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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To be unsure about a potential new job with almost double my current pay?

55 replies

WildOrchids67 · 16/07/2020 21:13

I have an interview tomorrow for a new job. I've been at my current company for nearly 13 years, so I have a lot of experience there.

A few months ago I was feeling a bit fed up with not really progressing, even though I have a lot of knowledge, I'm good with processes etc, so I applied for a job at another company. I was offered an interview, but then Covid came along and my interview was postponed.

Last week I got an email inviting me to a Skype interview, which is tomorrow. Since I applied, I'm feeling more settled and content at my current job, especially since I've been given more responsibility for the time being. But I thought I might as well do the interview and see how I got on.

I know someone at the new company (who encouraged me to apply in the first place), I spoke to him about it today and he told me that I'd likely get offered a figure that's around double what I'm on now. It seems they offer pay based on experience, rather than just a standard salary for the role.

That sounds amazing, but in all honesty, I'm unsure about leaving my current job. I've been there for so long, I know what I'm doing there, and I have a lot of friends that I'd be leaving behind. If I do get offered the job with such a huge pay increase, I'd be mad to turn it down, right? Maybe I'm just scared. Has anyone been in this position and can offer some advice or tell me what happened with them?

OP posts:

CoRhona · 16/07/2020 21:15

See how the interview goes, you may get a strong feeling either way.

Good luck 🤞

Alanna1 · 16/07/2020 21:16

See how the interview goes, see how you feel - you can also always approach your current employers for a pay rise if appropriate.

RubyFakeLips · 16/07/2020 21:18

I would wait and see how the interview goes and what they actually offer.

It does sound like a good opportunity and 13 years is a long time, I'd have thought many of your friendships could with stand you leaving.

Before the interview can you work out if theres anything in your current job you really wouldn't want to change? Then in the interview or if you're offered the role you can clarify if the new job has these elements before accepting.

PinkiOcelot · 16/07/2020 21:18

I can see why you’re floundering. You’ve been in your present role 13 years. It’s your comfort blanket. You know it inside out.
Can you see yourself staying there forever?
I think I’d do the interview and take it from there.

altiara · 16/07/2020 21:19

Not been in this position, I have hated my job and then settled back into it. So I know that side of things.

Personally, I’d prepare as much as possible for the interview, and see how it goes. You don’t know for sure what the company will offer if you get the job but twice your salary would be so amazing that I’d bite their hand off!

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 16/07/2020 21:24

Not possible to negotiate pay where I am now, it's fixed for the role I'm in. The new company is much smaller than my current one.

OP posts:

Honeypickle · 16/07/2020 21:24

Go for it! Do the interview and see how you feel afterwards.
Bear in mind, these are very transient times. Don’t stay in any job for the team/people. They could equally leave - or be made redundant! Good luck.

Di11y · 16/07/2020 21:27

In my experience the only way to be paid your worth is to move on. You're settled and it's safe but you're likely to settle in the new place especially on double pay!

FraughtwithGin · 16/07/2020 21:32

You do realise that interviews are 2-way processes.
Yes, they are interested in you, but equally, you should be "interviewing" them.

topcat2014 · 16/07/2020 21:34

You only make decent increases on changing jobs.
If you stay in one job your pay tends to fall behind the market.

ScrapThatThen · 16/07/2020 21:55

Also, he might not be correct about the pay or there could be a - discrepancy - between what a male Vs a female would earn (obvs I hope not). Why not go for it, treat it as do you want them versus the other way around, talk yourself up and have a little fun dreaming about an exciting change - with no risk because you like your job now.

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 16/07/2020 21:58

You're all totally right. I think I kind of had it in my head I was probably going to say no if they offered me the job, because I actually am pretty happy where I am, I'd just like to do something different after so long, that's all. I genuinely wasn't expecting it to potentially be that much so it threw me and got me thinking I might actually end up leaving!

