New opportunity should I take it?

[thedazman67]

This is the first time I've taken to the internet to seek advice on a potential job move.

Lets begin, so I am currently a Software Engineering Team Lead i've been at my current employer for about 10 months now.

Nothing wrong with the job it's pretty easy majority of the time, my role is about 50/50 split between hands on development the other is leading/mentoring a team spread across two agile delivery squads.

I've always been a developer primarily focused on web development for my entire career. I enjoy working with developers and being close to the code, naturally as i've progressed in my career i've been writing less code which is to be expected but I still write a fair bit. I do find myself a bit bored in my role and it doesn't really challenge me mentally anymore.

So we all know how it is with LinkedIn developers generally get inundated multiple times a day with opportunities from recruiters, I generally take no more than a passing glance at them.

One however popped up recently, it took my attention firstly because its where my fiancee works and secondly this place is a 10 minute drive from my house.

So I've gone through the process nailed the interview for a Technical Lead position and been offered the job. It's a 5k pay rise, better pension scheme, better commute, a bonus scheme up to 20% (avg payout of 12%)

Now what this new role entails is vastly different to what I am used to. I've asked many questions to the recruiter and the gentleman who interviewed me and gone away and done some research.

The role is not what I'd call traditional software engineering the role involves integrating a third party software package called WebMethods developed by Software AG. So there is really no code to write you use their designer tool to drag and drop elements in to configure it. There is a whole area of how to deploy this thing versioning and so and so forth.

This software is brand new to the business and they want me to lead this with a couple of other developers. I've openly said them that this isn't my skill set and WebMethods is a skill onto itself for which there a dedicated developers for.

The new employer are fine with this and are offering training in this new software for me and the team I will be leading.

So offer on the table what do I do?

Part of me thinks this role isn't right for me, I think i'd miss the traditional software engineering too much. It's also not going to do anything for my future career WebMethods looks to be quite niche so whilst I could pick up this skill its not something really transferable.

Other the hand because it is so vastly different I could relish the challenge and I really enjoy it.

What do others think?

 

[thedazman67]

Thanks both

I've approached my current employer said I am thinking about this new role. I don't expect much from them as I struggle immensely getting pay rises approved for members of my own team.

I wouldn't be working with my fiancée same office sure but completely different department doubt our paths would cross on a daily basis. She agrees too, she doesn't even know the guy I had my interview with for example.

Career progression in my current role I need to ask again about there have been some organisational changes as of late so there maybe opportunities there again historically my current employer doesn't move very fast with this type of thing.

 

[thedazman67]

My fiancee has worked there for the past 3 years, that aspect doesn't bother me at all. I've dropped her off there every day for the past couple of years as its on my route into work at the moment.

What does ring an alarm bell is this being all new to the business and they are not recruiting someone with previous experience.

This is something which I asked, I never did get a proper answer on this so I will ask again. My thoughts are they haven't really considered what resource they need to integrate a product like WebMethods. Further backed up by my conversations with the recruiter as he had no idea it was a focus on WebMethods he was briefed it was going to be traditional software engineering with your core languages like C# using .NET Core. This is what originally attracted me to the position, they do utilise those above mentioned technologies but there are no open positions at my level on those teams at the moment.

A lot of the IT team in this business are new, a lot of them have only been there for 2 months, including my would be new manager. They have been quite open about this and admit there has been a shift in there approach to IT with renewed investment in it.