Notice After 17 Years

junkie_ball

Ok so a brief background I joined a company pretty much out of college and have been with them for almost 17 years. I've worked my way up to a manager with my only direct superior now being the MD.

I've recently been offered another position in a completely different industry. I know my prospects for further development / progression at my current employer is pretty much nil whereas the new company has a turnover of 9 billion pounds per annum and operates in 60+ countries and has been in business for over 200 years giving plenty of room for progression.

Firstly even after two interviews however with the new company the role has only been briefly outlined without any details even after lots of questioning them about the role. I appreciate there is an element of development in the role so the company may not know 100% themselves.

This however is making it very hard to decide if the role is right for me and i am really nervous about handing my notice and ending my relationship with my current employer after so long. If I go to the new job and not get on with it I could end up without a job at all. I appreciate a new job will always have an element of the unknown but do you guys think this would be a calculated risk worth taking when i know so little about the new position and the company is unable to provide further details? I need to make a decision in the next day or so but i keep going back and forth as whether to take the leap. I'd appreciate some non bias input on it.

Neil_Jones

The turnover of the new company may be impressive but bear in mind Woolworths had revenue/turnover of £2,969,600,000 in 2008 - which didn't stop it going out of business after 100 odd years.

Only you can decide whether its worth handing in your notice after 17 years, to stay with a company that long is quite impressive in itself especially in this day of many people having a string of jobs in their lifetime, the concept of a job for life having disappeared out the window years ago.

I would say if you're in any doubt about the new role/company and you question them until the cows come home and still no get no answers, that behaviour should ring alarm bells, because you should at least know what it is you're going to be doing, unless you like twiddling your thumbs all day.

suki1964

Moving forwards, from a safe place is always difficult


However you need to ask yourself why you went to the interviews if you are so happy where you are

Doshwaster

junkie_ball wrote: »

Firstly even after two interviews however with the new company the role has only been briefly outlined without any details even after lots of questioning them about the role. I appreciate there is an element of development in the role so the company may not know 100% themselves.

Exactly this. The company may have idea of the role it needs filling but the exact duties and responsibilities that the successful candidate will end up doing will vary according to the person they find. A job description is basically a wish list but often it's impossible to find the perfect person who fits every criteria.

I started a new job last year. If I look at the job advert there are some things that I am doing now, some I'm not and others which weren't even listed. A new role is what you make it.

TELLIT01

I tend to agree with Neil Jones. If the company can't explain at least the basics of what the role will be, and their projected path for it, I would be concerned. I accept that they may not be able to dot every I and cross every T of a new role, but they need to have some kind of defined framework in place from the start.

getmore4less

Why can't you progress at your current place,

Does it not have scope for growth change that you could get involved in and maybe drive.

New_and_Improved_Me

I can understand your dilemma, having been in the same boat many moons ago. I was in the same job for 13/14 years, first job straight out of Uni. It was my first 'Proper' graduate job.

When I left it was SO hard to think outside the 'Safety Net' of the company, I had been with for all my working life.

However, unlike you I was PUSHED OUT via Redundancy. Truth be told, if I wasn’t pushed i would still be with them.

7/8 years on - I have never been happier, it was the best thing that could have happened. It allowed me to put the skills I had to use and I am making more money then i was back then.


I've often said i would like 'Thank and shake' the hand of the person that decided, I was to be 'Kicked out' .

It sounds like the job you are applying for is a SNR. professional role of some sort, these type of roles are always hard to define.


In life sometimes you have to take a leap of faith, no mater how dark and deep the hole is

Personally, i would say GO FO IT.

You sound like you have some good skills from having worked in the same industry for 17 years.


Worst case scenario - Even if this job turns out to be a DUD, I'm sure you will have no issue finding another.

LawAbiding

So I am on Garden leave currently after working for the current company for just over 2 years.

I am heading to a company, to a job which I have never done before, but fact i went through 3 interviews makes me feel confident that the company feel that I can do the job.

Change is always a big step and a lot of people say the grass is not greener on the other side, but if you feel you making no progress anymore and want to continue to learn and develop, then jumping ship maybe the only way.

Only you can decide, it's a hard decision, but only you can decide.

junkie_ball

Thanks all some really interesting opinions here and food for thought. I am leaning towards turning this one down and to continue to look for another opportunity i would feel more comfortable with. HR from the new company have been flaky saying i'd accepted the job when i hadn't even seen the offer of employment and I went back with a few queries and now they've not responded within the given time frame.

The hiring manager has contacted me directly and said HR were being petty about a few things and i'd definitely hear today and again no news. I'm kinda thinking it's not a great start and if they operate like that do i want to be part of that organisation.

jonnygee2

Ok so a brief background I joined a company pretty much out of college and have been with them for almost 17 years. I've worked my way up to a manager with my only direct superior now being the MD.

How senior are you, and how senior are the jobs you are applying for? What're the job titles?

While low level jobs should be well defined, if you are looking at more senior roles they are often very loose. Senior managers often just get targets to hit and budgets with which to hit them, the rest is really up to them.