That time of the year….

As we approach the final month of the calender year, the seasonal feeling is gripping the atmosphere. Christmas is round the corner for a lot of people, and so is the Islamic pilgrimage season of Hajj as well as the celebratory festival of Eid-ul-Adha. For me however, it is a touch different. It is the time of year when I get contacted by a man in a suit (a red one possibly) offering me fantastic gifts if I have been a good boy throughout the year. I ofcourse am talking of a headhunter.

So for the second year running I have been contacted by a head hunter offering a “lucrative” position. Last year was a very funny story! The recruiter (head hunter) called up the office, and somehow managed to get through to my director. He then proceeded to introduce himself (not knowing who he was speaking to) and let my Director know of his motives i.e. he was a head hunter and had an opening in a very large Financial Organisation. What a dumb ass (he didn’t confirm who he was speaking to)! My director obviously told him to go stick it where the sun doesn’t shine, and ofcourse, I was an innocent bystander.

Fast forward a year and things have changed a little. I am a little more mature as a person, and definitely achieving things at work with my work ethic. In the last year (and I will proceed to toot my horn, so if you can’t bear to listen – close your ears now!) I have been “promoted” twice, and I have essentially represented each area of my company and got a slap on the back for my work. Career wise it has been a fantastic year to be honest. So when a head hunter called the office looking for me, and I was out of the office – I think deja vu would be the seasonal flavour. However, this recruiter was clever enough to contact me using alternative details. Turns out that he is looking for someone for a role which is similar to my current role, for a way higher financial package (and by higher I mean about 25%!!). If all that sounded good – here is the kicker….. it’s for a company who is our direct competitor, the people who are always in the top 2 with us competing when we tender to prospective clients.

Now, as much as the opportunity delights me, I am really caught in 2 or 3 minds….

Pro – The role is similar to what I do now, in the industry which I want to be in and know about.

Pro – The financial and benefits package is outstanding.

Con – We are in a bad bad climate when it comes to jobs. Working in the financial industry is a tricky thing at the moment, and I would be highly exposed to redundancy if things went bottoms up.

Con – Working for a close and direct competitor could also bring up some tensions between my employers and colleagues and myself.

Con – The competitors are a much larger company but have a “smaller” market share compared to where I am now. So would an opportunity to work for a larger company but with possible less excitement appeal to me? I don’t quite know….

I guess before freaking out this much, I need to get through an interview with them But the fact that this opportunity has arisen (apparently I was recommended!) has got me up and a little excited, albeit prematurely…

Tune in again in the coming days to find out how it all goes!