# Job advice - stay with a sinking ship or jump? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 25, 2016, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143 "2016-03-25T17:10:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Projammer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/projammer/32/559_2.png) [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143/21 "2016-03-27T03:42:41Z")
Make out a list of what will have to happen for the project to have a reasonable chance to succeed. Firings, hirings, physical and virtual assets that need to be added. Any code or modules that need to be scrapped and redone from scratch. Lay out benchmarks and timelines that are realistic based on the needed changes. Take that to administration and see how much pushback you get. That should give you a good idea about how well it can work out for you. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143/22 "2016-03-27T04:46:21Z")
> [@gumpy3885](#): > > The first manager left because he was tired of the stress and pressure of meeting unrealistic expectations. He was in meeting after meeting with the business getting beat up because things weren’t working as planned. > > The 2nd manager left because he was working nights and weekends on a project that required a separate PM but because of the budget constraints, he ended up having to do it all himself. He got fed up. He beat me out the door by a few weeks. > > Now, I get to manage everything until the other spots are filled (Yeah me!). I’m fully qualified for the promotion but what it comes down do for me is this - could I be happy going into work every day doing what I’m doing now? The honest answer is no. However, I have kids beginning college soon and the pay raise would help with expenses. And there’s no such thing as a perfect company. They all have their problems. > > Right now, I think I’ll wait for one of the company’s I interviewed with (my preferred) to extend an offer. If they don’t, I’ll probably stay the rest of this year and keep looking. At this point, I don’t think the money overrides the other negatives I’d have to deal with. There’s more to life than money 🙂 Run, like the wind (scream “wildfire” too, if you can). This sounds like corporate disaster writ large. It’s nice to be wanted, but it really, really doesn’t sound like the company is behind this. The fact that you get to fill in for all the missing roles until they’re hired is another big, red, flashing sign that you’re screwed. There is absolutely no guarantee that those head counts will ever come along. Basically, you’re just signing up for being the fall guy, with a lot of stress and anxiety on the way. If you think the title bump and salary raise would be helpful in your job hunt, by all means take them and keep looking. If not, then don’t take them, and keep looking. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143/23 "2016-03-27T07:46:15Z")
> [@Projammer](#): > > Make out a list of what will have to happen for the project to have a reasonable chance to succeed. Firings, hirings, physical and virtual assets that need to be added. Any code or modules that need to be scrapped and redone from scratch. Lay out benchmarks and timelines that are realistic based on the needed changes. Take that to administration and see how much pushback you get. That should give you a good idea about how well it can work out for you. Sound advice. Definitely figure out if you are being asked to get this done the right way vs ‘the wrong way, harder’. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143/24 "2016-03-27T20:17:45Z")
> [@gumpy3885](#): > > The first manager left because he was tired of the stress and pressure of meeting unrealistic expectations. He was in meeting after meeting with the business getting beat up because things weren’t working as planned. > > The 2nd manager left because he was working nights and weekends on a project that required a separate PM but because of the budget constraints, he ended up having to do it all himself. He got fed up. He beat me out the door by a few weeks. If this were me, and I had another option, you would not see my ass for dust. The company wants to do anything they can to retain you, except change. You are now doing the work of three managers, and the company wants to make it official. Good luck. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143/25 "2016-03-27T20:59:23Z")
That’s it. If you have to ask, you already know. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/job-advice-stay-with-a-sinking-ship-or-jump/750143.md?page=1)