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Apologies in advance for the long read.
Bit of back story to begin with.
In what was with hindsight some terrible timing, I quite my job at the end January. I had a plan, take a month if 2 out and then aim to start something late March, early April. As you can imagine this hasn’t gone to plan...
The dilemma.
I’m likely to be offered a job in the next week or 2 by a lovely fella at a a small firm, starting late June. I’ll be a reasonably big hire for him, and me coming in is a big deal for the business. I’m not a cheap hire and the nature of what I do is that it’ll take 6 months at best to get any return.
The issue is that it’s doing pretty much the job I left and so I have no intention of staying long term. I resigned as I wanted out of the industry.
I had 2 other jobs lined up before lockdown that will hopefully come live again later this year, they’re what I actually want to do rather than continuing what I do now. If/when they come live I will accept one of them, so leaving the first job after not long.
Am I being a dick taking a job knowing that I likely won’t stay long and that I don’t really want to do that role, particularly bearing in mind it’s a small firm and coming and going quickly will not go down well?
Or shall I just look after myself, I haven’t got a job right now and whilst I can afford a good few months off I’d like to get back into the real world soon!
Take it, jobs will be like unicorn poo for the rest of the year. The new jobs you have lined up could easily be put back further and further or cancelled altogether. You could also find you love the work and atmosphere at the new place and don't want to leave!
Take it as it's paid work now, much better to be in a job and waiting for things to pick up again than stuck jobless watching the savings disappear.
I took a job to fill in. That was 24 years ago and I'm still filling in. Go for it, the future is a lot more uncertain than ever and as above you might change your mind about what you want to do when you're working for the right company. We used to do a lot of shows for the CIPD, one thing that all exit surveys showed was that people left their bosses noy their jobs.
Tell him that you are only thinking short term. Let him decide
To me it would be a dick move
If you reversed the scenario, how would you feel? Say you took one of those more attractive jobs, but after 3 months you were let go, and the owner admitted they'd just been waiting for a better candidate to finish their gardening leave.
Sounds like in your position there could be options at any time. Is there an option to take the first job and commit to a time-frame where you can deliver results? If you were honest about that, do you think they'd still offer you the job?
I was worried that the comment that I’m not a cheap hire might be misinterpreted. I mentioned it as it’s not like he’ll be hiring a grad, I’ll have a bigger impact on his business and his bottom line (negative in the short term, positive in the long term).
Tell him that you are only thinking short term.
As I said, I won’t make him any money for 6 months minimum, so if I tell him he won’t hire me.
Is there an option to take the first job and commit to a time-frame where you can deliver results?
Realistically, I’ll break even in year 1, any profit comes year 2, fairly standard in this kind of role. I don’t want to be doing that job any longer than I can, I’m trying to get out of the industry and the 2 other jobs are part of the way out.
Am I being a dick taking a job knowing that I likely won’t stay long
Yes, a bit. And bearing on mind that you appear to be loaded and don't really need the money.....
If you value your free time more than you value the money you would earn from this job then turn the job down. If you value the money more than your free time then take the job.
If you turn it down make sure you have enough cash to last 12 months without any more work
You really have no idea how things will pan out regarding the other jobs, so I'd be playing it safe, but it does all Hinge on how much you need the money from the new job.
Sounds like your conscious is working fine & telling you what to do: you're describing the negative impact it'll have on lovely fella at a small firm.
You don't always have to look after number one 🙂
I'm inclined to think if you can afford it and know something will be coming later in the year, then it would be a poor move.
Will what you are going to do that has no return in 6mo but pays back longer term - will they still get that return even if you leave or once you go is that it (eg: bringing new customers who'll then follow you again)
If there is a long term benefit to your hire whether there or not - what about speaking honestly and suggesting a short term consultancy arrangement, you could even do it at a lower rate if you feel bad about it and who knows, it may be great and you could make it permanent if it is?
And bearing on mind that you appear to be loaded and don’t really need the money…..
Hahaha, if only it were true. I left a role with some contingency money in the bank, but that will run out. Mrs Lunge took a 60% drop in salary last year so I need to find something soon ish.
If I knew when the other roles would come live I’d be more inclined to wait, but it could be a month, it could be 6...
I’d say take it. A bird in the hand and all that. But, I’d be thinking of staying more medium term, say 2 years, which will let the economy settle and a new normal develop.
If you do decide not to take it, then it's definitely worth telling the bloke hiring you why, as he may give you more info/things you hadn't Considered that means you can actually take the job and quit in 6 months with a clear conscience, ie make it the hiring fellas choice as to whether you take the job or not
I would have a good honest talk with the nice guy from the small firm. Put your cards on the table tell him what your plan is and see if there is a middle road you can agree on. You get in there at a cost he can handle, help to bring his company on and develop in the direction you you have expertise in. In return he is able to give you something to tide you over until the other stuff comes along. You could also be a part of finding your replacement and leaving a legacy in the business. Win win.
Take the job, keep your feelings to yourself until your 3 month (or whatever) initial review. The one where you ask each other how's it going, is everything working out how you expected?
Because in my experience when anybody says they want a complete change, want out of the industry etc. what they really want is something pretty much the same but with less of the bad stuff and more of the good stuff. And if you're a seasoned professional then it's rare to be slotted into a great role in a completely new industry.
You never know, you may have found something that suits you. It would be a shame to plant seeds of doubt, especially when any realistic employer knows that a new hire at a senior level always comes with risk.
No one else is going to pay your bills.
Take job
The moral thing to do would be to take the job but be up front about your intentions, give them chance to say no and take on someone else. In your situation it's probably what I'd do.
However, I see little compelling reason to feel obliged to afford a prospective employer any such thing. Few would have such compunctions if roles were reversed and they only needed you for six months, or if later they suddenly felt the need for redundancies. It's a business not a group of your mates.
Have you thought that it wasn’t the job, but the company that made the decision why you left in January? Take it. You may feel completely invigorated, get on like a house on fire and really feel like you’re making a difference. As you said, you aren’t cheap and it’s a big hire for him. He’s counting on you. Show him your best. Then if you want to move on, help find the replacement and you’ll all be better off.
You could also find you love the work and atmosphere at the new place and don’t want to leave!
I have spent ages looking for the perfect job in the past, only to get there and find I didn't like it at all.
Ended up accepting another I thought I really didn't want, and loved it.
Depends how much respect you have the bloke I suppose, being dishonest about your intentions isn't the best start. But it might be worth going in with a mindset that you might actually enjoy it.
avdave and TiRed have covered what I would have said.
Your viewing a job you haven't started through the prism of one you've left.
Your timing was crap but that was due to circumstances you could neither foresee nor control; your wife took a chunky reduction last year.
I don't think you have any viable option other than to take the job and give it your best shot; keep your thoughts to yourself.
If it's exactly the same as a job you left because you didn't want to do it anymore, then you won't "grow to like it".
Don't take a job you don't really want and have no intention of sticking with. Rather let someone else take the job, give it their all and stay long enough for this guy to recoup his losses.
You can wait for something that really suits you to come along, make the most of your time off and then excel when you start working again.
Everyone wins.