When do you decide to change jobs?
Discussion
Season's greetings,
I work for a medium-sized consultancy doing technical cybersecurity work. My team are global but only about ten of us. I've only been with the company for about 18 months but really made a big impact, partly due to my own efforts but also just due to taking a leading role in most of the big things which have happened.
I was previously in a manager position in my old job but don't manage anyone in my current. I am simply a "senior consultant" - probably soon to be promoted to Principal Consulant. Btw, it's fairly common to move between management/technical in my industry... I also went from public sector to private, so a real shift in career.
Good things
Pay is very strong
WFH all the time
Pick and choose my own hours, e.g. I can start at 1030am or 7am and as long as I'm available it's fine
Boss doesn't care where I work from - e.g. Spain, UK, coffee shop or living room
Bonus - probably in June and likely to be about 15% of my salary
No weekend work - there is on-call but only between 10am and 4pm, very rare to be needed
Not so good things
My team are a mixed bag, I often feel like I am carrying those who work in my region
There's a real lack of team ethic/comraderie and general "togetherness". This does exist in some remote jobs, but not this one
I am not using my previous management skills/experience. Part of me feels I am not working to my potential.
Job potential
There's a job at Microsoft which I look perfect for. It's a management role. I know someone who works there on the team and they can put my CV straight to the boss. Guaranteed interview, and I am fairly confident that it could lead to an offer.
It looks great on the CV obviously, but I am reluctant at upsetting the status quo, disrupting everything to change jobs, going into a more corporate company where it would likely be way more rigid.
No idea on pay or salary. It's a manager role but it would probably be the same as my current pay. I'd be surprised if it was more.
Question for you
How do you decide on when to move jobs?
What's your big "sign" apart from feeling absolutely miserable? It's obviously more difficult if you're content/happy enough?
I am not trying to jump the gun but I don't want to start applying if I am not going to leave.
I work for a medium-sized consultancy doing technical cybersecurity work. My team are global but only about ten of us. I've only been with the company for about 18 months but really made a big impact, partly due to my own efforts but also just due to taking a leading role in most of the big things which have happened.
I was previously in a manager position in my old job but don't manage anyone in my current. I am simply a "senior consultant" - probably soon to be promoted to Principal Consulant. Btw, it's fairly common to move between management/technical in my industry... I also went from public sector to private, so a real shift in career.
Good things
Pay is very strong
WFH all the time
Pick and choose my own hours, e.g. I can start at 1030am or 7am and as long as I'm available it's fine
Boss doesn't care where I work from - e.g. Spain, UK, coffee shop or living room
Bonus - probably in June and likely to be about 15% of my salary
No weekend work - there is on-call but only between 10am and 4pm, very rare to be needed
Not so good things
My team are a mixed bag, I often feel like I am carrying those who work in my region
There's a real lack of team ethic/comraderie and general "togetherness". This does exist in some remote jobs, but not this one
I am not using my previous management skills/experience. Part of me feels I am not working to my potential.
Job potential
There's a job at Microsoft which I look perfect for. It's a management role. I know someone who works there on the team and they can put my CV straight to the boss. Guaranteed interview, and I am fairly confident that it could lead to an offer.
It looks great on the CV obviously, but I am reluctant at upsetting the status quo, disrupting everything to change jobs, going into a more corporate company where it would likely be way more rigid.
No idea on pay or salary. It's a manager role but it would probably be the same as my current pay. I'd be surprised if it was more.
Question for you
How do you decide on when to move jobs?
What's your big "sign" apart from feeling absolutely miserable? It's obviously more difficult if you're content/happy enough?
I am not trying to jump the gun but I don't want to start applying if I am not going to leave.
Just to be clear, I am very happy with my pay and the conditions are good. That was why my question was more about other aspects.
For me primarily, it's that I am not working to my potential and think I may have a better career path elsewhere. Particularly as there is not much progression in my company as it is a small consultancy and I am in a specialised field.
For me primarily, it's that I am not working to my potential and think I may have a better career path elsewhere. Particularly as there is not much progression in my company as it is a small consultancy and I am in a specialised field.
okgo said:
This is the 3rd or so thread you have made about this job now isn't it? You clearly don't like it or have an issue with it.
Apply for the other one, I assume equity would be part of the Microsoft gig which would likely make any package from them very much more competitive than what you're on now. Though it is not unlikely that Microsoft as per many large tech companies now (Salesforce, AWS etc) will want you on site more often, it is 3 days a week in some of those companies now.
What do you have to lose to go through the process and get an offer?
I don't think I've made any threads about jobs, at least not moving or being unhappy. Are you sure you aren't confusing me with someone else? Why do you think I am unhappy? I have explicitly said in this thread "I am very happy with my pay and the conditions are good" so I have absolutely no issue with the job, aside from the same general daily frustrations people have but they're minor. Apply for the other one, I assume equity would be part of the Microsoft gig which would likely make any package from them very much more competitive than what you're on now. Though it is not unlikely that Microsoft as per many large tech companies now (Salesforce, AWS etc) will want you on site more often, it is 3 days a week in some of those companies now.
What do you have to lose to go through the process and get an offer?
My question is mainly about career progression, about when to move on, what factors people consider.
It's a good point about the equity, that crossed my mind. I applied for the job earlier today, primarily so I didn't miss out as I'd like to at least talk to someone about it. I'll see what happens and whether to continue with the application or not depending on if I get a call back.
It's entirely remote this job. They do stipulate "possible travel to client sites" but this is very rare these days.
EDIT: I did make a thread back in August last year asking about how long to stay in a job. At that stage I was the person on my team in my timezone. So it was really frustrating, isolating and just not very good overall. I wasn't unhappy, but just a bit unsettled.
Edited by redrabbit29 on Thursday 25th April 17:21
True but one of those was the week I started when my immediate manager had resigned the day before I started. Also after leaving my previous role of 17 years.
The other two are around the same time period (June and August 2023) when I was still on my own with no team or support.
Times have moved on and for around 10 months it's been absolutely fine. I'm due a promotion in a month but not sure I want to stay long term for various reasons. I've applied to Microsoft just to consider my options.
To be very clear I'm happy and I'm not desperate to move. My question was about when to consider a new position, especially when the current is absolutely fine.
The other two are around the same time period (June and August 2023) when I was still on my own with no team or support.
Times have moved on and for around 10 months it's been absolutely fine. I'm due a promotion in a month but not sure I want to stay long term for various reasons. I've applied to Microsoft just to consider my options.
To be very clear I'm happy and I'm not desperate to move. My question was about when to consider a new position, especially when the current is absolutely fine.
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