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Decision to make
So, here's the story. I used to work as an analyst in a different department, we'll call it DeptA. Our director transferred to a different department, we'll call it DeptB, and the second-in-command of DeptA was made Manager and became my boss. About a year later (2010), the old director offered me a job as an analyst in DeptB, which I took. Last year, about this time, he left the company, and we were reporting to the VP of a different but related department while they figured out what they wanted to do.
In August, they finally decided, and now we've been reconfigured and are reporting to a director of something or other in NYC; we'll call my new department name DeptC. My job title changed to junior analyst, which on paper looks kinda like a demotion, though my job responsibilities haven't changed much, except for picking up some extra responsibilities in planning, since he is also in charge of the planning department, which has several openings (including a manager who will be my boss, if and when they ever hire someone). Planning is not supposed to be my job, and I hate it; it's supposed to be temporary, but they haven't given us any real idea of when it might end (though my coworker asked him a few weeks ago and he said he was hoping to have everyone hired by mid-December; I'm...less than optimistic about that). They have hired one planner and one manager of planning so far. Then the aforementioned coworker decided to leave; he left last week, and one of the long-time planners has announced she is retiring, so she'll be gone in a couple weeks. So we're kinda back where we started in terms of open positions (and as far as I know they are not planning to replace my coworker).
Aside from all that, things are just feeling haphazard and confused and frustrating all around. It also involves going into the NYC office (theoretically once a week, though I haven't gone at all this month), which is about a 15 hour day for me. I don't mind it once in while, but it's exhausting.
Now...the week before last, my old boss in DeptA told me that he might have an opening coming up, as he was waiting to see if they approved him adding another person to the department (he currently has four minions). He asked if I'd be interested. I said I wouldn't rule it out. Last week he called and asked me to stop by, so I went down to his office, and he said he had gotten the approval to hire someone, and asked again if I was interested. He doesn't have the full job description written yet, and won't be officially posting it for at least a couple weeks, so I have some time to think, and he said he'd send me the description when he has it. He also told me my current salary is within the range for the position.
So my dilemma is...do I go back to my old department or wait and see if things get better where I am? And is the latter just wishful thinking? Or am I just running back to something familiar because I'm frustrated and unhappy right now?
The coworker who just left thinks I should take it and run (as does a friend of mine who is not part of my group and does not work directly for my boss). His former boss encouraged me a few weeks ago to apply to another opening that was posted (which I asked my old boss about, and he said I'd be bored in a few months because it's more entry level than the description makes it sound, so I didn't do it), so I know what his opinion would be. I don't want to jump ship just because I'm not happy now if things might get better, but at least I know what I'd be getting into if I went back (I was getting bored there when I left. I don't know how different the new job will be; I believe the title is the same). I was talking to my most recent manager (he's just a plain old coworker now, reporting to the same guy as me) and he wisely doesn't want to sound like he's telling me what to do, and simply advised me to figure out what I want for myself and not make a decision based on the opinions of others in the same boat as me (and also to make sure the "are you interested?" is a "it's yours if you want it" and not just a "you should apply" before I say anything to my boss.) If I do go back, I don't want to do it for the wrong reasons.
In August, they finally decided, and now we've been reconfigured and are reporting to a director of something or other in NYC; we'll call my new department name DeptC. My job title changed to junior analyst, which on paper looks kinda like a demotion, though my job responsibilities haven't changed much, except for picking up some extra responsibilities in planning, since he is also in charge of the planning department, which has several openings (including a manager who will be my boss, if and when they ever hire someone). Planning is not supposed to be my job, and I hate it; it's supposed to be temporary, but they haven't given us any real idea of when it might end (though my coworker asked him a few weeks ago and he said he was hoping to have everyone hired by mid-December; I'm...less than optimistic about that). They have hired one planner and one manager of planning so far. Then the aforementioned coworker decided to leave; he left last week, and one of the long-time planners has announced she is retiring, so she'll be gone in a couple weeks. So we're kinda back where we started in terms of open positions (and as far as I know they are not planning to replace my coworker).
Aside from all that, things are just feeling haphazard and confused and frustrating all around. It also involves going into the NYC office (theoretically once a week, though I haven't gone at all this month), which is about a 15 hour day for me. I don't mind it once in while, but it's exhausting.
Now...the week before last, my old boss in DeptA told me that he might have an opening coming up, as he was waiting to see if they approved him adding another person to the department (he currently has four minions). He asked if I'd be interested. I said I wouldn't rule it out. Last week he called and asked me to stop by, so I went down to his office, and he said he had gotten the approval to hire someone, and asked again if I was interested. He doesn't have the full job description written yet, and won't be officially posting it for at least a couple weeks, so I have some time to think, and he said he'd send me the description when he has it. He also told me my current salary is within the range for the position.
So my dilemma is...do I go back to my old department or wait and see if things get better where I am? And is the latter just wishful thinking? Or am I just running back to something familiar because I'm frustrated and unhappy right now?
The coworker who just left thinks I should take it and run (as does a friend of mine who is not part of my group and does not work directly for my boss). His former boss encouraged me a few weeks ago to apply to another opening that was posted (which I asked my old boss about, and he said I'd be bored in a few months because it's more entry level than the description makes it sound, so I didn't do it), so I know what his opinion would be. I don't want to jump ship just because I'm not happy now if things might get better, but at least I know what I'd be getting into if I went back (I was getting bored there when I left. I don't know how different the new job will be; I believe the title is the same). I was talking to my most recent manager (he's just a plain old coworker now, reporting to the same guy as me) and he wisely doesn't want to sound like he's telling me what to do, and simply advised me to figure out what I want for myself and not make a decision based on the opinions of others in the same boat as me (and also to make sure the "are you interested?" is a "it's yours if you want it" and not just a "you should apply" before I say anything to my boss.) If I do go back, I don't want to do it for the wrong reasons.
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