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I recently applied for a position in my current company (UK Based). Due to lack of experience, I did not get the job and instead it went to someone else internally.

Since then (2 months later) they have determined that this person now needs an "assistant" or someone "junior". They have approached me with this job. I wanted the job originally as its an area I want to move into within my career.

However, they have stated the following:

  • There will be no increase in salary (the advertised was 12k more than I get in my current role. I would not expect the full 12k since I would be entering as a junior)
  • There would be no job title and no new contract.

The latter is of concern to me as I believe it could leave me vulnerable despite it being a great opportunity for experience.

I raised this with them and they said the position and title would not be assigned/given to me until they can apply for it to be included in the next yearly budget (April).

What steps/considerations/questions should I consider before giving them an answer?

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  • "hey said the position and title would not be assigned/given to me until they can apply for it to be included in the next yearly budget (April)." - Your response could simply be: "In that case, since you would have to wait until April to advertise the position for an external applicant, I will start once the budget has been assigned and a title and position has been determined". In theory if they were really interested in you performing those duties today, before April of next year, they could assign you those duties allowing you to keep your position and title until the budget is approved.
    – Donald
    Commented Oct 14, 2022 at 21:21
  • @Donald Thanks for the reply, my concern is if in April the budget does NOT get assigned, i will be working with a job title that has been replaced by someone else potentially leaving me high and dry. Sure i could add it to my CV, but I never "held" the position if they were to ask for a reference.
    – HicklyPickly
    Commented Oct 14, 2022 at 21:36
  • @HicklyPickly - Which is the reason you will accept the job, in April and be willing to fulfill those duties in April, but until there is a guarantee of a job you will be either work in your current position doing your current duties or your current position doing your new duties. If the budget falls through, you ask to go back to your new duties, if the position is promotion.
    – Donald
    Commented Oct 14, 2022 at 23:47
  • Can you explain how keeping your existing contract leaves you "vulnerable"? If you were to say "no" to this offer, wouldn't you keep the same contract?
    – nvoigt ♦
    Commented Oct 15, 2022 at 6:57

3 Answers 3

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If you do go that route, get everything in writing.

In other words, make sure the increase in pay and the title change are automatic starting the new fiscal year.

until they can apply for it to be included in the next yearly budget (April).

That's a lot of time to wait. Also, notice the weasel word "apply". This basically means that they're not giving you any guarantee.

If you want to remove the risk for them, offer to be on probation until next April. Not that I actually suggest you do that. But if you do offer that and they still refuse to give you a written contract and an automatic pay raise by a certain date, then it means they never had the power of granting you that title (or pay increase) in the first place.

Unfortunately, having an employer not honor their original promise is quite common. But there is also the flip side of that. Sometimes no real promises were ever made, like in this case, and it's the employee who heard what they wanted to hear.

But even if the manager offering you this deal has good intentions, he could leave, he could win the lottery, or he could easily get overruled by others once the fiscal year actually starts.

Because by starting job on a vague promise, that employee will have effectively lost all of their existing leverage. After all, if they were desperate enough to accept the new role without a new title and without a pay increase, then it really obviates the urgency to give them anything once the vague promise becomes due.

Not only that, but it will be harder for them to jump ship if they're never given that new title in the first place.

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While this is not impossible there are several major issues with it.

There will be no increase in salary

and

no new contract.

So you would be taking a big potential risk for zero gain on a promise involving factors that the promiser is not in control of. This is what you need to think hard about before answering.

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  • What is the risk here? He already has A contract. The gain is being able to work in the field he wants to work. At the end he'll put what he did into his CV, not what his contract say, right?
    – s.alem
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 8:30
  • @s.alem lots of risks, main ones are he no longer will do his contracted job. You can put astronaut into your CV if you want, but if you last job was bus driver, and the background check comes back with bus driver then nobody will believe you were seconded onto the space shuttle with no paperwork to prove it. Other main risk is lose the contracted job and not get the promised one.... both major risks for little tangible gain
    – Kilisi
    Commented Oct 18, 2022 at 12:27
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This isn't entirely unheard of – however, my advice would be whatever you choose to do, needs to be in writing, with dates.

If they have said they can't have a new role until next year's budget – this isn't unheard of – so you keep your old job title but you're unofficially transferred.

However, I'd be making sure everything is in writing that by a certain date (e.g. end of April) the role will be formalized with a new job title and new salary.

That way, if they renege on the deal, you have the documentary evidence to contest it.

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