Current Events > Would you make a lateral career move for a big pay increase?

(+) Yeah! (+)

heres the situation, a recruiter reached out to me about a job that i think i have a decent shot at landing.

in terms of the role & its responsibilities, it would be pretty much exactly what im doing now, just in a different industry and with a somewhat different goal/focus.

the big difference here is that it's like a 30% pay bump from what im making now. it's also nearly double my commute (30 miles each way) but it's pretty much traffic free and id be open to moving up towards that area anyway.

my apprehension here is that i dont want to jump ship from my current job (only been here a year and a half) just for a pay increase, esp since it wont come with a nicer title or greatly expanded scope of responsibilities. im not super satisfied about my current company but i am not burned out yet either and i am kind of sick of job hopping.

obv i have to interview & all that to see if its the right fit but what are your thoughts on this at a high level?
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yes. theres really no downside here...
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That's a lot of money, but would there be a point to the increase for you?

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30 miles each way is chump change

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BuckVanHammer posted...

yes. theres really no downside here...

the downside in my mind is that id be job hopping again after only a year and a half here and i wouldnt really have a more interesting or compelling task to do, it'd be doing the same shit at a different company with the same responsibilities & hoping that the corporate structure there is better.

Bullet_Wing posted...

30 miles extra commute would be a dealbreaker for me personally. Traffic or not, that's at least an hour more of your life gone per day.

long commutes are par for the course in my state, and long term id probably like to move up towards that area since my wife does a 30~ mile commute to basically that same area.
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It sounds like the only downside you could come up with is that you feel bad for leaving your current workplace

that is how the world works dude. They wouldn't think twice about your well being if they had financial pressure to fire you. Look out for yourself.
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Romulox28 posted...

BuckVanHammer posted...

yes. theres really no downside here...

the downside in my mind is that id be job hopping again after only a year and a half here and i wouldnt really have a more interesting or compelling task to do, it'd be doing the same shit at a different company with the same responsibilities & hoping that the corporate structure there is better.

Bullet_Wing posted...

30 miles extra commute would be a dealbreaker for me personally. Traffic or not, that's at least an hour more of your life gone per day.

long commutes are par for the course in my state, and long term id probably like to move up towards that area since my wife does a 30~ mile commute to basically that same area.

a 30 percent bump that close sounds like youre underpaid where youre at. that would be enough motivation for me to move on or ask for a raise and give no shits about the lack of job upgrade. have you changed companies a bunch of times or something?
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BuckVanHammer posted...

a 30 percent bump that close sounds like youre underpaid where youre at. that would be enough motivation for me to move on or ask for a raise and give no shits about the lack of job upgrade. have you changed companies a bunch of times or something?

kind of, ive been out of school for about 7 yrs and have had 3 jobs, longest tenure was just over 3 years
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i would do it

personally speaking i'd want to know how good the team is + if i'd get on well with the manager + right fit (which you mentioned). those are my dealbreakers, but it depends on what makes you happy at the place you work at

i don't value company longetitity that much and i don't think people do either. the longest amount of time i've been at a company is for 2 and a half years, and i've been working professionally for around 5-6. so don't let that hinder your decision

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Parappa09 posted...

i would do it

personally speaking i'd want to know how good the team is + if i'd get on well with the manager + right fit (which you mentioned). those are my dealbreakers, but it depends on what makes you happy at the place you work at

i don't value company longetitity that much and i don't think people do either. the longest amount of time i've been at a company is for 2 and a half years, and i've been working professionally for around 5-6. so don't let that hinder your decision

yea good points, i guess the longevity thing was just me wondering if ive been in this role long enough that i feel i could offer more value somewhere else. still feels like i have a lot to learn
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Romulox28 posted...

yea good points, i guess the longevity thing was just me wondering if ive been in this role long enough that i feel i could offer more value somewhere else. still feels like i have a lot to learn

longevity is definitely a bonus but if you have a stronger deal somewhere else (which you do) then it wouldn't be worth turning down

and like i said before, if you do get an offer from the new company then you can let your current company know + see if there's any benefits they can give you to keep you on the team. even a lateral move makes you look ambitious and confidently know your worth to them

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this honestly seems like a no-brainer. take the new job

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You already said you're down to go through the interview. You are in a good position for that interview because it's not a job you need so you can go in and really see if it is a good fit. If it's not stay at your current job, if it is jump ship. Just make sure you don't burn bridges because obviously having the other company to fall back to if need be would be nice.
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30% more money for exactly the same job? Literally no downside.

The only downside is the added commute, which would suck, but it sounds like it doesn't bother you, and even moving is an option (made easier with the 30% pay boost)
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What are you working for? Income, or a title that means nothing?

Go for the extra income. Titles marginally matter. You can be a VP at a tiny company with 5 employees and nobody would really care, they'd only care if you were maybe a VP at a major firm like Bank of America or Goldman Sachs.

But you can't deny a 30% pay increase for doing the same exact job. Like others have said, the commute would suck but if you have a gas friendly vehicle or public transportation.

At least go for the interview. You have a job already so it's a win-win situation.

Bullet_Wing posted...

One thing you could do is go for the interview and if you get the offer, first try to leverage it against your current position for a raise. If they say no, and you want the other job, you can take it.

