www.ditl.org

I have a small problem that I have no idea how to approach due to my inexperience in professional environment, and I was hoping people with experience here could give me some insights.

In short, a job offering has been posted within all the various subsidiaries of our mother company, for a job that seems to be quite suited for me. Quite suited, somebody even made the remark that this offer has my name written on it. I am aware (through gossips in the christmas party) that peoples from other subsidiaries know of me and my skills.

Now, I have been working at my current job only for a year and a half (half of it as a temp). And in the past few months, I have changed my work priorities to better leverage my strenghts and left others to take care of what I am less good at (which there is plenty). My current bosses have been happy to let re-orient myself, as it fits the business refocus into new sources of income and I have increase the efficiency we conduct these new businesses.

Also, I am aware that my current boss probably helped me, as I wasn't fitting properly after my first months in my employment. I would have lost the job after my first evaluation, and he told me that they'd give me another chance (I built on his criticism and managed to become a valuable member of the team afterwhile).

I am... puzzled as to what to do. He was probably the one who mentionned me to other corporate heads in our sister companies, probably mentionning my strenghts. But I also feel I owe him a little for giving me a chance. Not to forget I haven't finished putting together the processes I was working on, so in the event I leave, I would potentially leave a work only 80% done (but still greatly improved from the original iteration).

On the other hand, the new job opening would be a big breakthrough in my career.

So... I think this is the kind of advice I need from people older than I. Should I talk about this job offering to my current boss? to an HR reponsible? Should I inquiry about the firm's current policy? (even if the firm's policy is probably 2 years out of date, seeing the latest developments).

Go for it. If you have a healthy relationship with your current supervisor, then you should feel comfortable discussing the opportunity with him; either way, though, one indicator of a good boss is the fact that he has people promoted from under him - a fact of which I'm sure your boss is well aware. In fact, in one company for which I had worked, a criterion for evaluating management was the number of people promoted (or promote-able) from under that manager.

As far as staying in your current position merely due to some sense of obligation to your current boss - forget it. You may owe him thanks, you may owe him a nice bottle of something, you may owe him a punch in the mouth - but you most certainly do not owe him inertia in your career.

The DITL family encouraged me to go for it, when I had a similar problem. Moving forward and upwards isn't a bad thing.

Thank guys for the tips.

Don't hesitate to add your 2 copper if you have something else. This is the kind of thing, I think, that one benefits to hear from a collective of other points of views.

SolkaTruesilver wrote:Thank guys for the tips.

Don't hesitate to add your 2 copper if you have something else. This is the kind of thing, I think, that one benefits to hear from a collective of other points of views.

I for one don't trust people who won't move ahead. If a person is not willing to take on new challenges for more money and with more responsibility they are doomed to do the same thing for the rest of their life. I generally am more than willing to tell a prospective boss I will stay so long as I am properly compensated and nothing substantially better comes along. Anything else is just a lie anyway.

I suppose it would depend on how their role is changing. If they are simply becoming better qualified in their job role, sure go ahead. But surely, many wouldn't be comfortable moving from say...A high ranking Banking assistant to a low level management position as the roles would be very different?

Sorry to steal thread Solka, I'm still pondering over you're point. I'm trying to be sensible, not something easy for someone whose as youth-drivenly impulsive as I.

Reliant121 wrote:I suppose it would depend on how their role is changing. If they are simply becoming better qualified in their job role, sure go ahead. But surely, many wouldn't be comfortable moving from say...A high ranking Banking assistant to a low level management position as the roles would be very different?

Sorry to steal thread Solka, I'm still pondering over you're point. I'm trying to be sensible, not something easy for someone whose as youth-drivenly impulsive as I.

Words of wisdom are never thread derailers in my book.

Thing is, I am currently a somewhat low-level analyst. Due to recent departures, I am in the top 3 senior analysts of the team, but since I have a permanent contract only for less than a year, I am on the lowest end of the salary scale (the recent departures all had 5-6 years of experience).

So I would be moving from a low-level analyst position to a low-level management position... If I get it, I think it'd qualify as having a "fast-tracked" career path. Do I have anything to lose by applying? What if I don't get it, will it break some of the trust between my current boss and I?

Not if you're up-front with him. Besides, the whole point of internal postings is to expect current employees to apply, right?

Plus, the trust between you and your boss should be about your professional conduct and have jack all to do with you wanting to get better.

Just talked about it to my boss.

It's as you said, he is happy to see me try moving up and grab opportunities. Although he suggested to send an email to the man responsible first to make sure I qualify for the position first, he said I'd be probably a very good fit for what they are looking for. Yay!


I was apparently being nervous over nothing. Hehe.. Oh well. Thanks to the board for giving me sound advices. It's really appreciated!

Anytime, Solka. We're that group of friends that you don't want to admit to having but love keeping around.

Thats how I feel anyway.

Best of luck!