Should I let my supervisor know that I'm interviewing for a different job?

loss4words

Hi guys!

Would love to hear your opinion on what to do

About 6 years ago I started to work as a contractor in ITS office at a University. After working there over a year I asked if I can be hired full time but they were only interested in keeping me as a contractor. I really wanted to have the security of a full time job and I applied and got hired in a smaller IT department at the same university. I worked there for over 4 years until the ITS manager invited me back for a full time position with a higher pay and I decided it would be a good decision to go back. I kept in contact with my former supervisors and co-workers and often come back just to talk and hang out. We're on very friendly terms.

I've been with ITS for almost a year but I missed my old job and honestly liked it better there, and the type of work I've been doing. Recently I found out that my old department has an open position for a Supervisor which will come with a significant pay increase, not to mention the title. I applied and got a call inviting me to an interview on Wednesday. I'm pretty confident that I can get the Supervisor position although it's not 100%.

Should I tell my current supervisor that I'm considering going back to my former department because they have a higher paying position I'm interested in? I almost feel like I will be abandoning him since he reached out to me directly when hiring me and offered me the job and I've spent less than a year working for him.

Thank you!!
Steve

colemic

Nope. You have to get past the feeling that you might be abandoning him, you have to do what's best for you, period.

brownwrap

Absolutely not. We have a guy here who gave three months notice. Most bizarre thing I have heard of in giving notice. He says he has a GS position and has been told the job is his, but he has nothing in writing. Friday they brought in a candidate for his replacement. He knows his job and it may take a while for a replacement to come up to speed. On the other hand, once the replacement is up to speed, no need to keep him around.

Besides, if they were thinking about laying you off, do you think they would give you notice.

markulous

No way. Until it's 100% official and you accepted their offer letter, I wouldn't let my current job know at all. Just ask the new job to give you sufficient notice for this place and you'll be fine.

There's really no good reason to let a current employer know you are job hunting.

loss4words

Thanks a lot guys! It makes a lot of sense keeping it to myself until I have an offer letter. If my current supervisor values me he would respond with a counter-offer.

spicy ahi

This one's a bit tough. It's a position in the same university so what would stop the interviewer from asking your supervisor for his recommendation? I normally would say keep it close to vest until you know, but you're already in the interview process so leaving it up to someone else to let your current supervisor know usually doesn't go over very well. How close are the interviewer and your current supervisor? That might help dictate your next move. If those two are close or at least have a regular working relationship (talk pretty often) then I would probably err on the side of safety and let him know that you're applying. If they never interact, then I guess you can feel somewhat safe that word won't get back to him (I still would feel uncomfortable) I guess what kind of worries me is that it's still the same organization and to think word doesn't get around wouldn't be realistic.

markulous

If he gives you a counter offer I'd decline it. Firstly, it shouldn't take you quitting for them to promote you. Secondly, you're not just moving because of the money. You said it yourself that you liked it better there.

Heero

No way should you give notice. The first time you give your current boss notice is when you hand him your resignation letter.

Hondabuff

In my company if you don't notify your active manager that you are applying for another job within the comapany, Your application will be disqualified no matter what from HR.

Heero

Ah ****, didn't think about it being within the same university. Check out whatever documention HR has about moving positions within the university. There might be a specific process you have to follow.

Essendon

loss4words wrote: »

Thanks a lot guys! It makes a lot of sense keeping it to myself until I have an offer letter. If my current supervisor values me he would respond with a counter-offer.

NEVER accept a counter offer. Read this thread for some great insight > http://www.techexams.net/forums/jobs-degrees/74026-beware-counter-offer.html

loss4words

Thanks a lot for all the advice, guys! My situation changed a little since last month since I posted this and I wonder if you would suggest something different now?

Over the past month my current supervisor have been talking to me about giving me more projects and letting me do less of repetitive tasks (more in the office projects - SCCM, image creation, inventory management, project management, etc; less or no more desktop support field work) and suggested a possible promotion later this year. I'm not sure if he knows that I applied for another job within the university.

