Am I crazy declining someone's dream job offer

Got a tough decision to make, and while the responsibility for the decision is on me, I could benefit from the feedback of the TE's collective wisdom.

I was recently approached and subsequently offered a job by a very large corporation (high up there on the Fortune list)

Main pro: the name of the company is supposedly a big career booster. i've only worked in relatively small companies so far

Main con: part of the company's business goes against my own moral code. i would not have direct interaction with that part though

Additional pro: doubling the paycheck, kicking it far over the six-digit line

Additional con: it's a contract job, and i have always done full-time up until now. there is an inherent risk that this gig will end early or not provide the promised 40 hours/week

That's the high level description... Do tell me if you think I'm crazy to hesitate in making the call one way or another. I am deliberating so any feedback will help

Thanks for reading

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Comments

Zorodzai

Do you feel it's time you move from your current job ? I think that has some bearing on which decision to make. Apart from the "big name" factor are there other factors that make you believe this would be a better gig than your current job ?

ChooseLife

Zorodzai wrote: »

Do you feel it's time you move from your current job ?

No, the current job has tons of room for growth, professionally and career-wise

Zorodzai wrote: »

Apart from the "big name" factor are there other factors that make you believe this would be a better gig than your current job ?

It's a larger, but more traditional and static environment (physical servers, SANs, VMware...). The current job deals with a smaller environment, but more "cloudy", dynamic and cutting-edge technologies (Amazon, Hadoop, ZooKeeper)

Zorodzai

Very tough call.....personally I'd go for it but, in my case, I feel I need some change as there's really no room for growth in my current job. DOn't get me wrong - I love my job but I've basically hit my ceiling

Mrock4

If it's someone elses dream job, then it's obviously not yours...so the simple answer is, don't take it. My $.02.

networker050184

Agree with Mrock4. It sounds like you don't want the new job and just looking for reassurance.

jdancer

Your new job offer sounds like the job offer from the film "The Firm". I'm just saying.

kgb

ChooseLife wrote: »

...

Main con: part of the company's business goes against my own moral code. i would not have direct interaction with that part though

I think that there alone is telling you don't do it. It's one thing to need a job, etc. But, to leave a job and enter one with a company that does stuff that you obviously have serious issues with to me doesn't make sense. To me, that is putting a price tag on your morals.

To cut-off potential flack, I'm not naive and realize big companies more than likely do things that don't settle well with individuals. All I'm saying is unless a move was necessary, mouths to feed, etc. I personally wouldn't switch to a company that did things I didn't agree with.

dmoore44

One other thing you'll have to consider is if the job were to end (i.e. you don't get picked up on staff), you might have a hard time making the new salary and would have to take a cut back to your old salary...

DevilWAH

I got offered a job in a big global network company and the pros and cons are much as you suggest. In the end I did it for 18 months and then moved on to what I really wanted to do.

Having a large well known and respected company as part of your experience list is never going to hurt (As long as you can accept to work for around 2years or until your contract naturally runs out)

It does not sound like this is your dream job, but the follow up question should be is it a good stepping stone to your dream job.

Personally I would never want to go back to working in a managed service company, and love my job managing networks for academic/reserch institutes. But I have to accept if I had not done the time in my last corporate company it would have taken me a lot longer to get here. If your current job is no longer allowing you to grow then its time to move on. My suggesting is move on while you are still happy with your current company and leave on good terms. No one mines when a member of staff moves on to bigger and better things, especially when they know they cant offer you the same optatunities. I also thinks its a great idea to experience both sides of the fence in you career. both as a customer of managed and professional service companies. And working delivering the services. This way what ever side of the fence you end up on later on you will find it much easier to deal with the other.

For me it would come down to exactly what it is that goes against your moral code, and how strongly you feel. In research there are things like the issue of animal testing that you can't get away from, not some thing I get involved with on a personal level, but still some thing I have to seriously weigh up. It's not some thing I like but I do accept it is necessary, however there are some companies I will and some I will not work for. And one thing I will never do it put money in front of my morals. Maybe if I was struggling to feed or house my family that would go out the window, but as it is I have a decent wage and manage fine. I enjoy my job not only because it doing what I love, but also I believe in what the company as a whole is trying to achieve, and that pushes me to do a good job.

the_Grinch

I tend to leave morals out of business. I say this because there have been times where I had to do a quick fix that I knew was not going to hold, but was given little choice. I also say this because I worked for ICE and didn't agree with a lot of the laws I was charged with enforcing. But it was my job and it was the law so it had to be done. Perhaps I was naive in believing that a person who didn't agree with the law was better then someone who was all for it.

All that being said if you wouldn't be working for the part your disagree with then I don't feel your morals should be factored in. A lot of big companies have their hands in many pies and it is what it is. But I tend to think that if you have reservations then you probably shouldn't take the position. Every job I have ever accepted I knew instantly when offered that I wanted it. The jobs I didn't want I came up with excuses and didn't take.

dmuscato

I totally agree , I know this from experience .

dmuscato

Leadership is a potent combination of strategy and character. But if you must be without one, be without the strategy. – Norman Schwarzkopf

Heny '06

do you have a wife and kids? Are you the main wage earner in your household?

RoyalRaven

Unless it's one of the only gigs in town and you are practically forced to make a move (for x amount of reasons), you can find something else that prevents you from thinking about the negative aspects. Have peace of mind, skip it and find something better for YOU. Easier to sleep at night then....

Valsacar

If you morally disagree, then don't do it. Even if you aren't directly working for that part of the company, you are still supporting it. It doesn't sound like your in a life or death situation in needing a job, so I'd stick with my morals and say no.

TheMontu

I wouldn't only because I have a mortgage and wont risk it for a contract job

if you could stand the possibility of being out of work for a while then I would do it..but only if its a good stepping stone to what you actually want to do.

ChooseLife

Thank you for all your responses, they gave me a good perspective and food for thought today.

After weighing everything I decided to decline this offer. I feel strongly enough about the moral aspect to not be at peace with myself upon accepting the role. Also, this is very true:

the_Grinch wrote: »

...I tend to think that if you have reservations then you probably shouldn't take the position. Every job I have ever accepted I knew instantly when offered that I wanted it. The jobs I didn't want I came up with excuses and didn't take.

and this:

RoyalRaven wrote: »

Have peace of mind, skip it and find something better for YOU. Easier to sleep at night then....

ChooseLife

DevilWAH wrote: »

It does not sound like this is your dream job, but the follow up question should be is it a good stepping stone to your dream job.

That was a good question. Thinking of it and writing the response to Zorodzai's question reminded/reinforced that I already have my dream job and feel content with it.