Career dilemma - money money money

[SorrySadDog]

So, I asked for a raise because my counterparts in the business are paid 7k more as a starting salary. We cover the same area of business but they cover a technical side and I cover legal governance. However we are both required to advise on projects at the same level, and we work together to make the full picture. There are 6 men in that team and 1 of me in my team of 1.

HR reviewed the market and decided I’m not worth the same so offered me 2.5k more than my current salary. This does mean I have had a total of 6k increase since I started here 4 years ago, 3.5k of that is a union agreed payrise last year - isn’t specific to me.

I was upset that I was seen to be worth less, but I understand business and that they’ve deemed that to be my worth. I don’t think it was reflective of the market and I don’t think they understand what I actually do.

I applied for jobs I think I can do in a temper tantrum over the weekend.

With my payrise I will be on 43k. This week I have been offered interviews for two jobs - one starting at 58k and one starting at 60k. There’s a potential for another starting at 55k. And I’ve just looked in my inbox and there’s another two potentially around the same.

My dilemma is, while money is nice and would be a huge jump and lovely to have as I am the sole earner in the house - I have lots of flexibility in my current role.

I am just about to start a finder by work £2.5k week long training course in my field and take an exam for a professional certification .

In September I will be doing a legal apprenticeship through work - meaning in a few years I could be a CILEX lawyer. Fully funded.

I WFH and really, can do most of my work when I want to - today for instance I got up at 8.30am, fed the baby - handed her to my partner - logged on at 9.30, finished at 3. I did that because I was up til 1am the night before finishing a document for someone. I do have a boss but ultimately I’m pretty much autonomous. I choose my own work.

But, I’m never going to get paid more here….

I think I have two options but would like perspective:

Stay, accept that I’m here for 6 years. Will be 40 by the time I’m qualified. I wouldn’t work as a lawyer but law is relevant to my area of work, I work in a very specific area of law/legislation.

Look to move somewhere for more money. Potential 12k to 17k jump. Find any further training myself, not be safe for two years and have less flexibility. Larger salary = be able to save for a house etc.

Even though you work on the same things and at a similar level you are in a different role to them so your pay might be fair, it might not be. Better paid jobs aren't necessarily less flexible or whatever else, it's worth finding out more about the companies to see. Personally I'd stay and value the flexibility and stability I know i have for now whilst doing the apprentiship and whilst having a young child and then look to move on once qualified (check for any return of service though).

Move. Will the new employers offer same training opportunities?
you’re current company have valued you at 43k. Companies that don’t know you’re work quality are valuing you a lot higher.
At a minimum go to the interviews and see if they you get an offer. Then the ball is in your court

Would your current company not potentially increase their offer when you tell them what you've been offered elsewhere (if successful)? You could use it for negotiation if you decide you don't want to leave.

This is called a buy back. You are asking for the company to up your pay (i.e. buy you back) when you put another job offer in front of them. I don't think that is a great negotiating technique. Employers don't like to be held to ransom and if you get the pay rise, you will be seen as disloyal.

By all means ask for a pay rise, but justify it in other ways.

Well….I was offered a job a while back on 58k and turned it down. My boss knows this and so I don’t think they would increase that offer even after handing my notice in.

They would have to recruit someone new and pay them more if they were experienced. I am the only person doing my job, I can’t really think of an example without giving it away! Essentially I’m the Data Protection Officer and my counterparts are in Information Security. I am partially involved in that, I’ve been working on AI risk assessments and the like. If I left the business, they wouldn’t have anything other than what I have written down on governance or decision making etc.

Worked for me, I fully intended to leave but they asked if they could make an offer which I eventually accepted. I went for a new job for similar reasons as OP

'I was upset that I was seen to be worthless' genuinely feel sad for you OP.

Hi OP,
Why don't you tell the new employer you work from home/work flexitime in the "any questions" part of the interview and ask what flexibility they offer. It sounds like if they are not flexible you don't want yo work there so you might as well ask. Ask also if they are willing to put you through your qualification like your current employer is willing to.

Just take it step by step. Applying for jobs is great even if you don’t intend to leave as it allows you to review the market and you might be surprised. You say you would have to fully find further development and be less flexible if you move but I suspect those are assumptions. Go to interview and ask about development and if you have something specific in mind mention it. It may be there is a better fit out there at a better salary. And if not then at least you have the full picture before deciding.

Unless your company has a lot of subject access requests or data breaches, I am guessing you mostly do project-type work like risk assessments and writing policies or commenting on DP clauses in contracts. That is generally not time sensitive work, you control the timing and so the nature of the work is inherently flexible. Presumably if you do the DPO role in another company, it is also along the same lines so inherently flexible.

As for whether you should stay for the funded courses, do they necessarily advance your career? If you wish to stay in data protection and info sec, how does being a CILEX lawyer help? Seems a little bit chalk and cheese. A fee-earning lawyer is by its nature not inherently flexible because you are at your client's beck and call. I guess you could practice in the area of Data Protection & Privacy. Is that what you want?

If you are the sole earner, why do you need a flexible job? I assume your partner is at home and can deal with the domestic stuff?

Most people don’t tend to leave an employer based on salary alone. Is this the only reason you’re frustrated?
17k is a huge jump at that level and for me a no brainer. It’s whether you’re comfortable leaving what you know and where life is easy.

If I were you I'd go to the other interviews and if offered the roles, get the new employer to fund the qualifications and include flexibility as part of your package negotiations.

