Advice needed with job

[Bird87_ZA]

I have been working for a company for the past year and a half. I love it here. I honestly want to get up in the mornings and come to work. Coming from a place where I wanted to slit my wrists every day, I couldn't be happier.

But, 2 days ago, I got an email from a recruitment company that has an opening for someone that does what I am doing now, with the starting salary about 12k more than what I am earning now.

Here's my dilemma, do I risk what I have now, go for the job interview, hope they offer me the position and approach my current boss and hope for a counter offer? Or do I keep what I have and forget about the money?

 

[kevinswan007]

depends if you feel you could do with more money.
personally I would take it step by step and apply for the job first and then go for the interview if you get one and see what they are like.

Its not easy to find a good company you enjoy working for, its usually the bosses that make it painful or pleasant.

Also sometimes earning more money comes with more pressure to prove you are worth your salary.

 

[Nemo415]

Go for the interview, you will at least expand your network and perhaps might find a really worthwhile opportunity.

12K more is nice, but look at your current package and compare 'total rewards', i.e:

- Leave
- Medical aid and pension
- Paternity leave.
- Other cool benefits and travel, etc

Also, try and reach out to someone on LinkedIn and ask them how they find working for the company.

A counter offer and accepting it makes your whole relationship with your existing employer awkward. They will see you as potentially not loyal, and you squeezed money out of them by fishing elsewhere.

So:
1. Go for the interview
2. Examine the compensation holistically
3. Do not accept a counter offer
4. If you get an offer from the other company and you feel it is a good stepping stone to a more senior role, go for it.

 

[Noodle]

Agree with above. Go for the interview - if they offer you the position, you can always say no if you don't think it'll be a good move.

 

[Oj0]

Accepting a counter-offer isn't a wise move.

 

[RexTrueform]

Accepting a counter-offer isn't a wise move.

Why would you say that?
Some bosses can be dicks when you accept a counter offer but you found a job before so you can find one again if everything goes sour.
I have accepted counter offers before and it just helped me to improve exponentially faster than if I had not accepted the offer.

 

[Oj0]

Why would you say that?
Some bosses can be dicks when you accept a counter offer but you found a job before so you can find one again if everything goes sour.
I have accepted counter offers before and it just helped me to improve exponentially faster than if I had not accepted the offer.

For one it means they've been knowingly underpaying you. A counter-offer means they're fully aware that you should have been better compensated. Secondly, it very often sours the work relationship.

 

[DoDo]

If you're salaried (ie not sharing in profits), then the only reason you are employed is very likely because you make the company more money than it costs to employ you.

If your role is supportive vs core (or income generating), those numbers are harder to quantify, but the concept remains true.

You simply wouldn't be employed (or employed on those terms) otherwise.

Depending on how much of a "gap" there is between your added value to the company and your salary, and how well people are generally aware of this gap, it can be quite acceptable to accept a counter-offer. In my environment juniors are expected to make approximately 3.2x their salary. This is market practice and well understood. If another firm is willing to pay you more for the same performance targets, then their offering is more competitive. If the firm does make you a counter offer, which is admittedly very rare (juniors are replaceable), there will be no bad blood if you accept it.

Just wanted to say that accepting a counter-offer is not always bad, it depends on the circumstances and your relationship with your employers, but as a general rule i would agree with the other members of the forum that accepting a counter-offer is not a good thing. And you should never use a higher offer to try and squeeze your current employer for every cent. It's one thing when you explain you are leaving to go somewhere else, it's another to tell them you're going somewhere else for better pay (and only better pay) and to tell your employer to persuade you not to leave.