| Topic Name: |
CAREER CHANGE |
| Message Name: |
Go with your gut feeling |
| Date Posted: |
04/24/2002 |
| In Reply To: |
For the last several months (after being laid off in Jan), I have been searching for a CIO (smaller company) or VP/Director of IT (mid-size or larger company) position. Without success. Last month I received an offer from a young Fortune 350 company (on many best places type lists, etc.) to join in a position reporting to a peer manager who reports to a Director (kinda 1.5 down from the Director). I had no other offers imminent and was not sure I would receive an offer (based on then-current interview schedule) from anybody else in the immediate future. Having been also unemployed (dot-com) for several months in early 2001, I did not want to wait around and accepted the position. I started four weeks ago and I am managing about 12 IT project managers through three direct managers.
This company (let's call them company A) has strong revenue and strong profits and is growing but as a new guy I do not anticipate moving up to even a Director position for 2 - 3 years (but could be reporting directly to the Director anytime). I also had to move 400 miles to take this position (family is still back home until I can secure permanent housing in the new town).
This week I received an offer from another (well-established) Fortune 350 company (semi-out of the blue) for a Director position. This position would manage 40 IT professionals through 5 reporting lines and is really the type of position for which I was looking (but had basically given up on finding any time soon in this economy). This position is also a bit closer match to my industry background within IT. And company B is 2.5 miles from my old house (where the family still is).
However, although both companies are Fortune 350, company A (my now current company) is much much stronger (revenues slightly higher, profits 8X those of company B, profit per employee even more than 8X, stock 6X) than company B.
I realize that my now current company (or any company for that matter) would have no qualms about laying me off in the first month or anytime if the company felt such an action was economically needed. However, I feel a bit uncomfortable leaving after such a short time.
The base pay for the Director position is about 20% more than my now current position. The *potential* cash bonus is about 15% less for the Director position (I have no idea what the actual cash bonus that would be given at either place is but it is probably more in my now current position at company A). Company B does *not* offer any equity bonus and my current position at company A does have a small *potential* equity bonus.
So, should I accept the new offer and leave (after a very short time) a lower position in a stronger company to take a higher position in a weaker company (both companies are successful and do have non-trivial positive profits)??
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| Message: |
A wise man once told me to always go with your gut feeling and you can never go wrong. Just make sure you will accept any consequences. If you're in the process of making a decision, and you are losing sleep over it, take a step back and think about it... what is your gut feeling?
That said, it seems to me you know what you want. Company B gives you the position that you wanted to begin with, gives you a higher salary, and it's close to home. You haven't moved the family yet and you won't have to. You'll be much more satisfied with the job as a director. And you'll be making much more by getting a higher salary and saving relocation hassles. Plus, company A (or a similar one) will always be there if you need it.
To me it seems clear cut, but go with your gut feel!
Let us know what you decide to do... and good luck.
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