Sideways move or wait for promotion?

Jo_R_2

Hi all

Am thinking about post-baby career plans... I am due to go back to work in January after 6 months maternity leave. I have been at my current role since September 2004, and upon my last review, I was told I was achieving well and come my return to work, they wanted to start training me up to be a co-ordinator, which is the next step up from my current position. Workload I know will increase heavily and the resultant pay increase for a full-timer is about £3.5k (I work 30 hours per week.)

Now, I was technically made redundant a few months ago but upon interviewing they offered me an alternative role, doing exactly the same job just in another office, but in the next city, which means increased travelling, both to and from work and covering our area, the prospect of which doesn't exactly thrill me for the pay I am currently on! I will be reimbursed for the first 6 months due to relocation through redundancy which will help for that time.

My question really is whether I should return to this job, achieve my promotion then look elsewhere for something closer to home, with my promotion available to boast about :j on my cv, thus hopefully enabling me to aim higher with a sideways move, or would it be feasible to apply for other roles instead of returning to where I am now, hoping the experience I have gained in this field will enable me to secure similar work (of which there is lots) closer to me, at potentially a higher salary than I am on now?

I know it's a long way off but I'm thinking about it already!

Astaroth

In my opinion it is always easier to get a new job if you are already in work.

Typically it is easier to get a promotion by changing job than natural promotion within a department/ company as long as you are good at selling yourself.... you could be a terrible project manager (for example) but if you can put 5 years experience, list some impressive projects and talk the talk then other employers will be desperate to employ you where as your own company wouldnt as they know what you are truly like.

In your situation I would consider going back to work in the higher job and near the end of the 6 months then look for alternative employment - 6 months will enable you to say you are well embeded in the role and looking for new challenges etc where as a shorter period will look as if you are either someone who constantly switch jobs or that there were more significant issues causing your looking for alternative employment.

Jo_R_2

Hi Astaroth and thanks!

I definitely agree with the principle of what you have said regarding the sideways move to get promotion - this is why I have been considering it. I think that what you have suggested is sensible and worth consideration. During the review I mentioned, as well as discussing the next step for me, me and my manager also talked about 'extra' projects, ie things I wanted to pursue on top of the contractual obligations, which was great - I love this role. However, the redundancy situation irked me somewhat - despite being very happy in the role, the people I worked with who were also made redundant were also offered alternative roles which like me were basically the same roles they had been doing previously, but out of five of us, three are still working in the same office, doing the equivalent roles so no changes really for them, and the other was offered a job much closer to home so I am the only one who came out worse in the sense of having to readjust. Obviously that's life, as they say, but I can't help feeling a little bitter about it being as the whole process took place when I was pregnant (still am!) and I'd hoped that they would be able to make things easier for me as they knew I was finding the travelling increasingly more difficult.

As it stands, I should have officially started in my newly relocated role at the end of March; however I was signed off sick and have been since. Despite me loving the role, I am dreading going back because of the amount of travelling I will have to do which has provoked me into thinking of alternatives.

However as I said I think your suggestion is a good one - do you think 6 months is enough to prove myself? I work for a charity where employees are 'naturally' promoted, ie if they are achieving the levels expected of them then they are trained for promotion so I would have a good chance of working my way upwards should I want to.