I need serious advice people!

[noisyboy]

Hello all,

So I'll try to make this as simple as possible.

I recently joined Company X 6 months ago. Very decent company, decent pay and I am very happy with the people I work with. I have a very good working relationship with my director and my team is great. I am very liked and would like to consider myself as an integral part of the company.

I got a job offer from Company Y which is so hard to resist, financially speaking. It is AED6,000 more plus a car, which I would assume would amount to a AED7,500 hike in my salary. This as we all know changes a lot of things, A LOT!

The problem is, Company X and Company Y are direct competitors, and leaving Company X will mean a lot of trouble will/could start, especially given the sensitivity of information I deal with daily. It is also the kind of industry where my clients would most probably come with me.

Additionally, I will NEVER EVER advance with Company X because of the politics involved and it's internal structure. With Company Y, there are no promises of advancement, but I know for sure that there is a better chance of advancing depending on your performance.

Last but not least, Company X is at the stage of it's life where it's growing, expanding and diversifying it's products and services. It has about 60 offices worldwide. Company Y is old, big, much more stale and mature. It has 600 offices worldwide.

Legally, and ethically, what would you do? I am so confused right now!

[dizzyizzy]

Do what is right for you and your family and take job with company Y. Is a jungle out there

[JusAdy_Glasgow]

Originally Posted by noisyboy

Hello all,

So I'll try to make this as simple as possible.

I recently joined Company X 6 months ago. Very decent company, decent pay and I am very happy with the people I work with. I have a very good working relationship with my director and my team is great. I am very liked and would like to consider myself as an integral part of the company.

I got a job offer from Company Y which is so hard to resist, financially speaking. It is AED6,000 more plus a car, which I would assume would amount to a AED7,500 hike in my salary. This as we all know changes a lot of things, A LOT!

The problem is, Company X and Company Y are direct competitors, and leaving Company X will mean a lot of trouble will/could start, especially given the sensitivity of information I deal with daily. It is also the kind of industry where my clients would most probably come with me.

Additionally, I will NEVER EVER advance with Company X because of the politics involved and it's internal structure. With Company Y, there are no promises of advancement, but I know for sure that there is a better chance of advancing depending on your performance.

Last but not least, Company X is at the stage of it's life where it's growing, expanding and diversifying it's products and services. It has about 60 offices worldwide. Company Y is old, big, much more stale and mature. It has 600 offices worldwide.

Legally, and ethically, what would you do? I am so confused right now!

Hi noisyboy,

I'd have a look at your contract if I were you. It may be that you have a restrictive covenant in it which prevents you from working for a direct competitor within a certain amount of time I.e 12 months from the end of your contract.

I'm not sure if these exist in contracts in Dubai or if they are enforceable there.

[Canuck_Sens]

Bro,

You know the answer for that question. Bear in mind that people go through these choices all the time. I could have doubled my earnings very recently but that would 've meant working 9 hours more per day and move to the private sector. I currently work 5 or even less. So yeah I like my personal time and you can call me lazy lol

Are you planning to make a career here in the UAE or not ? Start from there.

Changing jobs within 6 months is not well seen if you happen to go back to Canada. you literally burn yourself with the company who hired you. You are seen as an opportunist. If your resume popped in my hand I would definitely ask you why you left the company in 6 months. Why ? You may look dodgy. I had gone through a similar experience in Ottawa. My ex boss back then asked me why I changed jobs so fast in NY. Well there, there is a huge turnover (it is an expensive place to live) and there are lots of qualified people to take over.

Turns out, though, that several people do that; but those who stick around for a while are not questioned for their competency. If you stick couple of years with a company, the new employer will have no doubt that you are good at what you do after all you 've been working for the same place for a while.

I might be completely wrong if your occupation has a high turnover rate.

I personally do not like and I believe employers look for people who can stay for a while. I would not change jobs or take any jobs without at least having one year of experience in that company, but as you said it appears to be a good hike.

Was that offer hunted by you or offered by the competition ? If you like where you are at you may say that you got an offer and maybe they can match ?

I bet you gotta do some thinking there.

Good luck!

[Gavtek]

Take the offer to your current employer and ask them to match it or you're offski.

No point in being loyal to a company for the sake of it, as soon as they take a dip in profits, they won't hesitate to kick your ass on the streets.

It's not just more money, it's a better chance of career progression. You don't owe anyone any favours.

That said, if your current employers decide to be dicks about it, you could find yourself without any job.

[JusAdy_Glasgow]

Originally Posted by Gavtek

Take the offer to your current employer and ask them to match it or you're offski.

No point in being loyal to a company for the sake of it, as soon as they take a dip in profits, they won't hesitate to kick your ass on the streets.

It's not just more money, it's a better chance of career progression. You don't owe anyone any favours.

That said, if your current employers decide to be dicks about it, you could find yourself without any job.

I'd definitely not take the offer to your current employer as he will realise that you are looking elsewhere & question your loyalty to them. It is a great deal you've been offered, but companies value loyalty. Not just the company you are with now but future employers will see that you were with them for a few years for example, it will stand you in much better stead in the future.

Justine

[noisyboy]

Thank you all for the responses.

Canuck_Sens, this opportunity came directly from the competitor. They have had the chance to see my work and would like for me to join their team. I am looking to build a career for myself to answer your second question.

This is such a hard decision. If I was going into a higher position, then I would have said yes in no time. The problem is that it's for the same position. But then again, this amount of money can change my life.

If anyone has anything else to add, please do. I will update this thread once I make a decision. Thanks again

[brettaevans]

Noisyboy,

I guess it comes down to your career requirements. If company X is growing rapidly then that may in turn help you with career advancement even though you say the company structure is not the best.

Its often a trade off with whats best for your career versus dollars. I have seen colleagues/clients go for the fast buck earlier on and after a couple of years they have paid the price.

Tough call.

[jessop]

Gosh, this is such a tricky one! I would say take the money out of the equation and write down the pro's and con's of each opportunity, having it on paper might help you see things more clearly. The money must be very tempting but ultimately you will have to work doubly hard to earn it. Plus no amount of money can buy you colleagues you value and get on with. Don't compromise your quality of life for the sake of money. Also from my own experience be careful about being honest about this other offer with your current company. I once did that in the name of loyalty and they tried to discipline me for going for another job interview! Good luck and let us know how you get on!

[Gavtek]

Originally Posted by JusAdy_Glasgow

I'd definitely not take the offer to your current employer as he will realise that you are looking elsewhere & question your loyalty to them.

Assuming his current employer isn't a jealous idiot who would take it personally, most people these days are practical enough and know that employees come and go. Chances are his line manager doesn't own the company and will probably be keeping one eye on the job market himself.

The reason for going to your employer and saying "I've just received an offer out of the blue from Company Y, it's a much better financial package than I'm on and I'd be crazy not to consider it, however, I'd be concerned about letting you guys down and going to a competitor, is there anything you can do?" is not only to try and get more money out of them, but also to gauge their reaction so you can judge how they would react if you did resign.

If you're working for good people, you won't have a problem and they'll appreciate you being open and honest with them. It's up to you to judge if they're that sort of people.

I would refuse to pay any attention to anyone who thinks it's wise to stick in an underpaid job with less opportunities just because it doesn't look good on your CV. The only people who are rewarded by your loyalty is your employer. It's called "work" for a reason, do what's best for you and your family, no-one else.

I've got a couple of jobs on my CV that I quit after 3 months, it hasn't done me any harm and most employers have been practical enough to understand my reasoning for leaving. Showing the conviction that you won't waste your time in a job working for idiots with your career going nowhere is a good thing in the eyes of a good employer.