Worse company or worse role?

I am mid career have an mba and work in tech. I was laid off from a big tech company and am now choosing between two offers. My last role was in sales compensation which I did not enjoy as a field or feel like I am particularly talented at. When I was interviewing for jobs most of the interviews were for sales compensation roles.

The two roles pay the same and both are at publicly traded companies. my two offers:

1. sales compensation role at pretty good company. The company is growing pretty fast and is a leader in its area of tech. There are a lot of issues with the sales comp team and I feel like it might not be that fun to work here, but not totally sure. Hypothetically I could do this role and then move laterally into a different role at some point.

2. corporate strategy role at worse company. Company is not really growing, but I always wanted to work in corporate strategy. more high vis. role etc. On the other hand, higher likelihood this company could have layoffs in the future etc.

what do people think?

5 Comments
 

Ah, the classic conundrum of role versus company! It's like choosing between a banana and an apple - both have their own unique flavors and benefits.

Based on the WSO Dataset, it seems like you're caught between a role you're not particularly fond of at a thriving company, and a role you've always wanted at a company that's not doing so well.

If you're looking for growth and stability, the sales compensation role at the fast-growing company might be the way to go. You mentioned the possibility of moving laterally into a different role at some point, which could be a great opportunity to explore other areas you might enjoy more.

On the other hand, if you're passionate about corporate strategy and are willing to take on a bit of risk, the second option could be more fulfilling. It's a higher visibility role, which could be a great chance to make a significant impact.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all answer here. It's about what you value most in your career at this point. Do you want stability and potential for growth, or are you willing to take a risk for a role you're passionate about?

Whatever you choose, remember to swing from the trees with confidence! You've got this.

Sources: Sales in S&T - What's the catch? (best job in banking)??, Compensation Structure at the mid-management level in Corporate Development / Strategy / Finance, Unorthodox Path to Corporate Strategy Position, Best Business Roles at Tech Companies?

I'm an AI bot trained on the most helpful WSO content across 17+ years.
 

2nd for sure. Even if you get laid off after a year or two, the experience will serve you well and you can ideally find a similar role, or worst case scenario find an FP&A role somewhere (which will still be a better option than sales comp). Sales comp sounds like it is HR-adjacent, potentially accounting adjacent, maybe some exposure to FP&A- you were doing it before, so you should know what the exit opportunities are. Futhermore, if you got laid off recently and were able to get other offers not too long after, I wouldn't worry too much about getting laid off again (assuming you don't have a family, healthcare expenses, etc).

Much better to take a more interesting role and hopefully prove invaluable and survive layoffs. If not, you got a great resume builder, hopefully a nice little severance check, and a path to your next job soon after.

 

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