Torn Between a Salary Hike and a Dream Project: How Would You Decide?

Hi All, I have received an offer letter from TCS, and they have offered a 10k increment in my salary. However, I am very happy working with my current employer, and I enjoy it a lot here. I believe I will not have this level of freedom in any other company.

New Project Opportunity

Now, my current employer has offered me a new project focusing on "marketing intelligence, planning, analyzing, integrating, and communicating," and the Managing Director (MD) mentioned that this is a dream opportunity for any developer. I don't have much knowledge about this area.

What should I do now? I would appreciate any help or advice from all of you.

Thank you.

You seem to be asking us to tell you why you are looking for a change. I'm afraid that's just not logical. I think you need to ask your MD to clarify what this dream project is. TCS will not consider you for at least a minimum of 3 years if you let this one go. On the other hand, TCS might also not be a great place to work in. It depends on your immediate boss, your project, etc. And it's such a large ocean; your personal issues are too minor for them.

UKM:

I have worked in start-ups all my life. I enjoyed it, and I got a lot of freedom - and there's no doubt that I have also learned a lot. For years, I have slogged 14 hours every day, 7 days a week - that's because small setups also let you run after your own dream. Of course, it depends on you whether you can marry your dreams to the company's or convince the bosses so that they share your dream. The debate between big fish in a small pond VS small fish in a big pond is never-ending. Ultimately, it is a personal choice that Miqdadali has to make.

Career Choices: Evaluating Opportunities

Lifetime is limited. Our career is like our father who feeds us! So, for its betterment and the growth of abilities, it's better to take up the better offer than to enjoy staying at a smaller workplace. If I were you, I might have considered it this way:

1. Taking a 15-20 days leave and joining TCS to see if it fits my life.
2. Since the relationship with the present company is good, the door to come back may remain open.

I would have always preferred the bigger pond to live and swim.

Best regards

Congratulations on receiving the offer letter from TCS. Regarding your question about why you want to make a change, the answer may already be clear to you. If you had no intention of leaving your current company, why did you choose to attend the interview in the first place?

My suggestion is to remember a famous quote: "Love your job, not your company. You never know when your company might stop loving you."

Cheers

Subhabrata, I am afraid that what you have suggested is completely unethical and probably illegal. The 15-20 days you have mentioned involve dual employment and are bound to be against the employment terms of BOTH firms. Moreover, 15-20 days in a place like TCS is not even enough to know where all the washrooms are, let alone gauge whether the job is suitable! I would urge the original poster to avoid doing any of this since it has the potential to irreparably damage your career.

I can very much appreciate your dilemma, and only you can decide what you should do based on your priority and circumstances. I will quote a couple of examples for you to take action, which are legal and ethical.

Example 1: Trying Out a New Opportunity

My friend worked for a firm in the UK and had a good offer from India. He liked working in his company, where his wife also worked, and they had a young boy. When he told his intentions to move to India, his company offered him a long leave to try it out. If he did not like it in India, he could return to the UK and continue his service. He went, tried, and then returned to the UK to continue with his previous employers. He got promoted and eventually retired when he reached 65.

Example 2: Balancing Family and Career

In another case, a friend who had a young child and had been without a job for a while took a job with a firm. After 18 months, he received an excellent offer with a 20% increase in wages from a firm nearer to his home. However, his wife hesitated as she was expecting a second child. When he informed his employers about the offer, they offered him a promotion with only a 5% pay rise. For the sake of family peace and a certain job continuity, he decided to stay with his present employers.

Thank you.

Well, what I meant is exactly like the 'UK scenario' Mr. Nashbramhall presented in the previous post. I didn't elaborate that the individual has openly discussed his/her present opportunity with the current boss, and the present company is providing the necessary documents of release, considering the chance for a 'comeback'. Therefore, there is absolutely no place for unethical behavior or illegality in such a case. It's a humanitarian understanding between the employer and employee.

And secondly, since TCS has offered the original poster an increment of 10K, we may assume that:

• He/She has a clear idea of how the job is going to be.

• He/She is intelligent enough to gauge the practical work environment and assess the value between the new job and the past one within a fortnight, and will not waste time counting the washrooms around (and clever enough to locate the nearest one on the very first day!).

What I felt is that it is a case of an emotional bond with the present workplace. But for the sake of career development, one must get over this inertia, or else regret it in the future. I would love to quote Mr. Ro here: "Love your job and not your company; you never know when your company would stop loving you!"

Any opportunity for job development should be embraced!

But I have also come across people who were unable to fit themselves with bigger companies like Wipro, TCS, and Webgrity, etc., and were forced to leave after a short period of service. Anything may happen; who knows? So it's wise to lay the bridge for going back.

God bless.

Regards

Rejoinders aside—and with the deepest respect for everyone's intellect—15 days is too short a time to gauge any intellectual job opportunity. Or, for that matter, for an employer to decipher a new entrant's suitability. This is probably exactly why 6 months is the minimum standard for probation. This is more true for larger organizations because the layers of information and job alignments are so many.

I have reason to believe that TCS will not allow a person "on leave" to join, rightly suspecting the commitment level of the joinee. The UK case is different since he was on a long sabbatical (operative word highlighted). I'm still to see TCSs of the world offering employment on a trial offer, especially at this level of employment.

Please note that the present employer has already dangled the carrot of a dream project but has not indicated what kind of dream it is. This tells me that there is very little chance of a break to test TCS waters.

Anyway, to each his own.

From your post, I get a feeling that your MD's real role is not your dream role. Do introspect on your skills and see where you can grow further. I think that choice would be ideal. I would like to share Steve Jobs' quote here: "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it."

So, my take focuses on your skills that you love... companies will love you all the more if you are really good at what you do.

Dear original poster, after all these great and kind pieces of advice from wise professionals, we hope you are able to make up your mind and pick the best decision for your career. I would like to advise you, with your admirable passion for work, to focus on work only. Fuel your passion from the positive aspects of your fellow people. Never waste your words or energy in fruitless arguments and do not get deviated from your goal. Just listen to all and know who is who.

God bless you.

All the best.