Help me make a decision

[Undervaluedandsad]

I have an interview coming up for a complete change of career. I applied for the job at a particularly low point in my current job. Things have improved marginally and there is potential for things to improve further in my current job. In a lot of ways it would be easier to stay where I am.

What are the questions I need to ask myself to clarify if I want to go to this interview?

Why wouldn't you go for the interview?

If you don't go and your current place becomes shit again or doesn't give you the opportunities you think it might, you'd be kicking yourself surely?

I don’t want to go for the interview and then turn it down. I want to make a decision before then.

I will be walking away from a career I have spent many years building up to something completely new that I may or may not enjoy. It feels like an enormous jump.

But if you don't even go for the interview, you're not making a real choice, you're just hiding from change.

They say it's the things you don't do that lead to regrets.

”I don’t want to go for the interview and then turn it down. I want to make a decision before then.”

You realise no one really knows for sure whether they’ll take a job offer before they’ve even gone for the interview? The interview is for both the employer and the candidate to work out whether the job is a good fit. You can’t know that before.

”I will be walking away from a career I have spent many years building up to something completely new that I may or may not enjoy. It feels like an enormous jump.”

You’re not forced to make the jump by going for the interview.

It sounds as though you’re looking to justify a decision not to bother, to be honest.

That's like saying you won't go on a first date unless you know you'll marry the person!

Really? I’ve never gone for an interview unless I know I definitely want the job. I’d feel I was wasting their time interviewing and then (assuming I get it) turning it down.

It absolutely isn’t about not being bothered. I’m feeling better about my current job and I suspect if the job was advertised today I wouldn’t apply. I applied at a particularly low time at work and now don’t know if it’s the right thing to do.

If you don’t know if it’s the right thing to do, go for the interview. Only don’t go if you are absolutely certain it would be the wrong thing to do.

If you applied at a particular low point, and things have improved “marginally” and you have no way to be sure that will progress into solid improvement, go for the interview.

I suspect if the job was advertised today I wouldn’t apply

OK so if you do feel like that, then it's entirely your right to change your mind. If for example the salary and benefits aren't as good, the commute is longer or more of a hassle, or the industry is one you have zero interest in, and the only reason you considered it was a desperate attempt to escape from your current job, then you are right to have second thoughts.

If things go pear shaped again, hey-ho get the CV dusted off again and find something else. Hopefully the issues that pushed you that far, have been resolved to enable you to be happy at work, which is the most important thing.

If however the converse is true, the salary and benefits are better, the commute is shorter and you are passionate about the industry sector, then get ye into that killer interview suit and go for it!

Would you apply for your current job if advertised today?

No harm in going for the interview and seeing how you feel then - you may be more or less drawn to it after visiting there/meeting people

Change is sometimes good
Open options are always good

It's possible that you are perceiving things are improving in your current job simply because you have an interview for another job, and therefore a way out. I was very unhappy at work for a long time but once I'd made the decision to retire, everything got better. It hadn't really, it was my mindset that changed. I think you'll regret not going for the interview.

Ok - thank you all. I’m going to the interview...see what happens.

Very best of luck.

This was me 3 years ago. I went thinking I could take a decision if offered. Then I was offered it and I was left with the exact same dilemma but with the added stressed of needing to make a decision in 24h.

In the end, I decided that I'd rather regret taking than not taking it so went for it. I did and it was a mistake. Thankfully, I was able to get back with my old company but only because I was very very lucky.

Before I thought I could I spent many nights crying at my stupidity so do be careful taking it if offered. It's only after I left that I realised I'd focused on the bad things and taken for granted the good ones.

Thank you. That’s helpful advice.

I know where the OP is coming from. Having taken a 'wrong job' once before, and deeply regretted it, I am now very cautious about what jobs I take and even then you can never be totally sure.
It's very easy to get caught up in the thrill of the chase once offered, and accept against better judgement. I try to pull out before final stage if I'm not sure as I personally find it really hard to turn an offer down.

With this much doubt, I'd pull out. There will always be other jobs coming on to the market. But once you leave you'll be stuck in a new job. Nothing worse than feeling like you've made the wrong move.

I’m going to go. There is still a large level of doubt but I am hoping the interview makes up my mind one way or another, or more probably the decision is made for me. If it comes to it and I’m still unsure and offered the job I will say no.