I'm an NQ in-house lawyer hoping to move back into private practice for a few years then go back in-house (the idea of being a partner... ugh no) before I get too long in the tooth in either role.
I've been offered a job. It's more money (would be a leap from mid-30k to high 30k) (although I was hoping for at least £40k) but with more potential for advancement than my current job.
I say I'm an NQ, I worked in the company for several years before qualifying so take on work that is more advanced than an NQ in my current role. I think the new firm understand that I have more (useful) experience than someone who has done the straight uni-LPC-TC-NQ path (or even someone who did paralegaling because while some get great work, a lot get a lot of dross/churn work - I know I've been there!) but I don't want to find myself doing grunt work that if I got it in my current role, I'd delegate to our trainee...
We're planning to move for my new role but we'd have to move halfway between DH and my new place of work so my 5 minute commute and his 20 min commute would increase to 1 hour for both of us. Husband wants to move, but the job prospects for him near my new job aren't great. But then they're not great here either but we are settled. DD is just about to start nursery. We'd be marginally closer to family (a drive of one hour fifteen instead of an hour and forty minutes) but not as close as I'd like.
I've just been given three new, interesting workstreams at my current job. One is on a godawful project that will be very, very difficult due one personality in particular. The other two are great but temporary. One is temporary until a colleague comes back from long term sick and another until we hire someone to take it over. My manager has an annoying habit of having me as a stopgap/safe pair of hands until the business gets someone more senior in. And it has happened yet again.
We're planning to have another child this year since I'm now 38. Getting a new job now would push that back by at least another year. Fertility is not a given, particularly at my age. This cuts both ways really. I could start the new job and push TTC back only to find it really difficult, but then I could turn down the new job to TTC only to find it really difficult...
Right now my heart and head are saying no.