Ask HN: Should I take this offer? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Should I take this offer?

1 pointDiraxic5 comments

I'm looking to see if I could get some career advice as I don't have a lot of people with experience in this area to talk to.

I live in the midwest and started working at my current job in 2009 when I graduated with my CS degree. This company is a fairly popular financial website that most people have heard of. I was hired at $58k. I mostly do the more advanced JavaScript development for my current company which makes my skills somewhat unique around here.

About 7 months ago another company expressed interest in me and made me an offer. My current employer made a counter offer ($77k with a $4k 1year retention bonus) and even though I know most people say don't take the counter-offer, I took it. I liked my current position and the people I work with and I got the vibe that they really didn't want to lose me.

Now, again - a company has expressed interest in me. They have some jQuery/Backbone/Node.js work and made a generous offer of $95k. This new company is smaller than my current company and the site I would be working on would be behind a wall with a much smaller user base.

I need help deciding if I should take this new offer.

Pros (for taking the new offer): * $18-20k salary increase * Work from home 2 days a week * Somewhat flexible working hours * Would be entering at a "Senior" level title.

Cons: * I like my current co-workers, boss. * I like my current work/high profile projects I'm on. * Would have to break retention bonus (pay back $4k) * I would have to wear business casual (I know this shouldn't be a big deal, but I really enjoy the casual dress of my current employer. Almost irrationally so.) * The new office looks slightly drab, the cubes aren't as nice as my current place. * The new offices programmers seem a good bit older than me. Might not be a big deal but I'm used to a bunch of young devs my age.

Part of me doesn't want to upset people at my current place and I do enjoy my current work I do. Another part of me thinks I would be crazy to turn down such a salary so early in my career. No matter what I choose, I do plan on moving to the coast in ~2 years when my wife graduates from her masters program.

Can anyone who has been down this path give me some general advice?

I've been down this path 3 times in the last 4 years, and I have always switched companies to a) get a significant salary increase (20%+) or b) to get a chance to work on higher-profile projects. In your case, you like the projects and your coworkers, but are they work $20k per year? Or are you willing to take a chance that the new place will suck in exchange for $20k more? If I were you (and I was in this exact position a year ago), I would go for the title and the money now, because your current salary tends to dictate the next. Even if you don't like the new place, if you tough it out for a year, you can find something else and start the salary discussions at $95k+ instead of $77k+. And who knows, you may even like the new place more than the current one on top of the higher salary. Whatever you do, don't be tempted to ask your company for another counteroffer. You can only play that card once.

Take the money. You are unlikely to get another 18-20k raise without changing jobs. You are not on a coast? Plan on moving west or east? It's expensive out here... Take the money and try and save half your income if you can - it will put you in a position to take risks down the road.

Don't fool yourself into thinking for a second that your current company would not drop you to suit their needs. You don't owe your current company anything except to do your job and be a professional. If you start to feel guilty just remember that it took you possibly leaving for them to give you a reasonable raise. Sign the papers with the new place, give notice and give back the 4k if you have to.

Finally, there are things those older developers can probably teach you. Strive to work with people more experienced than yourself.

A few things come to mind after reading your questions. Note that I went through a very similar situation and in 3 cases went for the money. IMO, 2 of those cases were a mistake on my part.

If you like your current boss, coworkers, the work you do and the office I would stay. It is, in my experience, to find all of those positives in one place.

Also of note, you'll be thought of as "that greedy bastard that keeps asking for more money" if you bring up the new offer. You'll have to resign and tell them your reasoning at that point... But they'll still have the greedy bastard impression and any reference you get from them will likely be tainted.

You put in two years at your current place and they don't want to pay market, you will need to leave. I would take the $95k job but leave the door open. Tell them you are going to 'try' this new job because you need a change. People go back to their old jobs all the time. $4k is nothing, tell your new job you need a signing bonus to overcome some retention issues. If you think of the difference in salary as a $20k annuity for the rest of your career, the job change is worth maybe $400k. Your current coworkers will cheer you on.

You can't move to the Bay Area now?

Sorry - I have an ulterior motive. We're in desperate need of high-level JS/Backbone.js engineers.

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