OP posts:

Hannah888 · 16/07/2020 22:02

What a nice problem if a bit scary. Are your present and potential companies equally viable do you know ? We are in strange times and looking on the black side 13 weeks redundancy pay is not to be sneezed at. Good luck whichever you decide.

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 16/07/2020 22:16

Present company is totally secure, big PLC. New company is doing pretty well, much smaller but growing fast. If things did go badly for any reason I have decent savings.

My friend is definitely right about the figure, he's the head of a dept there and says one person he interviewed for the job I'm going for was offered that amount, so he thinks it'll be that or close to it.

OP posts:

Dartsplayer · 16/07/2020 22:30

I think after 13 years in the same job it wouldn't hurt to get some interview practice in and just see what happens. I'm sure you will get a feeling one way or another for the new company during the interview then you can make a decision based on that. Good luck for tomorrow

KatherineJaneway · 16/07/2020 22:36

It will do no harm to go to the interview. As a pp pointed out, you are also interviewing them. See how it goes and how you feel.

2toe · 16/07/2020 22:43

Do the interview and see What happens, get a feel for it. I had an interview a few years ago for a job that looked good on paper, one of the interviewers would have been my line manager and I knew within a few minutes I couldn’t work with him, I was offered the job and turned it down.
It’s hard to leave a place you are comfortable but any of the team you work with could move on, I’ve had two colleagues I was close to leave in the last couple of years, we’ve maintained our friendships. If you are truly friends with people you will be friends when you no longer work together.

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 22/07/2020 12:55

Well, they offered me the job. But only 25k, not the 34k or anything close to it. It's still more than what I'm on now, but given I'd be commuting an hour every day, plus starting again at a whole new business and learning an entirely new industry, I'm not sure it's enough to make me say yes.

OP posts:

zigzagbetty · 22/07/2020 13:02

Could you negotiate the pay offer? Is there room for progression in the new job? Maybe this could be the catalyst to apply for jobs with a smaller commute

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 22/07/2020 13:06

My commute is already small, only 10 mins, when we're in the office that is. I don't know if it can be negotiated, but I've messaged the guy who put me on to the job in the first place to see what he says.

OP posts:

rottiemum88 · 22/07/2020 13:33

Job offers are generally a negotiation; I've never accepted a job offer at the first amount offered. Why not counter offer with a figure you'd be willing to accept and see what they say? If it's a no then it's a no and it makes your decision-making process easier, but you may well find it's a yes.

The thing about working somewhere for as long as you have is that you become a bit institutionalised and the fear of leaving to do something new/out of your comfort zone becomes a reason to shut out everything else, however good the opportunity might be, because it's safe and familiar. Sometimes we should still do things that are uncomfortable for us initially in order to grow though and you may well find that you love it...

Original poster

WildOrchids67 · 22/07/2020 13:49

That's true. Obviously I wasn't really expecting to be offered the 34k, but 9k less than that is a bit of a kick in the teeth.

I kind of got the impression though that the job I would end up doing would be more of the first level complaints (It's a utility company) rather than the higher levels the advert implied. I asked about the volumes of complaints they receive at higher level and was told it's around two a day.

I'll think about it for a couple of days and maybe go back seeing if they'll maybe offer something like 28k, but right now I'm leaning towards thanks but no thanks.

OP posts:

RonnieBob · 22/07/2020 13:53

I recently left a job with a 45 min commute as it was making me miserable. If you’re not certain it’s the ideal job, be wary of that hour long commute. It certainly can affect your happiness.

CountFosco · 22/07/2020 13:56

It's a 50 % headline increase which is not to be sniffed at, every job you ever get after this will build on that. What are the terms and conditions like? Holiday, sick pay, maternity pay, pension, life insurance, health and dental insurance etc.

Is your commute 1h total or 1h each way? How much will it cost and how reliable is it?

MaverickDanger · 22/07/2020 14:00

I would use it as a basis to negotiate - ask for 30k knowing they will probably go in at 27k, and then finally get them up to 28k.

Would you have been happy with a 25k offer for the role, if your friend hadn’t mentioned the 34k figure?

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