Temporary role - WWYD?

[mummarunner]

I work at quite a high level in a corporate role but have been stuck in a rut recently so looking to move on. I‘ve been offered a progressive opportunity with a great company, however it is a fixed term contract for 12 months. I have never contracted before and I’m nervous. We are due to remortgage next year and my sensible head tells me it’s too risky to take on a temporary role. But my gut tells me not to pass up a good opportunity!

I’ve gone over and over it in my head but am going round in circles arguing with myself.

What would you do?

I would base it on your remortgage situation. You can afford to take a risk go for it, especially if you are excited about the role. If not don’t, my house would be more important to me than my job.
If you like where you are, will there not be opportunities if you engage in some staff development and start making noises to your line managers and others about progression? Might you be being passed over because they think you’re happy where you are?

If it's not going to hurt your remortgage then go for it, you sound like you'd really love to do it

Do it! It'll get you out of the rut and hopefully excite you again. Network whilst you're in the role with a view to securing another role at the same company once your temp contract has come to an end.

Just another thought, do you know why it’s fixed term? Funding dependent, maternity cover, project based, a new role etc. this might help you weigh up the likelihood of it being extended. Also I would ask the company where the new role is based about future opportunities. As a hiring manager myself I think it’s perfectly reasonable for someone in a secure role to have concerns re: moving to a fixed.

Thank you for helping to add some perspective. To explain a bit further, when I say I’m in a rut I mean the company is struggling - we are on round three of redundancies and there is not enough work to keep me busy. I repeatedly ask for more but it is very thinly spread. Basically my career is going nowhere so I have been looking at other opportunities for some time now. But good jobs are hard to find and now this one has come up…

It is project based, hence the fixed term. It’s interesting, varied, challenging and with a growth company. If it was permanent I wouldn’t hesitate as the job security is much higher than where I currently am.

Having slept on it I think I’m swaying towards going for it. If I stay put I could find myself redundant in six months anyway!

Thank you for your input. It’s hard when the best people to talk to about these things are your colleagues but you can’t, so it has been helpful to chat it through and hear your opinions.

In that case I would say definitely go for it. You are in a precarious position at your current place, so getting out there and making a good impression will be good. Do you think they would offer voluntary redundancy and then you could receive redundancy payment and have your new job to go to.

Thanks @Purpleboat They are not offering voluntary redundancy but that’s not a deal breaker. It’s more about job security for me, but the more I think about it actually I think I’d be more secure on a FTC than I would be if I stayed where I am.

Really appreciate your input, thank you.