Why am I not feeling positive about this job?

[Shinygreen]

I've been in my current role for three years. I'm upper middle management but have done senior management roles elsewhere. I was happy to take a step back at the point of joining.

For a while, I had been keeping my eye out for other jobs as my salary is poor based on market rates and my level of experience and there are other places doing similar but better work, plus I had more to offer than was being asked of me.

In the last year things have started to improve thanks to changes in strategy and senior management so I had stopped actively looking. Suitable roles come up very rarely in my line of work.

The positives are I have a good work life balance with hybrid working, I'm well within my comfort zone, and people are generally easy to get along with.

Promotion opportunities are very limited. I can't see there being any movement in the short term that would create an opening.

I was recently approached about a senior management position in another company. It would mean a 20% payrise.

I haven't officially been offered the role but it could be imminent and I have a bad feeling I can't quite put my finger on.

They don't do hybrid working. It's fully office based and the office location doesn't appeal. I'm used to working in a city centre and this is on a business park on the outskirts of a town. It's not a long commute, but it would mean a switch back to the pre Covid challenges of managing family life. I'm single, so being around for DC is important, and a bigger salary is important. It isn't a business that is doing better work than where I'm at now but would be in a position to make improvements, which is an attractive prospect.

That 20% payrise and a chance to fully utilise my experience is a big pull. AIBU to dread being offered the job?

What is 20% in real terms and how much would you be paying out for commuting, travel and other convenience as home less? Sounds like your mostly doing it for the money and not because you actively want the role.

Yes, it would be for the money. Turning down that money would be hard as it would make a difference. I get very little from ex and so am entirely reliant on my salary.

In real terms, the costs of commuting etc would be more or less equivalent to my current role.

I'd like the role but in a different company and a different location!. I am realistic that opportunity likely won't arise, which means I have to compromise somewhere.

It sounds like your heart really isn't in it. You say there are appealling benefits in terms of the work and job satisfaction, but if they were big enough advantages, this post would be about 'amazing new job opportunity, how can I make this work?'. The fact that it isn't speaks volumes really. It might just not be the right time for you, you say you're single and have children to think about, so maybe it's just that your priority right now is making family life work. That will change as your children get older, but it's ok if right now you feel the right thing is to say no to an opportunity because it's just not the right time for you.

The only thing I would say is that you could explain your reasons and reservations, it might be that there are other opportunities in the future that are suitable, or can be hybrid etc. so it would be good to stay on their radar.