Which job would you go for?

Burnt0utMum · 2022-02-10T11:05:21+00:00

Job 1 - Current job reasonable salary, told them I'm leaving and they've offered more money and progression opportunities. Job is fine but maybe it shouldn't have taken getting to this stage to be offered more. Job 2 - £2k more than current job 1 salary, also progression opportunities. Bigger company so may be more opportunities but fear of the unknown. Could turn out great or awful. Job 3 - between £4k and £9k more than job 1 but looking for someone who will just get on with the job and not try to progress. Which would you choose?

whysonasty · 10/02/2022 11:07

Definitely not 1!

How do you know there are/are not progression opportunities in the other two?

Original poster

Burnt0utMum · 10/02/2022 11:12

Spoken about in interviews.

Job 2 - I'd be first in line once a position opened up to step into

Job 3 - They think I have more experience than the manager who is still pretty new in the role and the recruiter has mentioned that they just want someone who will get on with the job. For the extra money it seems fair but I can imagine I'd want to progress after a while and it seems they would stand in the way of this.

OP posts:

whysonasty · 10/02/2022 11:16

Fwiw I’ve had both things said to me in an interview. I think throwing the manager under the bus is a definite red flag though, OP. It’s not very professional. Based on that I’d go for #2.

Original poster

Burnt0utMum · 10/02/2022 11:48

Yeah the culture at Job 3 does concern me. Why would you not consider Job 1 at all?

OP posts:

Tellthemagain · 10/02/2022 11:51

I'd take the pay rise where u are already happy at 1.

keeping and eye out for another role at somewhere like 2 when there is a bigger pay jump to be worth it

AllOfUsAreDead · 10/02/2022 11:53

Personally, although I'm not bothered about progressing so much (I refuse to be a manager), I wouldn't go near job 3. They have said bad things about the manager already, that is a place to avoid.

Job 1 is lying to you! If you were worthy in their eyes to get more money and progression, it would have happened. That's not saying you aren't worth it, you clearly are, just they are shite. Please do NOT fall for it!

Take job 2. It's unknown, but they at least aren't knowingly lying or bad mouthing their own employees.

Tellthemagain · 10/02/2022 11:55

Job 1 is just a normal job. unless they have unlimited funds, no company is going to pay someone more than they think they need to. I wouldn't judge it so harshly as some above. it clearly doesn't mean they don't value u since they have said they will give u more to keep you.

AllOfUsAreDead · 10/02/2022 12:17

@Tellthemagain

Job 1 is just a normal job. unless they have unlimited funds, no company is going to pay someone more than they think they need to. I wouldn't judge it so harshly as some above. it clearly doesn't mean they don't value u since they have said they will give u more to keep you.

I've seen that happen before many times. 'Oh please stay, we will match that other company and more!'. The person thinks its true, they stay and turn down the other job, and nothing happens. They keep getting the same crap for the same pay.

There is maybe an off chance that they aren't a bad company, but so many are I wouldn't chance it when I could definitely get more money.

Sprig1 · 10/02/2022 12:21

How do they compare in terms of hours, location, culture, leave, pension, whf etc?

Original poster

Burnt0utMum · 10/02/2022 13:04

All are quite similar in terms of benefits. Job 1 is slightly more hours and Job 2 and 3 but not significantly and overtime is expected in all 3. All predominantly wfh although Job 3 would require some office attendance whereas the others don't.

OP posts:

Tellthemagain · 10/02/2022 15:13

@AllOfUsAreDead but OP says the job is fine and they've offered more money. so she signs new contract, gets the cash and keeps an eye out for other jobs coming up. making a move for 2k to an unknown new place is super high risk for almost zero clear reward. her new boss could be awful and so called progression opportunities may not turn up there either. if she was getting £15k more to make a move then it would start to be worth it.

Sprig1 · 10/02/2022 17:59

@Burnt0utMum

All are quite similar in terms of benefits. Job 1 is slightly more hours and Job 2 and 3 but not significantly and overtime is expected in all 3. All predominantly wfh although Job 3 would require some office attendance whereas the others don't.

In that case I would stay where you are, negotiate as much of a salary increase as you can and keep tentatively looking.

whysonasty · 10/02/2022 21:31

@Burnt0utMum

Yeah the culture at Job 3 does concern me. Why would you not consider Job 1 at all?