This

get an offer, and go to your boss and use it to get a raise

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XXmiznatorXX posted...

What are you working for? Income, or a title that means nothing?

title is kind of important imo, i want to move up in my role + responsibility and it will be more difficult if im not even at a senior lvl position
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Romulox28 posted...

XXmiznatorXX posted...

What are you working for? Income, or a title that means nothing?

title is kind of important imo, i want to move up in my role + responsibility and it will be more difficult if im not even at a senior lvl position

Which company is better and more prestigious on a resume, the current one or the new one?

Reason I ask is because I too used to be into the title thing, but realized different companies treat the titles differently. A director at one company only equates to a manager for the same role at another.

A huge pay increase and no more web apis?

Sign me da hell up

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Money > Title

Title doesnt mean much most of the time

XXmiznatorXX posted...

Which company is better and more prestigious on a resume, the current one or the new one?

Reason I ask is because I too used to be into the title thing, but realized different companies treat the titles differently. A director at one company only equates to a manager for the same role at another.

current company: about $2bn revenue a year, 3k employees, private but probably going to go public in the not so distant future. company is more well known in the markets it operates in but the other day i saw a TV commercial for my company on NBC, so they have some reach

possible job: looks like they make $50 million revenue annually according to some sketchy sites that guesstimate revenue, private company, not a huge player but probably every adult in my state has heard of this company
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30 miles with good traffic is not bad.
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Romulox28 posted...

XXmiznatorXX posted...

Which company is better and more prestigious on a resume, the current one or the new one?

Reason I ask is because I too used to be into the title thing, but realized different companies treat the titles differently. A director at one company only equates to a manager for the same role at another.

current company: about $2bn revenue a year, 3k employees, private but probably going to go public in the not so distant future. company is more well known in the markets it operates in but the other day i saw a TV commercial for my company on NBC, so they have some reach

possible job: looks like they make $50 million revenue annually according to some sketchy sites that guesstimate revenue, private company, not a huge player but probably every adult in my state has heard of this company

Hmm you might get promoted quicker at the new company if the current company is more prestigious. Sure, it'd be lateral now, but it could get you up the ladder faster.

In fact, I'd express that in your interview that you're okay with lateral for now as long as I can move up the ladder. Companies like people who are motivated to move up.

Idk man, I'm with everyone else, all signs point to you at least going to interview for the new gig. It sounds more promising.

Think of this: in a year, you don't want regret being stuck in the same position with maybe a 2% cost of living increase of pay when you could be a manager at the next company already making 30% more with potential to make more if you get promoted.

XXmiznatorXX posted...

Hmm you might get promoted quicker at the new company if the current company is more prestigious. Sure, it'd be lateral now, but it could get you up the ladder faster.

In fact, I'd express that in your interview that you're okay with lateral for now as long as I can move up the ladder. Companies like people who are motivated to move up.

Idk man, I'm with everyone else, all signs point to you at least going to interview for the new gig. It sounds more promising.

Think of this: in a year, you don't want regret being stuck in the same position with maybe a 2% cost of living increase of pay when you could be a manager at the next company already making 30% more with potential to make more if you get promoted.

very good point

im leaning very hard towards the "take the job" camp if everything at this new position looks promising.
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Romulox28 posted...

XXmiznatorXX posted...

Hmm you might get promoted quicker at the new company if the current company is more prestigious. Sure, it'd be lateral now, but it could get you up the ladder faster.

In fact, I'd express that in your interview that you're okay with lateral for now as long as I can move up the ladder. Companies like people who are motivated to move up.

Idk man, I'm with everyone else, all signs point to you at least going to interview for the new gig. It sounds more promising.

Think of this: in a year, you don't want regret being stuck in the same position with maybe a 2% cost of living increase of pay when you could be a manager at the next company already making 30% more with potential to make more if you get promoted.

very good point

im leaning very hard towards the "take the job" camp if everything at this new position looks promising.

Definitely man. That same scenario actually happened to a buddy of mine. He worked at a huge Fortune 500 firm and made a lateral move but more pay to a no-name firm, and now he's senior level management in less than a year of being there.

Good luck! Wishing for the best!

JustMyOpinion posted...

Unless the new company's culture sucks or it's unstable I'd take that in a heartbeat. 30% is a hella good raise. I'd probably jump on that right now if someone offered it to me. That's what % I'm hoping to get when I leave my current place (with a title upgrade) and that's like a year and a half out.

one thing that would make me nervous would be taking 30% increase for what im doing now, and then in the future when im trying to apply for a senior or manager role i barely get a pay increase but my responsibilities are doubled
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JustMyOpinion posted...

Romulox28 posted...

one thing that would make me nervous would be taking 30% increase for what im doing now, and then in the future when im trying to apply for a senior or manager role i barely get a pay increase but my responsibilities are doubled

Well then I just wouldn't be a manager unless I saw a clear path to a promotion after that and more pay. Is the second place a startup? If it is I'd definitely do your due diligence on the culture. Some of them like to paint themselves as fun because they have a ping pong table and you can have a beer at lunch and they claim they're a family, which they kinda are because you'll be seeing them more than your real family when you work crazy hours.

it's not a startup, it's a pretty well established company with franchises in the tri state area. they just arent at the scale of my current job & its a completely different industry
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