New job offer advice sought (please)

paul76_2

Hi,

This is my first post on this website and I was wondering if anyone could offer any advice.

I currently work for a major multinational company as a project buyer, I have been there for 9 years and it is the only proper job I have ever had. Current salary is £32K

I have now been offered a job with a government backed organisation as a senior buyer, salary offer is £37K

So, could anyone help with my questions?

1. Do you need to move companies to ensure future career prospects?
2. Is it a bad thing to work for one company for many many years?
3. Is it a good move going from the public to private sector?
4. Is working for a company whom only focus is on one industry sector good or bad?

Accepting the job offer (having never done this any advice?)

1. When do I resign? & How?
2. I am really worried about the job offer being subject to a medical and references (medical is ok, unless they tell me I am going to drop dead / I don’t expect bad references, however, can you employer refuse to give a reference?)
3. I guess it is the practical situation of handing in your notice I am worried about, once you accept the job offer and hand your notice in can it go sour?

I am just looking to do the right thing as I have small children, therefore, I need to secure my families future……

Any help / advice would be great.

Thanks in advance

kelloggs36

Can't answer the first lot of questions, but all you need to do is write a letter advising that you are giving your notice (your contract will state how long that notice should be) and that you will be leaving on x date. You can tell them you are moving to another job if you want to, but don't have to.

If you have worked for many years in one job and have never been disciplined or are not on a warning, then you have no worries regarding a reference. They can refuse to give you one, but aren't allowed to give a bad one. They can state facts, ie. Mr Bloggs has had 365 days off sick in the last year (!) but they can't say that they think you are unreliable for example.

In my experience, you can withdraw your notice before it is due.

With regards your first question, the answer would depend on the company and you as an individual. It is always a risk changing jobs, but you must be a bit unhappy in order to have looked for another. It sounds like a good one to me. Good Luck!!!!

Seaxwyn

HI Paul

If the new job excites you and you think you'll enjoy it, then go for it and don't worry.

If you don't think you'll like it as much but feel you 'ought' to move for the higher salary, stay put.

There is no right or wrong answer to your first four questions. You already have a good track record of staying in one job, it won't do you any harm to move.

Personally I have changed jobs lots of times, and always found the change stimulating.

Giving in your notice is scary, I know, I'm just about to do it myself! But it's really unlikely to go sour so just go with your gut feeling.

Good luck

Seaxwyn.

Emma79

Hi Paul,
I would say that as you have been in your company for 9 years, that perhaps now is a good time to move. I worked in HR in my previous job (not CIPD qualified) and often found that staying in a role for a long time can cause you to become a little stale, and my moving roles/companies can keep you fresher.

Additionally Govt jobs are generally very cushty! Flexible working, pretty good pension schemes, excellent holidays, usually decent training.

With regards to handing your notice in, speak to your line manager but also follow it up with a written note to formalise. Your notice period will be in your contract. You can wait until your references and medical are both clear before you do this, but I would doubt your employer would refuse to provide a reference. They will (if memory serves me correctly) just confirm the dates you worked and uncertificated sick leave.

I know it is scary, but I would go for it... and CONGRATULATIONS!! :T

paul76_2

Thanks folks some really good advice here, this forum is great I didn't expect such a good response.

Would my new employer really allow me to undergo a medical and seek referances before I handed my notice into my existing employer? As my notice is three months....


I dont think obtaining referances & medical would be quick......

Seaxwyn

Hi Paul

They probably would wait. I recently started a job with a local authority and the letter offering me the job actually advised me not to hand in my notice with my previous job until they'd confirmed references & medical were OK.

It didnt take long. The medical bit just involved filling in a form (I think they would only ask you to see a doctor if there was some cause for concern in your case, or if the job was particularly physically demanding), and the references happened quickly too.

Good luck and hope it all works out well for you.

Seaxwyn

clairec79

Mine did - was quite open about the fact I was hoping to go, got a reference from my boss and had time off to go to my medical (had to use my flexitime but they were fine about it)

Mind you I was completely changing fields, so whether that made it slightly better, coupled with the fact that it was a public sector job and everyone there was feeling the 'get out' factor - everyone knew that jobs would be loss in the next year or so - only gutting thing was that I had to leave end of March, and if it had been six months later I oculd have had the redundancy package too

paul76_2

Thanks, how havew others found the process of handing in your notice, getting a medical and referances?

Seaxwyn

Hi again

Giving in your notice can be stressful, especially if you think your boss will be disappointed and try to persuade you to stay. I have to do it too and have posted elsewhere in this forum - look for that thread as I have had some good advice.

However it's a normal part of working life that every manager has to deal with, so it shouldn't be too difficult. You don't need to go over your reasons - just say something positive about the job you are leaving and then show you have a good reason to move on - ie more money and new opportunities.

Look on https://www.i-resign.com/uk/letters/ for some template letters you can download and use. (Someone pointed these out to me on my thread.)

In my case the medical bit just involved filling in a form - but the new company will tell you what you need to do.

And with references - they are more or less obliged to give them I think. So just give them the name of your current manager, unless you have reason to think they would not give you a good one. Rather than a detailed assessment of your character they will be looking for reassurance that you have the experience you said you did on your application, and do not take loads of time off sick.

I did sense in your original post that you weren't wholly sure that you wanted the new job, and you need to be clear about that in your head before resigning from your current one.

Good luck

Seaxwyn