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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Do I take this job?

37 replies

LostOrFound · 02/04/2022 08:02

I’ve been offered a job. Senior level, commercial sector. 30% payrise, opportunities for future pay rises/promotion. People seem lovely. I’ve got great experience for the role.

I currently work in a charity. No opportunity for promotion. Toxic leadership, people are leaving droves. I’m demotivated and frustrated.

And yet, and yet…the charity cause is really important to me. At the end of the day we are changing lives, that’s why I’m there, that’s why I put up with it.

Going into a job where the goal is growing the company not making the world a better place just doesn’t inspire me.

Head says take the new job. Heart says stay. What should I do?

YANBU - heart, stay put
YABU - head, take the job

OP posts:
boredsolicitor · 02/04/2022 08:04

take the new job and support the charity in a different way ? working in a toxic environment will grind you down in the end.

Mamamia7962 · 02/04/2022 08:04

Take the job

girlmom21 · 02/04/2022 08:06

Take the job.

Use the pay increase to support the charity differently, or use your position to make it next years company charity of choice?

Wishihadanalgorithm · 02/04/2022 08:07

Take the job and see if you can get the company to support the charity in some way? If your current place is toxic then leave - there’s more than one way to help.

devildeepbluesea · 02/04/2022 08:08

Take the job. It’s what I’ve just done actually. Same huge pay rise (although what with energy and NI it won’t be as big as I thought!) but not inspired by the company. It’s fine.

There are other ways to support the charity.

TheHoleNineYards · 02/04/2022 08:08

Take the job. Find a way to donate or volunteer for the charity (or a similar cause).

Gnomechange · 02/04/2022 08:08

I recently took a job working for a major UK charity having worked in a number of sectors. It is horrible! Leadership terrible and staff seem to be quite mean to each other. I have resigned and am moving to the commercial sector. I will volunteer for charity maybe when I have some spare time.

Take the job!

FatFucker · 02/04/2022 08:08

@boredsolicitor

take the new job and support the charity in a different way ? working in a toxic environment will grind you down in the end.

Absolutely this!!!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 02/04/2022 08:09

Take the job, don’t be your own charity!

Will the charity collapse if you leave? Could you volunteer for them? Could you support them with regular donations?

Loopytiles · 02/04/2022 08:10

Supporting your organisation’s ‘mission’ is one factor. You’ve listed a lot of others.

IMO the one positive factor about your present job doesn’t outweigh the many negative ones. Or pay the bills!

Shurl · 02/04/2022 08:10

Take the job and vvolunteering the cause/ donate money to another charity supporting the cause.

Tbh if the charity is that toxic, is it really doing it's best by the people it is supposed to be helping?

Loopytiles · 02/04/2022 08:11

Also, if the leadership are shit there is a risk their leadership will fuck up and jeopardise services provided and/or the organisation continuing to get funding.

RonSwansonsChair · 02/04/2022 08:13

Take the job and volunteer/ support the charity in other ways. Aside from the lower pay, a toxic workplace is not healthy.

DukeofEarlGrey · 02/04/2022 08:16

Take the job and contribute to the world in a different way.

AllOfUsAreDead · 02/04/2022 08:17

@boredsolicitor

take the new job and support the charity in a different way ? working in a toxic environment will grind you down in the end.
This. Take the job, hopefully you'll be happier.
FuckThatBullshit · 02/04/2022 08:20

@boredsolicitor

take the new job and support the charity in a different way ? working in a toxic environment will grind you down in the end.
Perfect
Original poster
LostOrFound · 02/04/2022 08:24

It’s not just the about doing some volunteering or chucking a bit of money to the charity to salve my conscience.

It’s the difference between everything you do being oriented towards making the world a better, less unjust place. Vs everything being oriented towards making money. I think with the new job I’d enjoy the journey more, but I don’t really care about the destination ISWIM?

OP posts:
LittleSnakes · 02/04/2022 08:27

Don’t really know what you mean by your last post. I think take the job and become a trustee at your charity instead. Then you can do both.

Original poster
LostOrFound · 02/04/2022 08:28

@Loopytiles

Also, if the leadership are shit there is a risk their leadership will fuck up and jeopardise services provided and/or the organisation continuing to get funding.
The organisation isn’t in jeopardy but I have no faith in the leadership and it honestly breaks my heart.
OP posts:
Dishwashersaurous · 02/04/2022 08:29

Take the job and do a large regular direct debit to a cause you care about

Dishwashersaurous · 02/04/2022 08:31

Agree with becoming a trustee of a charity, then you shape direction without your personal ability to pay energy bills being dependent upon it

Drywhitefruitycidergin · 02/04/2022 08:33

I would take the job - unless it's with a commercial organisation where you fundamentally disagree with how they make their money. Gambling/oil/tobacco/Nestle/Russia currently/guns/fur
Working environment is important.

Original poster
LostOrFound · 02/04/2022 08:34

@LittleSnakes

Don’t really know what you mean by your last post. I think take the job and become a trustee at your charity instead. Then you can do both.
I mean that the things we’re working towards in my current job really matter, really change people’s lives. Day to day it’s a slog dealing with internal politics etc but I know what I spend 40 hours a week doing means something.

I think the new job would be better to day to day, but ultimately I don’t really care that much about sales, growth and profit, which is the end goal.

OP posts:
Harrysutton · 02/04/2022 08:35

Take the job. I’m in a similar quandary but love my current role. I’d be out in a heartbeat if I didn’t.

Gladioli23 · 02/04/2022 08:36

I think if you view everything else as a salve to your conscience and genuinely feel you won't be able to look yourself in the eye in terms of your morals then you have no choice but to stay at your current charity.

But I would seriously consider that set of feelings and whether they are fair on you. If we think about charities/public sector jobs, things that require people to volunteer etc (and I do work in the public sector and have spent a good chunk of my life volunteering for various causes). If all the people who don't do any volunteering at all/never work in those areas at all spent 5 years of their lives or their careers working somewhere like you work, then all those places would be able to flourish. You have likely already made those contributions and feeling you have to somehow donate your entire life to the point of continuing to work somewhere toxic doesn't sound like it will be best for you in the long run.

I think I also think that workplaces have a responsibility not to be terrible places to work and charities don't get a free pass just because they're charities. If they want to be an attractive place to work (and I don't just mean pay) then they have to work hard to offer benefits and an environment that is positive enough to make up for the lack of pay. Their failure to do so doesn't leave you with some responsibility to make up for their failings by stymieing your own career.

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