How to Handle Possible New Job Opportunity?

I have a friend that is a SAHM. She has 4 kids and was never going to leave the home to work.

Her husband was working at the job he got right out of college. He's in engineering.

They lived in this town for years but always wanted to go back to the Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana area STAYING with the same company, it's a world wide company.. They would pray and pray and pray about new jobs, moving, etc...God always seemed to tell them it wasn't time.

One time when they were praying they received a different answer. God said The next job offer in XXXXXX is the job I have planned for you. So the husband thought about his interview skills, resume, and all that would go into making sure he was a presentable candidate for the jobs coming up in the area they wanted.

So he worked on all those things and sent out his resume to the right offices. He also thought Why not send my stuff to another company to see how they react? So he did. He got a call from them and they flew him up to interview him. He and my friend discussed it and he told her he'd stay an extra day and look at housing costs, school districts, churches and at the new temple being built so they'd have a better idea of where they wanted to look once he got the new job with his current company. He thought it went well but didn't want them to offer him a job, he didn't plan on leaving his current company so when they asked him what it would take for him to leave his current position he said he would like more salary. He named what he was being paid at that time then named a ridiculous amount that was about a thousand more a month. Surely they'd never consider him now.

He was confident when his current company set up some interviews with him he'd blow them away. He went, found a lovely suburb town that allowed livestock on the property, had a couple of acres per house, rivers, lakes, and more. He felt so positive this was where his children were going to grow up.

He went home the day after. He got a call about an hour after he got home from the airport. This other company offered him the job, full benefits AND the full amount he'd named. He was flabbergasted! He told them he needed to discuss it with his wife and he'd get back to them by the end of the day.

They looked at each other. Torn between a job he knew, knew he could make the same move and remain with a company he liked and this other company that was almost too good to be true. They prayed again. Should they do this or that. God said I told you the next job offer would be the one I had planned for you.

Well, this was the next job offer.

Not the end of the story...

So they accepted the job offer in the new company. Moved away to Montana, love it, his new job is a dream job. He has the ability to explore ideas and make large changes and hasn't had hardly a bad day since.

In his old job they sold out and merged with another company a couple of years later. His whole department was shipped to a coastal area and at this point it's hardly even a job anymore. It's likely he would have got the next job he applied for in the original company but with the downsizing and moving them all to one area, from everywhere in the USA, to this one town, they fired a bunch of them because they really didn't need that many employees.

He would have lost his job and they'd have moved away to this area they wanted but in a couple of years had to sell out and move to a coastal city. They would have likely lost that job too. She would have had to go to work full time while he was looking for work. We all know how things have gone and how many families have lost everything due to downsizing...

I think God had this plan for them and that it worked out the way it was supposed to.

If you pray, ask for guidance. If you don't believe then why not sit down in a quiet area, get comfortable, and ask yourself what you want. Make a mental list. Go through it. Listen for that inner voice to raise it's objections to each thing.

Sometimes just being quiet and listening to yourself tells us a lot more.

I can't say this strongly enough: Don't let loyalty to a company be a factor, because they are NOT loyal to you, no matter what you may think. I worked for the same corporation for 18 years, first as part of internal staff, then devoting all of my work hours as a freelancer to them. I was part of the team and extremely loyal to that corporation. Drank the Kool-Aid. Well, three years ago at Thanksgiving, they eliminated my job out of the blue. Blindsided at the holidays. I was given a lifeline project that kept the bills paid and eventually they promoted me and things were back to normal. I had been crushed, but gave them a second chance because of my loyalty and disinterest in making a major job change. Then last November, my group was eliminated again out of the blue (we had been invited to the corporate office for a several-day rah-rah session just months earlier and we were surpassing goals). They wanted us to stay on to do a mundane wrap-up project, but I decided to quit. No sense waiting around for the official third gut-kick.

The decision needs to be based on what suits his own professional goals and needs, and that alone.

If he might want to keep working for Company A, he can tell them he has an offer from Company B. If Company A can't offer better incentive, then Company B gets him and he can feel good about it.

