I currently work in a company, as a software developer, receiving a salary of 80K. (average in my area per glassdoor is 90K with national average of 95K). Also about 1.5 years ago I have negotiated an increase from 75K to the 80K + 2 weeks more vacation time.
Recruiters are starting to call me and offering new positions. In particular one is offering an company with compensation of up to 100K. It is very reasonable for me to believe that I can get a salary in range of 95 - 100K with this specific company recruiter is offering, knowing my skill set and knowing that company. (That company has been known to me for 3+ years offering high salary ranges). It was also my condition with recruiter that I like my current position and will not move for anything less and the recruiter knows that. However, like anything else in life, I do not yet have the offer in my hand, I am just fairly confident that if I go down that road, that I can likely get it.
If I didn't like my current job, this would be a no brainer -- go and follow up on the recruiter's offer and see where it takes me.
Well, I like my current job and I am needed there. However, potential 20K increase in salary is not something I just want to go unnoticed.
Family tells me to go to my boss and talk to him, asking for a raise or more vacation time, but what is that the best course of action?
I can do something like "Hey boss, I am getting this potentially good opportunity with offer for +20K more than I am getting now, I like my current job here in my company but I can't help to notice that average salaries in other places that take my skill set are quite a bit more. What can we do about this?".
If he says "Well do you have an offer?" At this point I do not but I can say "Would you like me to get one?"
If he asks me "Well, what do you want to do about this?" I can ask for more vacation time or ask for more compensation or yet more vacation time. Because I think those are the only things I could ask for. I don't know if there is anything else.
One thing is more or less certain is I don't want to just be quiet when there are better offers available.
If it comes back that company is unable or unwilling to give me a raise I will have to think long and hard what I want to do with the recruiter's offer. My condition with recruiter is that I would not leave my job for increase less than 20K, and it is quite reasonable for me to believe I can achieve it.
Question
What do I need to do before I have the conversation with my boss, and when I do, what do I focus on during the conversation? (What do I do with the recruiter and the interview opportunity in the mean time?)
My Goal
My ideal goal is to stay in my current job, but to not concern myself about other offers.
I suppose one way to achieve that is to increase my salary to a more competitive level. But there may be more ways as well. As in, I can always convince myself I have a fine job and stay there and simply ignore the potential offer (that will meet my goal), but doing so will be bypassing the opportunity of using the potential offer in some way that will be beneficial for me.
I also have some "noise" such as -- I am cautions of the "greener grass" syndrome to where it looks like 100K salary position is more and better, but the position itself in the new company may not be a great fit for me. Or then it may be awesome. I just don't know, but I do value certain level of comfort and stability in the established role in my current position.
As far as recruiter I think I may want to follow up and do an interview to know if the new potential company will be a good fit for me in the first place. If it's not, it will satisfy my goal as well (my concern will be dropped). If it is a good fit, however, I may want to introspect further.