So, I don't really want to give too much away here for varying reasons but I'll do my best.
I'm currently in the Army and my job is working in IT. I don't like the job, because it doesn't challenge me enough. Also, in my cap badge, you don't get promoted for being good at your job, but you get promoted for winning popularity contests and doing 'green' Army stuff outside of work time, which I no longer have any interest in. I've been wanting to leave for around 5 years now, but I was biding my time till my 11 year point, which has now been and gone. The reason for waiting for the 11 year point is that the notice period is 1 year, and after the 12 year point I'd be entitled to a £10k lump sum. However as my 11 year point approached, the SDSR was announced, which threw a spanner into the works.
Due to my rank and years of service, if I were made redundant, I'd be given roughly £65k (£55k payoff, plus £10k for 12 years of service). Obviously this is a lot of money to wait around while staying in a secure job, so I decided to wait for the tranches to come and hope my rank and trade group be selected. Two tranches have been and gone, with another coming at the end of this year. So far, no 'luck' in being on the list, and there's no guarantee I will be at the end of the year, although it looks increasingly likely as everyone around my trade group and rank have thus far been selected.
So I was quite content being in a job I don't enjoy all that much, being paid a relatively decent wage with no immediate worry about being laid off. But then someone I worked with on operations a few years ago sends me a message on Facebook asking for my CV as he's looking for new people. He's the infrastructure manager for a large multinational company and he needs a new head of IT support for UK & NI (in a technical role and not managerial). Things started moving very fast and before I knew it, I was having an interview and I'm now at the stage where I'm having to seriously consider my options as the job looks good, it is challenging and I think I may end up getting offered it. Eek.
It pays around £11k more a year than what I'm on now, and it's a company I'd love to work for and it will allow me to build on my current knowledge. There are also promotion opportunities within the company if I'm good at the job. I know you're thinking about the notice period, so here's the final 'issue'. I can be released within 30 days, but I would forfeit my £10k lump sum, and of course, the outside chance of £65k through redundancy.
So here is my situation, what would you do? Stay in a job you're not overly happy with for the slim chance of netting £65k (tax free) in 12 months or so, or jump ship into a job that looks good, pays more and has better prospects?
I'm currently in the Army and my job is working in IT. I don't like the job, because it doesn't challenge me enough. Also, in my cap badge, you don't get promoted for being good at your job, but you get promoted for winning popularity contests and doing 'green' Army stuff outside of work time, which I no longer have any interest in. I've been wanting to leave for around 5 years now, but I was biding my time till my 11 year point, which has now been and gone. The reason for waiting for the 11 year point is that the notice period is 1 year, and after the 12 year point I'd be entitled to a £10k lump sum. However as my 11 year point approached, the SDSR was announced, which threw a spanner into the works.
Due to my rank and years of service, if I were made redundant, I'd be given roughly £65k (£55k payoff, plus £10k for 12 years of service). Obviously this is a lot of money to wait around while staying in a secure job, so I decided to wait for the tranches to come and hope my rank and trade group be selected. Two tranches have been and gone, with another coming at the end of this year. So far, no 'luck' in being on the list, and there's no guarantee I will be at the end of the year, although it looks increasingly likely as everyone around my trade group and rank have thus far been selected.
So I was quite content being in a job I don't enjoy all that much, being paid a relatively decent wage with no immediate worry about being laid off. But then someone I worked with on operations a few years ago sends me a message on Facebook asking for my CV as he's looking for new people. He's the infrastructure manager for a large multinational company and he needs a new head of IT support for UK & NI (in a technical role and not managerial). Things started moving very fast and before I knew it, I was having an interview and I'm now at the stage where I'm having to seriously consider my options as the job looks good, it is challenging and I think I may end up getting offered it. Eek.
It pays around £11k more a year than what I'm on now, and it's a company I'd love to work for and it will allow me to build on my current knowledge. There are also promotion opportunities within the company if I'm good at the job. I know you're thinking about the notice period, so here's the final 'issue'. I can be released within 30 days, but I would forfeit my £10k lump sum, and of course, the outside chance of £65k through redundancy.
So here is my situation, what would you do? Stay in a job you're not overly happy with for the slim chance of netting £65k (tax free) in 12 months or so, or jump ship into a job that looks good, pays more and has better prospects?