That said, a couple years ago my husband left his job of 16 years with a global corporation for a smaller company that only operates in our state. His old employer offered to match the increase in pay when my husband turned in his resignation, but the fact was that he was increasingly unhappy working there and money was not the only issue. For his happiness, it was time to leave.

Added: As far as loyalty goes, my husband struggled with that too. The fact is, his old employer was not loyal to any employee. They were too big for that, he was just another ID number to the Big Bosses. At his new job, the owners know who he is and what he does, and the value he adds to the business.

One thing stood out to me and that's if he's going with a competitor firm, then he can't really work his old contacts can he? Usually there's some sort of clause in contracts and such, but I could be wrong. That's definitely something to look into - because if he's counting on bringing business with him, to help establish company B, then that might not go over so well. And it definitely would burn bridges with company A.

There's always risk involved with leaving something secure. But there's risk you say in if they close his office. I think he'll know more once he talks to his boss today.

I have worked at both a small start up company (thrilling, exciting, moved up ladder quickly, great experience) and also large companies. I found the small start up company had new management constantly and they kept shifting the focus of the business. It was a steady flux of new people. I enjoyed it while I worked there and got great experience - but that was when I was starting out. There weren't the policies or procedures in place when stuff went wrong, so there was quite a bit of drama in the workplace. Bigger established companies often have HR departments etc. Smaller ones don't always. I also worked way more overtime at the smaller place. All of which was great, when I was younger and not with a family. Later on, I preferred the stability of a larger bigger firm.

That was my experience :)

about a month ago i could of typed the same question. with very few alterations. my dh was in the same situation. but he didn't apply to company B, they contacted him because of the recomendation from the ex-coworker. fastforeward to today. he took the new job but didn't burn the bridge to company A, they would be willing to rehire him back if company B does not work out. today was day 1 at the new job so i am hoping that all goes well

There is a lot to weigh in a decision like this.
It sounds like he feels sort of like he is in a rut with Company A.

Does it bother him as much as it bothers you about his "title"? A title is just that..title. Does he feel disrespected or left out at Company A? He needs to be sure he does not have a no compete clause in a contract because if he does, he cannot use his contacts and you could face liability.

I don't mean it rudely but some people get put off by titles and some companies don't have major titles. Example.. hubby and I have our own company and up until his death in 10/2015, he never presented himself as owner/President unless it was at major business meetings/conferences. The only title I ever used was "Managing Partner". Now that I am the sole owner and I am doing both jobs, I still do not use a title other than "Managing Partner" and I have no title on my business cards. We are in sales with raw materials and we deal with a lot of manufacturers.

I understand he likes routine. If Company A is doing new hires, it is less likely they are about to sell. You never know... they could be getting ready to have a rearrangement of management and some lay offs might be coming. I would hope he felt comfortable enough to speak with his management about his potential at Company A.

Company B... the grass is always greener on the other side! It is a start up. The offer sounds nice but you must keep in mind that it is a start up and has the potential to not work out. The title and the raise is nice but don't make a change just for the title and raise.

Change is scary, especially when someone is a major breadwinner of the family. Start ups are scary as well. When we did our start up we took NO salary for at least a year in order to build the base for the company. Of course there is great potential with a start up if everything goes according to plan. I am SO glad we did make the sacrifice to have our company. It still creates stress because I am the only one running it right now making the financial decisions, negotiating contracts, etc. So IF he makes the change, expect some bumps in the road along the way.

It is great that you are so supportive of him and you are his cheerleader. Many husbands don't have that in a wife. Best wishes and keep us posted!

Ugh. I could write this post too, except our potential prospect involves moving out of state away from our whole life! :(

Anyway, back to you! ;) It's tough but it sounds like things might be in flux with company A and perhaps this would be a good chance for him to move on without getting laid off...and it seems like a promotion with good benefits, etc. It is scary that he is starting up an office and has the potential to not bring in enough business, but what is his gut on that one? If this company is up and coming and so far doing well and this is a growing market for whatever business it is, I think it's fine. However, depending on why company A is having troubles (which I gathered from your first paragraph about potentially closing his office) then he has to decide if the same troubles could affect company B.

Good luck!