sniffed at especially if you've no mortgage and wish to get one.

If you don't like the new job then go job hunting again.
 
As a couple of others have said you need to ignore the money and first decide what you actually want to do,

Do you want a management role, or do you want a technical role? If you want the management role you're quickest route is probably going to be where you are now and you could move on after that if you money still isn't good enough.

If you want a technical role, apply for the new job.

Not to be negative but people tend to over think these situations before they've even got a job offer on the table, you might not get an offer. No harm in applying now and you then have time still to make the decision.
 
You sound like you know your stuff, are capable, etc. But 3 years, 3 roles, no challenge. The manager is backing you, that's nice, but backing you because you help the manager, not entirely for your benefit.

If you interview for the energy provider role, you can express your interest in the ILM path. They will most likely be impressed, and maybe even assume the cost on their side. Get a bad vibe from the interview, then don't do it.

You don't know the people? You do know your cousin. How does she/he feel about the company?

In any event, you won't know the people whenever you move jobs. What if you took a fantastic job in another country?

I would recommend that you take the leap, you will lose out on what you know, but what you might gain? Go and do it, don't let it be your last either.


May the force, etc.
 
The problem I face is that I don't know the people whom I might work with and for all I know I could hate the job and the people and I could leave behind a job where I was respected by my team and other teams in IT and where I felt happy (minus the pay of course...)
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That's always the risk you run dude when changing jobs in computing.

Also another factor to consider if that you don't want to be known as a "jumper". If you start this new job and a couple of months down the road you don't like and leave, doesn't look great on your CV.

What I would do dude, if ask to speak to a member of the Infrastructure team. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't let you, if you just said "I want to know more about the challenges" etc etc. Then you could ask one of the team members to ask what the advantages/disadvantages are of working there.

You could also try to levy a pay rise with the company you're already working at, but that can be risky and I've seen it happen before when it's gone badly.
 
Well I did ILM3 in 2011 with hopes/encouragement that it would lead to a more management type role. Alas as of yet that has not materialised at all..

I say go for the change and as mentioned already, say you want to ILM as part of your career path..
 
I think you need to rein it in a bit first champ you're getting carried away with what if's, but from reading your OP you haven't even sent off your CV yet to apply for the job.

First hurdle is applying and getting the new job, then the dilemma starts of if you accept the job or not for the reasons you've stated.
 
I moved to a new company for £8k. Its ace and it looks like I'll get a manager role in a new team, so another £5-8k ish.

It is a very different culture and ways of working here, but I have learnt new methods and new ways of thinking, which isn't a bad thing.
 
anticonscience said:
I think you need to rein it in a bit first champ you're getting carried away with what if's, but from reading your OP you haven't even sent off your CV yet to apply for the job.

First hurdle is applying and getting the new job, then the dilemma starts of if you accept the job or not for the reasons you've stated.
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I've applied for it and had both my interviews so I'll be finding out this week if I'm successful or not.

I'm currently leaning on staying purely because this company has always delivered on it's promises and the culture here is the best I've ever seen.

The pay is really the only thing that is pulling me to the new role (plus it saves me 30 miles per day driving; 600 miles per month!).

I suppose if I leave I'd feel guilty for 'abandoning' the team and I'd let down my Manager as he's really interested in helping me with my Management progression.
 
I still think you're looking at this from the wrong perspective...

Do you want a management role, or do you want a technical role?

If you want the management role you're quickest route is probably going to be where you are now and you could move on after that if you money still isn't good enough.

If you want a technical role, take the new job (if you're offered it).
 
As others have said do you actually want to move into the paper shuffling politics filled world of management or did you just jump at the chance because they offered and it seemed like the only way to progress while staying with your current company.
 
Saves you 600miles per year? and pays 10k more? errm

Go for it.
Thats 15 gallons a month saved which is £88 a month in fuel.
A grand saved, along with what else ur car needs to run and the like.

i would do it 100%
 
This time last year I moved to a new job with a similar pay increase and 11 months later I moved into my first house. Very much worth moving imo.
 
Wink said:
I still think you're looking at this from the wrong perspective...

Do you want a management role, or do you want a technical role?

If you want the management role you're quickest route is probably going to be where you are now and you could move on after that if you money still isn't good enough.

If you want a technical role, take the new job (if you're offered it).
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Management is the route I want to take and I too believe that staying here would be the quickest way to get on to that career path.

tom_e said:
As others have said do you actually want to move into the paper shuffling politics filled world of management or did you just jump at the chance because they offered and it seemed like the only way to progress while staying with your current company.
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I decided that I wanted to do Management and I spoke to my Manager about it and he's backing me on it and is willing to help me get there.

Diagro said:
Saves you 600miles per year? and pays 10k more? errm

Go for it.
Thats 15 gallons a month saved which is £88 a month in fuel.
A grand saved, along with what else ur car needs to run and the like.

i would do it 100%
Click to expand...

600 miles per month! So 7200 miles saved per year!
 
Then stick where you are if they're willing to put the time, effort and capital into getting you into a management position.
No point in being blinded by the cash if it means moving away from what you actually want to do.
 
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