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As stated in this question: Just resigned as backend developer. How do I acquire the skills needed for my next job? I have resigned from my job as backend developer.

Today my manager and I had a lengthy chat. Over which his major talking points were:

  1. He believes it is best for me that I stay at my current job. According to him I could get a 40-50% hike in my next job, but he asked me to an analysis and see if that is what I want. According to me the current organization cannot give me that hike, the next appraisal cycle is in May. He says that I am sincere and it should pay off in the current organization.

  2. He wanted me to lead a certain data project, to which when I said no because I do not have that much experience. The company is in very nascent stages of data analysis set up and I am simply not that experienced. He asked me to wait for the next 2-3 days and he said he will line up a guy who is a very senior data analyst and get me to work with him on the entire set up and project. He is meeting with the guy as I write this.

  3. He asked me to talk with the CTO and discuss with him what he expects out of me.

But I do not want to be the guy who quit and then rejoined, not the types that cause drama. His chat although has me in two states now.

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    According to you other question, you resigned without having another position lined up. So your alternative to taking his offer to retain you is being unemployed. Is this a correct analysis? – Seth R Nov 19 at 16:26
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    You are now a "burnt asset". The next appraisal cycle could very well be the date of your lay off. – Cris Nov 19 at 20:48
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    You are being asked to change from "bored with your job" to "bored with your job, but with more responsibilities and no chance of a pay rise to compensate for at least 6 months". And when you talk to the CTO about what the CTO expects from you, guess what that will be? Probably not "more interesting work, more money, and less responsibilities". All that seems like an offer that's fairly easy to refuse. – alephzero Nov 20 at 0:45
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    @Everyone don't just expect being unemployment to be the end of the world. I could float myself for several YEARS on saved up money. So if quitting is the way to go - no need to have a job lined up right away. – Christian Nov 20 at 11:29
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    Never leave a job until you have your next one lined up...Especially if you want to change roles, and you need to learn a new skill set. Don't do this for him, stay for yourself, study, apply for jobs. You'd be surprised how expensive unemployment is. – Issel Nov 20 at 12:31

11 Answers 11

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Manager asked me to reconsider my resignation and he sounded quite convincing, should I listen to him?

Unless he presented a written offer, that included the increased salary you should not be convinced of anything other than "business as usual". Any manager that has the desire and means to give you what he has "promised" would have already done so. Either he doesn't really want to, or he cannot. Either way, I would not reconsider the resignation.

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    Please check the linked question, the OP has no other job lined up. – AndreiROM Nov 19 at 17:22
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    @AndreiROM I am aware, however it was OP's goal to resign to "take some time off" It doesn't appear that OP has an immediate need for a job at the moment and this has little to no bearing on the manager's "promises". – sf02 Nov 19 at 17:47
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    The bottom line is "show me... the money!!" In writing. – RonJohn Nov 20 at 4:05
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Other answers are generally correct in the advice of getting any promises in writing, but are glossing over a really important fact for your situation: You resigned without having another job lined up.

That really puts you in a tough situation that is going to be difficult to remedy. While you can't trust any promise of a raise or more responsibility by your boss (without it being in writing), you also really have no leverage to negotiate and no alternative except unemployment. Once you are unemployed, it will actually be more difficult to find a new position, and you will again have little leverage to negotiate a better offer (a prospective employer won't have to beat your salary, because you will have no salary!)

Your options:

  • If you really can go a prolonged period without a job, follow through on your resignation and hope you actually do land something better. It is not guaranteed that you will. But by putting in your resignation you have pretty much limited your future with the current employer anyway. They aren't going to invest in you anymore since they expect you to be leaving anyway.
  • If you don't want to be unemployed, take whatever lifeline your boss offers you. You're lucky that they want to keep you. Sure, get anything promised in writing if you can, but you really don't have another option. You put yourself at their mercy. If they want to keep you, then go ahead and keep drawing a paycheck while you look for your next job. Hopefully, they don't find any reason to get rid of you before you find your next gig.

In the future, never resign from a job without having another job lined up unless you really have to. It limits your power to negotiate, makes you less desirable in the job market, and puts you in a precarious position where you may end up with no job at all.

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    minor point of disagreement. While not the 1990s, where you could drop your resume on the ground and have several calls on your voicemail when you got home, the job market for IT is such that a prolonged period of unemployment is unlikely – Richard Says Reinstate Monica Nov 19 at 17:43
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    @RichardSaysReinstateMonica If that is the case, then what is wrong with locating a job while working? If the OP wants a vacation then in theory he could have buffer space between his current job and the next. It makes zero sense to quit, then find a job as being unemployed looks unattractive on a resume especially if it is a lateral shift in the same geographical location. New place would definitely ask why he quit and is currently jobless and would wonder if the same thing would happen should they hire him. – Dan Nov 19 at 18:04
  • @RichardSaysReinstateMonica, maybe, maybe not. We know nothing of OP's location or the job market there, nor what skills OP has and their demand. It still stands that without having a current job to fall back on, if he gets to the point where he is desperate for a job he has no leverage to negotiate something better. He limited his own options here. – Seth R Nov 19 at 18:10
  • @SethR as I said, it's only a minor point, and also depends on if the OP is willing to relocate. – Richard Says Reinstate Monica Nov 19 at 18:11
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    @KeiNagase, I guess it depends on where you work. I've been a software engineer for 15 years and have never left a job without having another lined up, nor can I think of anyone I know who has done so. – Seth R Nov 20 at 2:57
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Diplomacy frequently consists in soothingly saying, “Nice doggie,” until you have a chance to pick up a rock. —Walter Trumball.

