Career Path... To stay or go?

[robert7x]

I'm having major second thoughts on the path i choose 2 weeks ago. Here is the quick story...

 

I'm an IT guy... worked in a smaller law firm as their main go-to guy. Great place to work for... I know everyone there and everyone loves me as I do great work and am very dependable when they have issues at 2am etc. I ended up buying a house to be closer to work becuase i didn't think i would leave anytime soon. The thing is, i can't move up there because there is nowhere to move up to... Money is great... But, again, i'd probably be network admin or something like that for a long time.

 

Had an offer (without looking for a job) to go to a bigger law firm and be their IS manager for Deskside support. They offered me more money and obviously... it's a manger position. I took it because it's what i wanted to do... eventually... or so i thought.

 

I had a whole week here (last week) and first of all, the firm is about 10 times the size of my old one... there are 4, 5 departments of different IS and mine is the one that deals with Attorneys/staff only.

 

I'm having major withdrawals from other place and feel like going back because i was happier there. The old place wants me back and before i even left they offered me more than i was making but it wasn't as much as manager position, obviously.

 

I don't know what to do and have been having sleepless nights since i took the job. I feel like i may not be able to fullfill this position as it's different than the other place. The old place i could come and go as i please, here obviously not as i'm a manager... at least one with the title, but i'm still expected to do all the work that the People under me do. I know I can do this job... but it will be hard for some time at first...

 

So, i either go back to the old job... i'll be happier there because i know everything and everyone.. closer to home, i can leave whenever i want, no worries about losing a job ever and maybe down the line i find manager position eventually somewhere else.... I will feel like a looser in a way though because i "couldn't do the job".

 

or

 

I stay, stick it out... work hard for a long time until i get a hold of it.

 

thoughts?

[brittney87]

I strongly believe that your inner happiness is worth much more than a paycheck. I would go back to the old place of employment where you were comfortable. Don't look at it as if you couldn't do the new job, look at it as its just not the right time for you.

[Carnatic]

It does sound to me like you already know what you want, which is a good thing, many people in your shoes are a lot more conflicted.

 

You said previously that the money was great at your old place, and even that they have offered you a pay-rise to keep your services; so ask yourself, what would you plan to do with the extra money at the new place, because if you can't think of an answer to that question then money is a moot point.

 

That leaves it as the fact that you want a position of more responsibility/esteem against all the things that made you happy at the old place (and to be the sole IT professional for a law firm does sound like quite a responsible position), but is that extra responsibility actually contributing to your happiness in any way, or is it just something that you feel that you should have? You have ambition and you certainly shouldn't think that whether or not you stay in your new job is any reflection on your ability.

 

So weigh it up and decide which is more important, achieving an ambition, or working somewhere you're happy. As you say, this isn't necessarily the only opportunity you'll have to be a manager, and there are many people who spend their whole lives chasing ambition, only to realise once they hit their fifties that they were happiest when they were working for a smaller company or in a job with less responsibility.

[Edmund Exley]

With more money and a title comes more responsibility. This falls into the grass is always greener and careful what you wish for.

 

So, as to the problem at hand - If you go back, will you be regretting your chance for advancement and looking out the window for something else again in a year or 2?

[zep]

It's only been a week! Of course it will still seem stressful and overwhelming. You should give yourself a few months to acclimate before making any decisions. You can always move back to a lower/less stressful position. Definitely give it time.

[mhowe]

You are experiencing....growth. It can be uncomfortable. But -- you will never grow if you don't push yourself.

 

I think you should give the "new" job at least 6 months -- if you go back to the first place, they will know that you "retreated" and it won't be the same anyway.

[robert7x]

To answer some of your questions... If i go back to my old job... probably within 3-5 years I may want to explore the Manager position. I wasn't looking for this job now, but it just happened. I feel that i'm still young in a way and could learn more at my old job by working with my manager and continue exploring the whole IT business.

 

The thing is... my old job is not going to be available for much longer... They need to hire someone else soon! They are interviewing and all, but don't want to make an offer until they know 100% that i won't be going back.

 

As far as what i want... well, in one hand i wish i never got this offer as i was happy at my old job... there were some times when i was quite bored... but i still found things to keep me occupied.... If my pride wasn't a concern, i'd probably go back and forget about this whole manager job i had for a week HA!

 

I just think that if i stay, i'll end up working my ass off not because the job is hard, but because this company i'm in is structured wrong and a lot of people are pushing off their chores and responsibilities to my department and i can't do anything about it. It's the way it is!

[blueidealist24]

It sounds like you really want your old job back. I think if you go back to the old job though, you should stay at least 3 more years there.

[Carnatic]

So what's the structure at the old job? You are working under an I.T. manager there? Sorry if I thought you were saying you were the sole guy at that place.

 

It could mean though that there is some scope for advancement while you're at the smaller firm. How old is your manager and how long has he/she been there? It could be that your old manager might want to set sail for pastures new at some point in the next few years if they are still youngish too and as you say, it's not possible to get to the very top of your profession in a small firm.