I’ve made pro and con lists, but I still can’t decide. I was offered a new job at a different company, but I can’t decide if I should take it or not. Here’s some background information:
Current Job:
-Hours are seasonal, right now I work 25 to 30 hrs/week
-VERY flexible hours, I can pretty much come and go when I want
-Been here for 5 years, so I have vacation and sick time built up
-Possibility for advancement in about 15 years (It’s a small company so I have to wait for the person to retire, but that’s as far as it goes)
-Pay raises aren’t predictable, I haven’t gotten one in two years
New job:
-Guaranteed 32 hours/week with possibility of more, over 32 gets paid overtime
-Pays $.50/hour more than my current job
-Travel time would be about 10 minutes longer (In good weather)
-Possibility for advancement sooner (It’s a large company with many opportunities)
-Pay raises are pretty predictable. Others I know that work here have said they always have gotten some sort of raise each year.
What’s your opinion? Should I take the new job? I think I want to, I’m just scared to leave my old job. It’s comfortable, I know it well and I’m a very loyal person. I would feel guilty quitting, but I know sometimes I have to look out for me too!
Having been stuck in a rut myself because I was loyal and comfortable… go for the new job. And allow yourself to worry about it for the first six months or so. After that, if still nervous, maybe it wasn’t the right place for you afterall.
Also, you should factor into your decision the long-term stability of each job. If you’re thinking 15 years into the future of your current job, I’d be very sure it’ll still be around. Particularly worrisome for small companies – not that larger companies don’t go belly-up without warning, but their size provides some margin of safety against that.
And probably not a bad idea to find out how long people tend to stay at the new company, too.
The company I work for now is a lumberyard and employs around 40 people. I know we are having a rough time now because of the economy. The new job is part of a network of hospitals and clinics employing around 700 people.
No raise in two years and waiting 15 years for advancement is bull. Anytime in the next 15 years someone else could be hired and move into that advancement you think you are entitled.
With all due respect, pull your head out and take the new job.
New Job, Getting in with a health care supplier should be really stable. The forest products industry has a pretty bad outlook for at least five years. I don’t know the company but i can’t see anyone getting raises in at least that time.
This is possibly the worst reason I’ve heard in a long time for staying at a job. You don’t
owe this company anything - you trade your time and your effort for their money. That’s pretty much it. A good reason for staying is if you really like the people and enjoy coming to work - that’s a rare thing these days, and it’s worth a lot.
You should stay at your current job. Your lack of initiative and resistance to change will be quickly exposed at the new job, and you will likely be let go after a short period of time.
Thanks to all for your input. I called HR at the new job this morning and set up a time to go in and talk to them about the details. After that, I thought I’d go and talk to my current boss about what’s going on and see if he can make a comparable offer.
That’s very smart of you, and I think that’s the best possible solution. Please try as much as possible to let go of “guilt” about what you decide to do. I don’t think it’s very Gordon Gekko of me to point out that there isn’t much room for emotions and guilt in the business world, especially when it comes to changing jobs.
Do not say anything to your current employer till after you get a written job offer from the other company. He may show you the door that day. A lot of companies have the policy of “walking” the employee as soon as they give notice.
So make before you say anything to your old employer you got your ducks lined up in a row
I’d go with the new job, but if you feel the need to give the old employer a chance, make sure the other job is fully set up, because disloyalty can bring a lot of strange reactions in a small company environment. 15 years of waiting for the possibility of advancement is bullshit. You wouldn’t have to wait more than five years in even the worst of the largest companies if you show initiative.
If you do this know that your head is next on the chopping block if they need to let people go. Not only are they being forced to pay you more and give you more hours to keep you but you have now shown that you are not loyal to your job. Keeping your current job if they match the offer may mean that in 3 months time when they find someone else who will work at your old hours and wages you will be kicked to the curb.