Author Topic: which job to choose (within same company)  (Read 2391 times)

Case

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which job to choose (within same company)
« on: September 01, 2016, 07:19:27 PM »
I am not naturally a good decision maker; I antagonize over details and struggle to come to a final choice.  I could really use some advice on logical ways to make confident decisions.

My situation is that I work in front-end R&D at a large company.  I have been in my current job  (job A) for 4 years.  There have been rough times especially in the beginning, but I've finally hit a decent stride and have enjoyed the job for the past 6-12 months.  Recently my company was acquired by another company and as a result within Job A there are going to be new interesting opportunities that intrigue me; additionally, I have an interest in continuing my current projects which are finally going fairly well.

Meanwhile, in the past week I have found out that a different group outside of my current one is interested in having me join them.  The job they are potentially offering me (Job B) is R&D as well, but not farther down-stream, closer to the customer.  I don't have experience in the particular area of work in Job B, and therefore it is harder to predict if I will be successful.  My graduate training is most directly suited for Job A, although it is not uncommon for people to go use their fancy-pants graduate training in jobs similar to Job B.  In terms of money, there probably are no differences between Job A and Job B.  Some people think that working in jobs that are closer to the customer can be a career opportunity... bu this is mostly an unknown to me.

So, I am torn.  Both options are decent options.  Job A is a good fit currently, and I would like to see my projects to their fruition; additionally, there could be very interesting new projects within Job A in future, though it is hard to predict their timeline.
Job B would be a decent fit as well, but there is some uncertainty since it is not my current area of expertise.  On the other hand, Job B offers a new kind of professional experience that ideally will leave me more well-rounded.

I know that it's hard to give proper advice without actually being in my situation and knowing all of the details.  If any of the good decision makers out there could let me know how they arrive at decisions in cases like this, I'd appreciate it.  Alternatively, if you are a poor decision maker like me but have worked out a good system for making choices, I'd love to hear it.

ETBen

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Re: which job to choose (within same company)
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2016, 08:23:28 PM »
What do you see yourself needing now and in the near future?  Seeing projects to fruition is satisfying, but gaining broader experience sets you up well for the future.  However, I imagine that job B has a bigger learning curve which while may be beneficial, might not be the effort you want to put forth.

Basically, where are you on your job trajectory?  Aiming high and far, or want to take a more predictable path and focus on satisfaction.

etselec

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Re: which job to choose (within same company)
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2016, 09:32:54 PM »
How do you like working with the other people in your current group? What can you tell about the people in the other group — is there a similar culture? How is your relationship with your current supervisor vs. the reputation of the new supervisor?

For me, getting along with the people I work with makes such an enormous difference to how I like my job. If the answer to the above questions is not "ehh, probably about the same" then it'd be a no-brainer for me to choose the group I fit better with.

Case

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Re: which job to choose (within same company)
« Reply #3 on: September 02, 2016, 04:38:56 AM »
How do you like working with the other people in your current group? What can you tell about the people in the other group — is there a similar culture? How is your relationship with your current supervisor vs. the reputation of the new supervisor?

For me, getting along with the people I work with makes such an enormous difference to how I like my job. If the answer to the above questions is not "ehh, probably about the same" then it'd be a no-brainer for me to choose the group I fit better with.

I get along well with the current supervisor; new supervisor, I am going to inquire the people in the new group.  She is new to the group (job B) and so has less of a reputation.

I get along well with the current group members, and I would get along well with the new group members.

Culture-wise, there are differences, though both still 'decent' overall.  Job A is a bunch of PhDs, recently out of school.  There is a little more intensity in this regards.  Job B, the group atmosphere is probably a little more relaxed.

Case

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Re: which job to choose (within same company)
« Reply #4 on: September 02, 2016, 04:45:26 AM »
What do you see yourself needing now and in the near future?  Seeing projects to fruition is satisfying, but gaining broader experience sets you up well for the future.  However, I imagine that job B has a bigger learning curve which while may be beneficial, might not be the effort you want to put forth.

Basically, where are you on your job trajectory?  Aiming high and far, or want to take a more predictable path and focus on satisfaction.

Since I plan to eventually FIRE and in today's world company change is more common, I find it unlikely i'll be with the company long-term (though who knows?).  Therefore, a reasonable estimate of time left in the company is 5-10 years, but again, who knows.

My trajectory is not to aim high and far.  I don't want to short change myself for the medium term, but i think it's important to focus on immediate projects and success.