Today I received an e-mail asking me to come for a second interview with IT Director at the place where I'm interviewing for a Supervisor position. I'm almost 100% confident that I will be offered the job. The thing is, if I accept the job offer it will be a dead end position. I know that there will be very little chance for future promotional opportunities if I take the offer but I can ask for better compensation because of it. There are more advancement opportunities at my current department. It seems that I'm going to be letting someone down regardless (my current supervisor or people who hope to hire me back). What do you guys think I should do? Should I still not tell my current supervisor that I will most likely be offered a high paying position with a good title?

TheProf

I would be focused more on what each of these opportunities will bring you. Having a supervisor role is nice if you're looking to go into management or leadership type roles. On the other hand, if you want to stay technical, maybe your current position is a better fit.

In terms of money, don't let that be the deciding factor. Money is important, don't get me wrong, but it's not going to make you happy and will definitely not help you advance your career.

In regards to the people you're presently working with and more importantly your boss. I would not worry so much about this. If your current boss is a good leader, he/she will understand that you're trying to move up the latter and should not stop you. If you're leaving, that means there are elements to your job that are either missing or you just don't enjoy as much. Your boss has to understand that. There are certain scenarios that perhaps require you to stay a bit longer to find a replacement or to properly hand off a project to the right people. But regardless of the situation you're in, don't let the opinion of your colleagues and managers affect your decision making. Be humble, thank them for the opportunity, but ultimately decide what is best for you based on opportunity and advancement for your future.

loss4words

Thanks for good advice, TheProf.

I'm not sure if I want a managerial type of job in the future. I have supervised staff before and while I feel confident about my ability I might be happier doing technical work. While the job title is Supervisor, I will also be working on a lot of technical projects and advancing my skill set as well as supervising staff. Also, I believe the only reason I'm considered for a Supervisor position isn't because they feel that I'm the best candidate but because they know me and it just so happens that their technicians are moving on to other opportunities elsewhere and I'm the only one left who doesn't need to be retrained.

I don't think my current boss will stop me but I think he sees me as a valuable enough employee to try to promote me faster to make me to stay.

Edit: I also wanted to add that my current supervisor now wants to send me to work off-site for about 6 months to supervise a project, and I wouldn't want to commit to it if I think I might be leaving.

TheProf

So I guess your current situation is:

You're not really challenged and you're looking to learn more stuff. You current boss recognizes this and is working on giving you more challenges (sounds like a good boss to me)

The second opportunity seems to be similar responsibilities with the exception of the title and maybe some supervisor duties?

I would most likely stick to current position, because it is not often that management recognize their people the way your boss recognizes you and if you are going to be working as a supervisor on some projects, you'll get that experience regardless minus the title that is, which is not always the most important thing.

loss4words

Thanks, that's exactly the situation I'm in! I haven't felt challenged since I started working in the new position because I am being asked to do easy for me, repetitive, things. My coworkers are stuck in the same situation but they seem to be okay with doing routine everyday tasks and go home. My boss recognizes that I'm unhappy with my current position and tries to assign more things for me to do and I often go to him directly with my results/ideas. I really want a promotion as I hate being stuck in a desktop support role and although my boss is doing what he can, he can't promote me at will. So he's giving me things to do, giving me this project, and maybe he can convince the upper management for me to be promoted.

The other job as you said will have me doing similar responsibilities, except they are ready to "promote" me now.

TheProf

Is there progress in your current role? meaning does your boss assign you work that is challenging and what you're looking for? Or is it just talk?

loss4words

There has been some progress. For example, we didn't have a print server before. I suggested it might be a good idea and he let me work on it and now we have deployed printers throughout our supported departments. There are things here are there that I'm doing, but the issue is that I don't have a lot of time to concentrate on my projects because of day-to-day tasks. My boss promised to give me more time, but for now it isn't possible because of the amount of work we have.

pinkydapimp

I say you go through with the interview and do not tell your boss. Make the decision once you have an offer. Its really hard to make these decisions without all the info in front of you. For example, what if you get an offer, decline and they counter with 10k more. Would you turn it down then? You also dont know what may change between now and when you get the offer.