If you don't like what you're hearing at that point, you still have the choice of walking away without having lost anything, and staying in your current job.

I’ve been to several interviews in my career where I haven’t initially been enthusiastic to move but it also enables you to see what the company has to offer.
there’s no harm in doing the interview, if you get an offer then you can evaluate. You’ll probably come across more confident anyway knowing you have your current safe position.
I don’t agree with trying to get your employees to match or leave.

why on earth are you aspiring to CILEX when you could do solicitors finals and qualify as a solicitor?

Sorry, not sure what you mean - I haven’t finished my non law related degree and I don’t want to be a solicitor/lawyer - it’s more that I don’t actually have any form of legal background I just was extremely passionate about data protection and hyperfocused on it. I live and breathe it, for some strange reason it tickles my pickle!

The idea behind studying via a CILEX apprenticeship was that I’d work with our I house lawyer (she’s lovely) and focus on relevant modules, of course some that aren’t quite. I mean contract law would be really useful but family law obviously not! It meant I don’t have to find anything myself and can work at a pace I’m comfortable with.

Do you actually know the new roles won't offer you flexibility?
Tbh in most professional jobs these days you'll struggle to attract talent if you can't offer flexibility, so I find it hard to believe that 4 jobs wouldn't be able to. Just be clear about what you need when you negotiate.

And don't let fear of the unknown hold you back! Now that you are dissatisfied and don't feel valued where you are, that's a difficult headspace to work well and achieve in

So I also don’t agree with getting employers to match or leave - I asked for a payrise based on how my job had evolved from 4 years ago to what it is now.

I mainly do the process stuff however due to lack of admin help I’ve also had to do the a basic admin tasks as well. I end up working 12 hour days because I’m doing the high level stuff, and keeping on top of the low level stuff. Honestly, why they think I have time to process 2000 emails for someone’s DSAR….

The idea of leaving makes me very nervous, I think it’s an imposter syndrome thing. I’m very passionate about my field of work and am excited for a conference in September, but I’m just not what you typically think of when you hear what I do. To be fair, that tends to be pale, male and stale.

I’m almost too nervous to book the interviews, oh I do realise I could get no offers I’m just pondering on it all now. 58k plus would be fantastic for the family.

Partner might struggle to pick up the slack, he manages about 6 hours of baby and then is exhausted, the poor poor thing…..

I don't think doing a CILEX course adds any strings to your DPO bow. It is neither fish nor fowl. If you want to learn about contract law, pick up a textbook on contract law. Data protection is a very defined and specialist subject area that I don't think CILEX will teach (but I don't know). There is so much more to law than contract law so a lot of the course will be irrelevant to you and probably very boring.

Partner might struggle to pick up the slack, he manages about 6 hours of baby and then is exhausted, the poor poor thing…..

Anybody who has been on maternity leave would scoff at that. Sorry but your partner is a snowflake but I digress.

Book the interviews and treat them as practice

Will you remain autonomous and WFH choosing when you work if you move- do the other people in the job you feel is comparable have as much flexibility as you? The education opportunities you are having paid for you- course and a law degree- do they work out as 'more' that you are getting currently, and you'll have a degree with no debt? I think you maybe need to compare there, and see if the benefits you currently receive makes the wage comparable- childcare not paid for, very flexible working arrangement, free education, and if not go for the job that's a higher paid. Seems from what you're saying though that at the moment they are offering you multiple opportunities that would be a cost to you if they didn't pay.

Hi OP, in your shoes I'd do the interviews, specify that you need WFH and autonomy and ideally that you need an admin assistant working under you to delegate the admin stuff to.

Then see what they say. If they say yes - then go for it! If they say no then it's a tougher call but at the very least you'll know that in a couple of years when baby is in nursery you know where you're heading...

Wish you the best of luck!

The idea of leaving makes me very nervous, I think it's an imposter syndrome thing. I'm very passionate about my field of work and am excited for a conference in September, but I'm just not what you typically think of when you hear what I do. To be fair, that tends to be pale, male and stale.

The only person holding yourself back is you. Free yourself from that mindset and you will absolutely soar.

I have an executive career that no-one outside work would expect or guess that I do, and get paid extremely well for it (top 1%). Coming into this role I negotiated flexibility around my home life (I'm a single parent), and basic salary is 30% more than my old role, which was pretty decent anyway.

No it's not all about the money, but you did say the extra £££ would be great for your family. Plus if you're good at your job, and you've got the experience and breadth to do a bigger role, absolutely go for it.

Having greater diversity of everything within businesses results in a richer more creative environment, no doubt any new employer would welcome your enthusiasm and passion for your field. My guess is that your current employer will most likely try to match any new role, however there's usually more than money pushing people out, so doing that u-turn never lasts long.

Feel the fear, and do it anyway.

Go for the interviews and be confident in mentioning the wfh, autonomy and flexibility you currently have, and that it would be an important aspect of any future role you would take

Also mention training and qualifications

Your inbox shows there are opportunities there and they could be ones that keep what you love and offer more money

You've got nothing to lose if you go for the interviews and get no offers, or if you get them and turn them down. You might always regret not trying though...

You are worth more and you know it!

Quote "Partner might struggle to pick up the slack, he manages about 6 hours of baby and then is exhausted, the poor poor thing….."

If you are doing 12 hours days sometimes now the new jobs might be better for family life.