Dumb for Turning Down Interview?
I am in my third job post-grad. Each job has been 12-18 months duration. I had a recruiter reach out for a lateral role, same city (HCOL if that matters), essentially the same role/title. However, it'd be a meaningful pay bump for me ($100k + $40k current; $150k + $45k opportunity). I love my current role, coworkers and culture amazing. I'm also very concerned about job hopping too much (this would be my fourth role in five years).
With the pay increase of 50% to my base, would it be dumb to not entertain this? Also note that I am far from an offer, I'm debating if it's worth to even pursue. FWIW recruiter said I would be a strong applicant.
Edit: Thanks for the advice, everyone. I decided to move forward with the interview, we'll see what happens.
What does it hurt to talk to them? Maybe your current shop lets you go this Friday. Maybe your potential future boss is literally the coolest most intelligent person you'll ever meet. Maybe it's an absolute clownshow of an interview and you can rule them out right away. Maybe you talk them up to $175k + $75k to make it worth your time. You'll never know unless you have the talk.
Thanks - would you be at all concerned about switching jobs again after such a short period of time? I promised myself after doing this last time I'd stay at a job for 3 years lol
Maybe a little, but you have to weight that concern against the potential upside, and you don't really know the potential upside until you get further down that track.
50% bump in salary vs. potential resume stigma for me is an easy choice though. Resume timelines don't pay the bills.
You are looking at a 50% bump in guaranteed comp. 100% worth talking to them. If you dont want to, I will.
In a similar role where culture is great, love what I'm doing, and people are nice but that doesn't mean anything. Depending on your org the senior exec/principal in charge could just not like you and push you out, they can look you in the face today saying you're doing a great job and the next day tell you they have to let you go.
I would always keep in mind it is very rare for a company to do you any favors ever and unless you're related to the principal and it's your families firm you always have to be on the lookout for what is best for yourself. You get fired tomorrow no one you work with will be there for you offering support expect maybe a close Associate or VP who will help you with your job search the rest will move on with their lives.
Dang, this kid’s got it!
Lol, just saying.
It's not that binary, good people exist. To say that great culture and great people doesn't mean anything to you, suggests to me you haven't worked somewhere toxic. Once you have, you'll realise it means everything.
I've worked under good people which is how I know but sometimes they don't have the power to do what they want and can't stay. I've worked in toxic places which is how I know.
Never hurts to take the initial call to see what is going on. You can always remove yourself from the process later on.
18-24 months isn't terrible. It is when you accepted a new job 3 months ago and are out looking that it looks really bad.
Pay jump is significant, I can't deny that, but just remember that the grass isn't always greener and money isn't everything.
Sometimes you end up making more by climbing the ladder where you are, and reaping the rewards as your seniority increases and you get access to the carry (if applicable). Real estate is about the long game, not the short game.
Ultimately it's a personal choice, money isn't the be all and end all. I've made this mistake before. In your shoes today, what's another 50k? Is it going to change your life immeasurably? No.
Would you be willing to change your lifestyle today, for an extra 50k, to never have time to see your family and friends, be forced to rule out weekday date nights with your GF and be constantly glued to your laptop on vacation? A very real scenario.
As you mature you realise there are things you value and prioritise beyond your job. Maybe money is everything and you're willing to give up your lifestyle and work to live. But maybe you actually want to spend time with your loved ones, in the slower lane, while still earning more than enough to live comfortably.
Now this doesn't mean you can't take the interview, but what's the point? You sound like you're in a good place and good people are hard to find. I had to move four times to find what I was looking for (in terms of culture), while if I stayed at my starting point I'd probably be earning close to what I am now.
I have a friend who was in a similar position. He was working for a company that he loved, but interviewed with a company that would pay him 30%-40% more. After getting the offer, he went to his company and told them "I love working for this company and the people and I want to continue working for this company, but I just received an offer that financially i cannot turn down. Would it be possible to match their offer or at least close the gap, so that I can stay?" His company ended up matching the other offer.
Exactly. I would recommend this approach.
I think I'm going to go with this approach. Had another friend in the same position, but when he requested they match his company didn't budge. He was basically forced to take the offer at that point. I think he made the right choice, but I just want to be prepared to accept the offer if I need to. Thanks for the reply.
That's a honest and direct way to approach your current employer, but given the current market would you be concerned about how they might view your commitment level? As in, "you were ready to jump ship so if someone has to go, it's going to be you".
Well the advice I provided is quite general, not specific to any market, but there’s a couple factors to consider. First, usually if you “love” a firm/the people/culture, then those people probably also like you and want you to stay. Second, you could probably gauge how the firm is doing based on workload and projects. If you’re sitting on your thumbs everyday, then yeah you might need to consider the potential for a layoff, but if you are busy and dealflow is good, then the company would probably rather pay you a bit more (what is $25k-$50k to these companies?) than hire a new associate that they have to re-train.
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