It must have been my fifth month into the job. Pay was great but you know the way they say if you are dissatisfied do something about it? Well, I did. I applied for several jobs and luckily it resulted in multiple offers. At the time, my mind was on the satisfaction and of course the higher pay grade I would be getting from either one of those offers.
I mulled on which offer to eventually settle on and finally after much convincing, I chose the opportunity that presented growth, satisfaction, and better pay. However, the difficult part was going handing in my resignation letter. As you can imagine, so many thoughts were running through my mind and I was more worried about resigning as opposed to the new opportunity, trust me, I even got my friends and family’s wise words of advice and to be honest their views left me more unsettled.
I presented my resignation letter to my boss and contrary to what I expected, they pleaded with me to stay by offering me a bigger pay slip. Here is the thing, I wasn’t happy with some aspects of the organization but as you can imagine I was instantly rattled by better pay offer. Nonetheless, here are some answers I can attribute to the decision I made:
1.My Happiness While On The Job
If I accept the offer in spite of the big pay, will my unhappiness just fade into thin air? Or will I feel upset and three months down the line and begin the whole process of applying for jobs elsewhere? It is always important to note that when on the hunt for a job, it is essential that you consider your happiness on the job. Your happiness will always be more important than a check.
2.Will Employee Relations Change?
If I stay … will I have broken my employer’s trust in me? Once you show signs that you are leaving, one is watched through a magnifying lens. Thus anything you do, however little has repercussions because you once sought out greener pastures.
3. What Motivates My Employer To Offer Me A Counter Offer?
Was my employer just keeping me because they wanted to retain me as opposed to hiring someone else and training them? Was I offered a promotion because I wanted to leave? It is important to understand that the paycheck comes with new roles, a better title, and increased responsibility. A pay raise just to keep within the organization is a sure way to stagnate your career growth.
4. What Do I Stand To Gain From The Resignation?
It is essential that you consider all sides of the coin. Look at the cultures of both organizations, the potential for growth and more importantly what caters to your career goals.
Here’s my advice, if you accept a counter offer at your place of work whilst trying to seek greener pastures, please don’t be fooled that it will be a smooth ride. Sometimes it works to your benefit sometimes it doesn’t. So be wise about the decision, and weigh the pros against the cons.
This article was written by Capital Campus Correspondent Michelle Njeri.
