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OK, I've been with my current employer a little over a year. The site management all like and respect me, I get along with everybody, and I made it clear that I'm ready to move up. They don't have a position that fits what I want right now so they've been throwing me side training projects in the meantime. I appreciate the extra experience and the people I work with, I also appreciate that they did respond to my request for development and are investing in me.

 

 

 

 

However.....in October of last year, before they started giving me these side projects, a friend of mine told me a position was opening up at her company soon for the same job I do now. Only it's in a higher paying industry, so the same work would yield me a 60% increase to my current salary. I didn't hear anything for a few months so I thought maybe the job didn't open up or got filled internally. Lo and behold about a month ago the friend tells me the wait was for the job requisition to get approved - the job is still open and the hiring manager will be interviewing in the upcoming weeks. I'm overqualified for the position, but the company is growing quickly, so there **may** be opportunity for me to advance in a year and a half or two, plus I'll be living more comfortably in the meantime because of the higher salary. I had the phone interview last week and just got confirmed for my second interview next week.

 

 

 

 

This situation just got a little hairier with this development: My current employer recently acquired a large competitor in their industry. So of course they have to train all those new people, and quickly. If I got put on this project, it would basically be experience for an assistant trainer role, which is a very solid foot in the door for corporate training. I ultimately want to be in HR management, I had considered corporate training as a perfect stepping stone as I do love to train people.

 

 

 

 

I caught wind of this opportunity BEFORE I got called for the second interview by the other company, and it's time sensitive - they have to have these people trained to go live by the end of second quarter so they're training trainers right now. I honestly didn't think I was going to get called for a second interview by that other company because the interviewer didn't seem too keen on me. I asked my direct report what I should do here, she said go ahead and ask for the training opportunity because if you don't get that other job you'll have lost both options by not asking. So I went ahead and did that.

 

 

 

 

I figured it would be a few weeks before they put me in training so if I do get the other job I could resign before my current employer started making arrangements to train me for this new opportunity. I was ok with that because at least then my current employer would not be investing money in me only for me to jump ship halfway through. -_____- ......the timeline's shorter than I originally heard, they are sending people out to start training in two weeks, they desperately needed an assistant for the lead trainer in this region so they've got me on track to train next week and go out to train the week after that.

 

 

I'm seeing this whole thing as a problem, because that timeline is just short enough for me to get trained, get my experience and then leave if I get an offer from the other company....and I feel terrible for thinking that way. I feel like I'm taking advantage of my employer's trust in my loyalty. If I get an offer from that other company......I'm not prepared to turn down a 60% income increase. I've been underpaid for my skill level for years and I'm tired of that. My employer has a terrible reputation for paying competitively or even fairly, and it could be years before they can give me the position I'm asking for, if it comes up at all. Plus I worry I'll burn bridges by leaving at a time like this, and then can't come back to the company at a higher level later.

 

 

I'm posting to ask, am I looking at this too personally, or is this sort of a "it's just business" situation? I don't think anyone's feeling's will be hurt if I leave, but I do think if I irritate some of the management they will make it difficult for me to come back later if that makes sense.

 

 

Any perspective is appreciated, thanks for reading.

Edited by Almond_Joy
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TO be blunt, any employer can fire you, so why maintain any sense of loyalty? I gave up on loyalty and job security, life is better knowing I can now fulfill my duties knowing I am 100% replaceable. And I am 100% sure that they wouldn't blink an eye if I left quietly, abruptly or in any other manner. So sit back and ask yourself, which do you value more in the long run...a more economically sound job or one where you can be traded in, traded up simply because they can. No need to over think it. You also "invested" to be where you are.

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AJ, Can you ask your current employer how you will be reciprocated for the New job & responsibilities?

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AJ, Can you ask your current employer how you will be reciprocated for the New job & responsibilities?

 

I can, but the training gig is so short that asking for a pay bump would seem bizarre. Especially since I just got a raise after ny annual review which was last month (it was 3%, less than a thousand for the year :-/). I initially thought this would be sort of a long term on call thing. Like over the span of 6 - 8 months I'd be asked to go out and do training for a week or two weeks, then come back and do my regular job until they need me to go out and train again.

 

From what I'm seeing though, I think I'd only get to do training that one week and that's it. Plus I explicitly asked for this opportunity, they didn't offer it. I think it would be weird for me to say in so many words "Pay me more NOW for this experience/extra work I volunteered to take on."

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So sit back and ask yourself, which do you value more in the long run...a more economically sound job or one where you can be traded in, traded up simply because they can. No need to over think it. You also "invested" to be where you are.

 

I hadn't thought of it that way. The first choice is preferred.....but I do want to come back to the company I'm in now eventually. A bad impression on the management now can create a lasting stigma for me, because people stay so long in this industry that I could very well be dealing with the same people 5 or 7 yrs from now if I want to reapply. Honestly I've gotten face time with some major regional players in this position. I don't want to endanger those relationships at all with a bad impression.....I think it's the people I'd be leaving that I'm worried about more than the company.

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bubbaganoosh

A bump in pay is always an eye opener but with these two companies, which one could give you the better job security?

 

If the other company offers you the job, before you accept it, you need to ask about the bennies they offer and do some digging on your own about the reputation of the company.

 

All in all it comes down to this. If you feel underpaid and you already stated that your employer has a habit of under paying his employees then you have to take the jump.

 

I was self employed. I trained my employes and if a job came up for them that paid more than I could afford and they told me that they have to take it, I always told them that they would be crazy not to. I understood that and I would do the same thing.

 

You do owe your employer and explanation and it comes down that you just happened to be in the right place, at the right time and opportunity came knocking at the door. I' sure they will understand and I doubt if they will match the salary.

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I turned down a second offer the other day for that reason. It was a difficult decision, since I had only been working at my new job for a few days...it's been going really well. My bosses are really nice and laid back. I would hate to leave them high and dry, especially since they already know I'm overqualified and they were concerned I would leave the moment I found something full time. It was a difficult decision, but since the job offer was contract, it would not have been stable and I don't want to jump from job to job. I will definitely resign when a full time permanent opportunity comes along, but I'm not going to leave a permanent position after a few days for a contract one, because I will eventually be looking for work again and more than likely my current employer would not hire me back if I left after just a few days or weeks of working.

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