Right now, they're saying "nice doggy". As soon as you agree, they'll look for that rock. Every last career adviser, myself included, will warn you about accepting a counter offer.

The simple reason is that you have proven that you are not loyal to the company. It doesn't matter how much they like you, how good they think your work is, or how much they need you at the moment

PUTTING ON EVIL BOSS HAT

Joe, We've just got phython_noob to agree to stay on.... Get me three candidates in here for an interview. Yes, take your time. No, he doesn't suspect anything. Right. We want someone who can step up and take over his position. Yes, tell the candidates that it's a junior position with an opportunity for advancement. Right. Once we get the new guy trained up, we'll dump python_noob

A bit dramatic, yes. But things like that can, and more importantly DO happen.

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  • As OP had already quit without next job, getting dumped is apparently a non-issue for them. – Agent_L Nov 20 at 10:50
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    The loyalty argument may be true in some companies, but it's also true that in some companies loyalty isn't rewarded - it's recognised that some loyal employees are unpaid (many possible reasons; lack of salary knowledge, poor options, negotiating skills, unwillingness to look for a new job, etc.) and if the employee raises this as an issue, then a counter offer pay increase is just a business transaction. I've actually seen this happen - the developer in question got an immediate 25% pay increase after raising the issue of being unpaid, and another 20% at next pay review. – bain Nov 20 at 11:06
  • @bain - Do you mean "underpaid" instead of "unpaid"? – Battle Nov 20 at 14:11
  • @bain it's simple negotiation until the person quits, or threatens to do so. After that, some businesses react as I dramatized above. I know of one company where, if you leave, you can ,never come back, as the CEO takes it personally. This is a major company, BTW. – Richard Says Reinstate Monica Nov 20 at 14:20
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    There are two different situations by the way. If you can just go elsewhere and get more money, rational company should be willing to happily pay you the same amount (unless you are actually worth less to them than to the new guys). But if what you're trying to do is leverage the fact that you cannot be replaced short-term, then rational company will realize you are a liability in long-term. The difference lies in what makes you valuable. Is it general and marketable and it's company that is abusing you with low pay, or is it product knowledge and you try to abuse them with blackmail. – Szymon Nov 20 at 14:42
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I’m adding a separate answer because most of the answers are speaking to normal negotiation situations and not yours.

From your posts, you’re willing and able to be jobless vs. do a job you don’t want to do. So it seems this isn’t about this company paying you more now or possessing leverage over them. Similarly, the usual points about them wanting to retain you until it’s easier for them to get rid of you don’t seem much of a threat either, since being jobless to find yourself professionally is already preferable.

Given your situation what’s the harm in listening? While classes, self-study, etc. have a lot of value, so does hands on, professional experience—so long as it is in line with your path. Have a frank, nothing-to-lose, but polite discussion. Be very clear that your drivers are to grow and current state of your role doesn’t do that. Appreciate that the company is willing to work with you on this. It sounds like they are attempting to tailor a job to you—at least to the degree they can. If you stay and they don’t deliver, go ahead and quit. Most any future job is not going to try to tailor a job to you.

About the worst cases I see here are that 1) they are doing this to keep you long enough to find your replacement or 2) even with changes it just isn’t the job you hoped it would be. In either case, you’ve just delayed what you’re planning right now by a few months. Best case is they earnestly appreciate your skills and provide you with a more fulfilling job where you’ll be not only gaining the experience you wanted, but still getting paid for doing it.

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    Agree with this. I wouldn't expect any pay rise from the current company, but there may be advantages in taking on the data project with senior analyst if that interests the OP and will boost their prospects of a better job later. Worth at least talking to the senior analyst if they materialize. – Dragonel Nov 20 at 0:31
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That offer is worth the paper he printed it on... If he was serious then it would have been on paper.

He is already delaying a raise until May.. And when you get to May the next excuse will be “the current economic situation” or “a customer downturn”.

Look for the next post and good luck.

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  • @AndreiROM I suggested look for the next post, I did not say take the one you have already... – Solar Mike Nov 19 at 17:25
  • You're right, I just posted this comment on all the answers, because it seemed like the misunderstanding is widespread. To be fair, your post is also rather short on details, and so I jumped to conclusions. I'll delete my comment. – AndreiROM Nov 19 at 17:26
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I am reading your other question and I believe you currently do not have a job lined up. So your hypothetical pay bump is only that, an assumption that may not materialize anytime soon.

