Will they think it’s weird I’ve applied for this job?

[MauveQuail]

I currently work from home for a small business. Plus points are it’s really flexible and I can do the school run around my hours which I really love.

Negatives are, the holiday allowance is the bare minimum, the salary is low for what I do, pension is shit, there’s no room for progression, and it’s a small business (iykyk).

A job has come up in my field at a big company. Great perks, salary is £10k more than I earn, great holiday allowance, hybrid working.
I’m not really too fussed about job titles but I’m a manager (in title only, I don’t actually manage anyone) in my current position. I have asked my boss to look again at my job description and title so it reflects what I’m actually doing but they haven’t (and this has been going on a couple of years).
In my previous job I did actually manage a small department for 5 years so I do have the experience despite not really doing it now.

This role I’m interested in is a much junior role, but the job looks genuinely interesting, the company is great and things like the hybrid working, extra £10k and the decent holiday are obviously attractive.
i have small children at the moment so I’m not interested in taking on loads of responsibilities right now but I do like the idea of there being room to progress later on.
My job is also a little bit niche and this employer is 30 minutes from my house so it seems like too much of a good opportunity to miss.

My hesitation to apply is I once applied for a more junior role at dream company and they replied being really weird about it, and actually replied to my application saying ‘why have you applied for this job? We think you’ll just get bored’.
So now obviously I’m hugely overthinking this and wondering if I should just explain myself in my application. I actually have a contact on LinkedIn I could possibly reach out to before I apply. I just worry they’ll think it’s weird, despite the pay and perks being shit, the company I work for is really admired and well thought of in the industry, so along with my ‘job title’, it’ll look like I’m jumping ship from an absolute dream job.

what would you guys do in this position?

Job titles can be so deceiving, and if this new job pays more then that alone is reason enough to apply.

I think you could explain what attracts you to the role specifically in your cover letter, be honest!

I also think that other company’s reply was really weird!!

I have a job that is below the level I was previously working (team leader of a small team versus senior manager). I just wrote in the application and had something prepared for the job interview about why I wanted this particular job and no one questioned it.

Don't overthink it, just apply.

Drill down into your reasons for applying and put it in your letter and be ready to explain at interview. I'd be inclined to say you really admire the company and have stalked their jobs for a while and this one ticks all your boxes. Most employers will understand that a small company will offer the bare minimum for everything including promotion opportunities.

Not everyone wants to step up into bigger and better roles so the other company were stupid to make that comment.

Thank you so much for all your replies, really appreciate you sharing your thoughts and experiences! I’m glad I’m not the only one who thought the other company’s comment was odd 😂

I’m going to apply to the job and see how it goes!

When you apply, say what you said here - that the job sounds very interesting and that you are looking for a role where there are opportunities for progression. Look on their website for key info about their values, future plans etc and make sure you get those into your letter as things that you are excited about and are important to you. You’re impressed by their initiatives in xyz and their work on uvw is exactly the kind of thing you’re interested in.

If you get interviewed and they ask “Why do you want to leave a great company like Bloggs & Co”, say that they are indeed a good company (it’s good for them to hear you being complimentary about your employer), but you’ve been there some time now and you’re ready for something fresh and new that offers progression opportunities. They will be able to read between the lines and understand that your current role is rather limiting, without you having to openly criticise your current employer.

It’s always good to be enthusiastic about development and progression- they will see someone who is willing to put the work in to improve and get on.

Good luck!