Just wanted to share a story of when I did this.
My current company was having layoffs. Three sets. It was getting to be that I felt my time was coming. I was getting married in a year and had a wedding to pay for (I wish I had that back, too but that’s another story).
I loved my job, the company, the people I worked with but I was young.
So, I started casually looking for another job. I found one that sounded perfect (in my field of university study and my line of work). I sent off an application. Just one.
Well…I got the job. Paid about 10% more and the commute was worse (familiar?). Since I was scared, I took it.
I told my then boss and he nearly had a coronary. He told me I was in no risk of being laid off and that I could have had a similar raise and they would have put in a contract saying that I would not be let go for at least two years. Oops!
Anyway, I had already signed the papers for the new job (and was too young and naive to tell them I had changed my mind, I guess) so I took it…
…and got laid off six weeks later.
Thankfully, there was a happy ending. You see, the person who had been hired to replace me was…ummmm…less than stellar. So, I was just casually emailing my old boss checking up on what he was doing for the Christmas holidays and, of course, asking how business was and he asked me what my plans were for January.
So, I told him that was when the wedding was, yadda yadda. He emailed back and asked what I was doing for work in January…with an attached job offer with a 15% raise and an extra weeks vacation.
I have never been happier in my life. But it would have been better had I just stayed put in the first place.
Anyway, I am still here doing the same thing. Enjoying the bird in hand.
Don’t do it, man.