Should I stay or should I go

[Scallywag2023]

I’m a director of a function in the HQ of a large business. Worked my way way up, been there forever. The culture over recent years has deteriorated for various reasons. I have been thinking of leaving for ages but WFH policy and flexibility has suited my lifestyle and the job market has been very tough.

I have been headhunted for a similar role in the same industry on much better pay and with the ability to run the department rather than reporting into another director.

It seems like a challenging time for this other business, they have gone through a lot of changes but it’s a great opportunity to put my own stamp on a function and run it how I want to run it.

seems like a no brainer BUT my current business has just announced a brand new strategy with a massive transformation programme. Loads more to learn, good people to learn from etc.

Am I looking for to excuses to stay and be lazy instead of stepping out of my comfort zone?

Should I move on?

Or is it sensible to stay where I am when there are such good new opportunities to learn (no extra pay though)

i think I should move but it seems inconceivable to me that might actually happen.

While I am not in any way denying the grimness of some women’s perimenopause- having the idea that it’s hanging over all of our heads, ready to make us slow and irrational just at the point in our careers when we might be stepping into senior leadership, so we had better not take big jobs… that’s the patriarchy at it again!
Take the job OP, you can always use your extra 1k to pay for a SHG if you need one (Shit Hot Gynaecologist!)

If its a big salary increase for the new role have you run the numbers to make sure you don't end up working for the tax man with the unfair ta\x cliff edges?

Also, if you’ve been there ages think of your pension. Do you have any kind of defined benefit scheme or all DC?

I’ve put it through chatGPT to see what my take home would be, so that extra monthly take home of £1k takes into account tax etc.

I need to look into pension implications - both are big businesses so I would hope it would be straightforward moving that but I am a total novice with all that so need to do some proper sums.

I agree @ScratchedSkirtings peri is not a reason to not do it… it’s just one of those things percolating around on my “reasons to stay” list. I think realistically my “reasons to go” list is longer and more compelling. I’m just wobbling a bit!

And even if I go and it doesn’t work, it’s not the end of the world, right?!

Move on! Go for it.