Also, i think at this point it might be rude to bow out of the interview process since you have gone this far. I dont think there is any downside to proceeding until an offer comes and then deciding how to proceed.

loss4words

Thanks, pinky!

I'm still going to go through with the interview. I would agree with you guys except for the fact that my supervisor wants to give me this long term project which starts in less than 2 weeks that will require me to work off-site. I don't think it's right to commit to it knowing that as soon as I start I might have to leave for another job.

pinkydapimp

loss4words wrote: »

Thanks, pinky!

I'm still going to go through with the interview. I would agree with you guys except for the fact that my supervisor wants to give me this long term project which starts in less than 2 weeks that will require me to work off-site. I don't think it's right to commit to it knowing that as soon as I start I might have to leave for another job.

You need to stop worrying about them. Are they going to pay your rent/mortgage? Feed your family? You need to do what's best for you. You have no idea if you will get that job so I see no problem working that project since chances are(and until you get an offer you should assume) you won't get the job or an offer that you want. As lon as you give them 2 weeks notice(and heck if you want to be really nice give a month) then you are being respectable. I used to think like you but ii will learn eventually that you need to do what's best for you and your family first.

Matt2

Ditto what Pinky said. Unless you have a close-ish personal friendship with your supervisor, keep it to yourself. Because until you actually start the new job, anything can happen, including you losing out on this project and long term opportunities at the current job, after you don't get the job you're applying for.

mjsinhsv

Honesty is always the best policy imho.
You can casually mention it to him that they called you so you are just going to be courteous and talk to them.
Don't be surprised at all if the two supervisors have already talked to each other about it without your knowledge.
The bottom line is , you have to what is best for you and your family.
Staying in touch with former co-workers and networking and is smart btw. That is how most people get their jobs.

zaleonardz

Whatever you do, just be exceptionally cautious in this case.

Expect that your current boss and future boss are trading information, directly or indirectly, people at a cafeteria lunch table talk, nothing is better then gossip, and all it takes is for a reception lady at either offices seeing you in a suit or shining your shoes more and walking across the road, there is your rumor.

How you play this is, let your new organization make you an offer, and tell them that you are interested based on the offer.

Then without being funny, go to your current boss and tell him you need some motivation, and that the two of you need to draw up a set of goals and achievements with an equiv reward at the end of the goal cycle.

Target A : Do x by y
Target B : Redo A B C

Once you have reached Target A and be in a timed fashion, say 3 months, and you will get Reward A, 5% increase, 13th cheque whatever.

Once you have two offers in hand, a future plan, and an offer of employment, take 2 days, compare hard and soft facts, and then do what your heart tells you to do.

Respectfully resign, Or Respectfully decline your future offer. Ethical, logical, responsible.

By the way, if your current boss is not prepared to enter into a goals orientated agreement with you, even if its just scribbled on a notepad that you put up in your office wall and look at every day, if he is not prepared to do it, logic dictates that he most likely knows about your counter, does not want to lose you, but does not want to give you anything either, so he will just string you along for as long as possible until the other offer goes away.

Either which way, careful

gespenstern

Depends on a boss. If I have a lot of respect to my boss and my boss was generous to me and haven't failed me even once, I don't feel myself in position not to warn him. And I did that. If you don't fail me, I won't ever fail you.

If a boss and a company suck then I skip this part and don't care about them much.

robS

loss4words wrote: »

....My boss promised to give me more time, but for now it isn't possible because of the amount of work we have.

Then prioritise the projects that reduce the amount of unplanned work you get to give you more time to work on the more interesting ones. It would be worth reading 'The Phoenix Project' by Gene Kim.