I think you should not have quit and instead stayed on board without having said anything at all. During this time you look for a job that lines up with what you expect. Should you leave, and find you cannot find a job then it's going to make it 1000x harder to come back than it is to simply stay on board accepting your boss's proposal whether he is sincere or not.

My thought: you jumped ship too soon and now you have no leverage. My advice: stay on board and do not quit. If the boss's promises come to life, then go with it but in the meantime assume you do not have a deal. Instead look at it as an opportunity to leave in a better position with an actual job on hand.

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According to him I could get a 40-50% hike in my next job, but he asked me to an analysis and see if that is what I want. According to me the current organization cannot give me that hike, the next appraisal cycle is in May. He says that I am sincere and it should pay off in the current organization.

If it were a 10% hike, I could see the organization giving you that. Next to nowhere would give a 40-50% raise unless it were for extraordinary reasons, especially in a company with an "appraisal cycle." If they were willing to give such a thing, they would give it as required, not on a cycle.

I think you are being promised what will be next to impossible for your boss to deliver.

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    Please check the linked question, the OP has no other job lined up. – AndreiROM Nov 19 at 17:22
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You are willing to leave your job for a 40% raise, and your boss is giving you unsubstantiated promises about the possibility of a raise and wants you to talk to the CTO. Sounds like your boss has no leverage and is desperately wanting to keep you around, but has nothing to offer.

If a valued employee of mine was leaving, I would come to him with paperwork guaranteeing him a raise or a retention bonus, or would have scheduled a meeting with someone higher up to place him in a position that he would like more and would pay more in line with his expectations. I would champion for a valued employee to do what's best for them.

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    Please check the linked question, the OP has no other job lined up. – AndreiROM Nov 19 at 17:22
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If you have an offer from another company...

  1. You don’t owe him an analysis...you can give him one but it’s voluntary at this point.

  2. Sounds like he’s giving you more responsibility but I haven’t seen any indicator of a pay bump.

  3. What’s the end goal of talking to the CTO?

At the end of the day, you have promises coming in from your current and your next employer. Next employer however comes with a guarantee of a bigger paycheck. Current employer has some good history with you (otherwise, you wouldn’t be posting this question and come up with the thought of “coming back”).

Are you willing to take that trade off? If you’ve a crystal ball and realize that you’ve made a mistake, which mistake is easier for you to live with?

If you don’t have a competing offer...

If you don’t have a concrete plan on where you’re going (sounds like you don’t from the linked post), stay put, learn during non work hours and determine what you want to do. Unless...

If money isn’t a consideration....

Go find your passion.

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    Please check the linked question, the OP has no other job lined up. – AndreiROM Nov 19 at 17:23
  • @AndreiROM Yikes! That totally changes things. So the “next job” in his question is a position being offered by his current employer? – Goose Nov 19 at 17:37
  • @Goose, no the "next job" is an amorphous promise the boss is making to get him to stay that really isn't backed by anything...but OP's only other option is unemployment. – Seth R Nov 19 at 18:21
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You'll find all sorts of sources for how many people accept counteroffers and then still leave within a year, and they tend to suggest that between 60 and 90% of people who accept a counter offer still leave within the year.

With that in mind, I tend to think that a counter offer needs to be:

  1. Clear on exactly what it's offering - no vague terms, definite commitments.

  2. In writing, either as a contract or an addendum to one

  3. Better than the offer on the table by a significant margin. E.g. if you have an offer for 100K and good benefits, then you need an offer that's not just 101K, but either an amount extra that you'll really notice, or much better benefits.

Otherwise, you get commitments verbally, people renege on them, and you leave anyway, having missed this opportunity.

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I will just state my personal experience here, as a software developer who have been in this exact same situation. Hope this helps!

  • I already had job offers, but as a tech worker, you'll probably be hunted just as I am, so I won't worry about that.
  • I had precise reasons to leave. In my case I wanted to work with a specific set of technologies, so that I could find a job down the road when I would move to a smaller city, with less demand for the skill set I had, which were my company's specialty.

The CEO of my company came to my place of work at a client for a coffee, and asked me if I would stay if they gave me what I wanted. I said yes, and he got back to me a week later with a new mission hitting all the box, starting the following month (faster than my legal notice time!). I've had to call back the other companies that offered me a job to tell them about it, and thank them for their time. I left some time after that when I moved, and have warmly recommended my former company to people wanting to work in its field.

So, it all comes down to this. Make a realistic list of what you want, for compensation as well as tech experience, ask your boss if he can give it to you, and if not, try elsewhere. But don't discard your current company if they show good will. It seems like you are considered valuable, and I don't think you'll be considered less if you stay for the right reasons.

Now, a good think to do is also to find a tech recruiter friend, and ask her/him what you could expect in an other job. I did that and have sometime been surprised by how some skills I had developed could be worth on the market.

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