Ask HN: Choosing paths, what will you do? | Hacker News Reader

Ask HN: Choosing paths, what will you do?

2 pointsprofessorTuring4 comments

I know this is a very personal decision but I would like to ask to the HN community for their thoughts. After all, more input, better decisions =)

I have been given the opportunity to follow the security path in a well known bank (somewhat a security project manager). This was a no-brainer for me like two weeks ago but... In my current enterprise, out of the blue, a week ago (without anyone knowing I was planning on leaving) I have been given the opportunity to change to the new "Innovation" team, in which we will need to go to congresses, stay up to date and provide the enterprise with input on where to move it. My current enterprise is also a well known enterprise in Europe but in the betting and gambling industry.

The bank offers me a better salary (around 20% more) and a well known path inside security management. On the other hand I know nothing about innovation but I believe I could be good at it, but I don't know nothing about a path in "innovation" and the job market in innovation.

What are your two pennies? What do you think about this innovation career?

As many engineers, I'm attracted to the "innovation" aspect. I've worked on that capacity for a number of years and it can be very rewarding, e.g. participating in congresses, keeping up-to-date, leading proof-of-concept projects and evangelizing.

But it has a downside that it can be frustrating because new tools, processes, architectures, etc. are not easily applied at existing business units, for a number of reasons, even when management and employees would like to use them. There's a lot of inertia and hidden costs to be overcome, not to mention risks associated with the changes.

It's not a bad job, but the security job offer sounds better, being also in a reputable company, with better salary and clearer career path.

Even if the results of the innovation projects are successfully applied to the existing teams and projects, and produce measurable gains, it doesn't sound likely that any raises you'd get in the, let's say, next 2 years, would offset the advantage of starting at 20% more in the next job as initial compensation, with room for further progress.

Thank you for your insight =)

Take the Well Known Bank job, change is good. It looks like a promotion from a career perspective.

Assuming the bank has it's own innovation team, befriend the people working on those projects-- or you can champion innovation with your new colleagues. Also, you can ask the bank for budget/time to attend relevant industry congress events.

These have some good points =)

Reply on news.ycombinator.com