| Topic Name: |
to change or not to change... |
| Message Name: |
do you have a mentor to talk to? |
| Date Posted: |
03/07/2006 |
| In Reply To: |
thanks for the advice. i agree that change for the sake of change is not worth it, but when you receive an unsolicited offer doing pretty the same thing at somewhere else for much more $$, it can make you wonder your worth.
i think that i do have good career prospects where i am (i may be wrong) and it annoys me more than anything else to find out what the 'market rate' is for what you do.
do have any recommended career management books that can shed some light on this topic?
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| Message: |
Well, I can see how this would be a difficult decision. And for sure it isn't easy, so you have every right to feel confused.
The fact that it was unsolicited is interesting, and gives you much more leverage with the new employer.
Here is what I would suggest:
1) go to careerjournal.com or a similar career advice site and look for articles on job switching, career changes, and articles that relate to being recruited by a headhunter (they'll give you strategies on assessing the new job vs the old).
2) surf Amazon or the local bookstore for books on career changes. I can't recommend any because I haven't read any specifically on your particular issue, but I know they are out there.
3) find a mentor you trust to discuss the situation with. They may have a good perspective on evaluating the pros and cons of leaving.
4) make a list of all the things you enjoy about your current job. Then take this list and decide what is truly unique about your current place of employment, and what could be found or recreated elsewhere.
5) If you are contemplating switching, I would grill your new prospective employer. You'll want to know all about your colleagues, boss, company politics etc.. You have the leverage to request meetings with people who will give you a picture of what you are getting into.
6) If you end up deciding you don't want to leave, then I would open a discussion with your employer regarding your pay. If it really is below the industry average, then they should recognize your value and raise your pay. If they resist, you can subtley hint that you have turned down other offers for a lot more pay, and while you want to stay where you are, you need to be paid what you are worth.
They should see your value and act accordingly.
Hope that helps. You can email me for further dialog at industryjumper@hotmail.com.
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