Because if they valued you it wouldn’t take leaving for them to offer you more money and opportunity. You also have no idea whether they’ll actually follow through with that.

alwayswrighty · 10/02/2022 21:46

Job 2

AllOfUsAreDead · 11/02/2022 00:12

[quote Tellthemagain]@AllOfUsAreDead but OP says the job is fine and they've offered more money. so she signs new contract, gets the cash and keeps an eye out for other jobs coming up. making a move for 2k to an unknown new place is super high risk for almost zero clear reward. her new boss could be awful and so called progression opportunities may not turn up there either. if she was getting £15k more to make a move then it would start to be worth it.[/quote]
They likely won't have her sign a new contract straight away though. By the time it's brought up, she's rejected the other job and oh, what do you know, there's nothing in the budget for her pay increase. Sorry maybe next time...

I have a great distrust of businesses though and have zero loyalty to them. Whoever makes the better offer is who I go to, and unless the current company has done that off their own backs, it will never be them.

whysonasty · 11/02/2022 01:28

What @AllOfUsAreDead said. I made a solid case for a loooong overdue pay rise more than a year ago. I was met with shock it hadn’t happened already (new boss). He said it would happen. He dragged that out for months, saying things were “in the pipeline”, insisting it was happening and moving through the process of being signed off. Towards the end of the year he said “Actually, apparently there’s been a freeze on pay rises.” This is bollocks as I know he got one moving into his new role. Told me not to worry as I would be first in line once the freeze ended. Then wondered why I sat there stoney faced, and again insisted it would happen. That he didn’t know exactly when, but that it would happen. He promised.

OP, if your company wanted to do right by you they would have upped your pay and promoted you by now. Or at the very least got that down on paper once they realised they could lose you. You deserve better.

cuno · 11/02/2022 02:43

I think your current company will likely string you along with false promises, seems to me they are only offering a pay rise and progression to make you stay, but when would that actually materialise? Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year? You'll just be left in the lurch I fear. I think job 2 is overall the best option, pays a bit better than what you're on now and opportunity for progression. However if you're desperate to increase your earnings in the short term then job 3 is better and you could keep an eye out for progression opportunities externally and jump ship if you're there too long. It's just something to consider if the next couple years will be hard because of the rising cost of living depending on your circumstances.

Musereader · 11/02/2022 03:20

Never, ever take a counter offer, it's just not worth it. www.askamanager.org/2012/03/why-you-shouldnt-take-a-counteroffer.html

I would have said job 3, you can always move companies again if you want to progress, but the badmouthing of the other manager is a red flag so maybe 2.

Monty27 · 11/02/2022 03:45

If you're over qualified or experienced than your potential manager in job 3 there will be resentment and you'll probably resent picking up his incompetencies. Bad mouthing staff is a big red flag.
Job 2 I'd investigate the employment culture further. A 2k increase will be negligible if it's unhappy.
Job 1 ask for the offer in writing within whatever the legal parameters are for your notice period. If they don't deliver they don't mean it.
In that case I'd give job 3 a shot at least you'd be getting monetary satisfaction and whilst job hopping is frowned upon and there's the possibility of resentment it's the best risk. They're all risky.
Good luck.
I hope that made sense.

Elieza · 11/02/2022 09:18

Work out your travelling expenses for the year and the length of time it takes to commute and translate that into a monetary value. Deduct from job 3s salary as the other two don’t have commuting costs and this will level the field.

How likely is it that any of the companies will go down the tubes? Job security is very important if you are the main breadwinner at home.

Sounds like job 3 are concerned about the suitability of their manager and want to get you in case she chucks it/is let go. So what happens if she improves and gains more experience and stays? Will you be let go because they can’t afford you both?

Have you been in job one more than two years. If so you have more security as you can be easily let go prior to being in any post two years. So if you move this will apply to you.

Are you looking to take out a mortgage soon. If so the salary you are on will affect how much you can get but the length of time in a new job may count against you?

Will all the prices of everything rising many companies will be forced to reevaluate many things. Customers won’t have as much disposable income so profit will be affected. It’s a difficult time. It used to be ‘last in first out’. When deciding who to make redundant.

Lots to consider.

Royalbloo · 11/02/2022 10:02

I'd go for 3. Progression anywhere isn't guaranteed and you can always leave and progress elsewhere when you wish to.

I did 1 once but it was like going back to an ex boyfriend...didn't work out well.