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Career Center Tip of the Day: Evaluating the Counteroffer — Should You Stay or Should You Go? (Part 5)

onApril 19, 2011 at 3:41 PMApril 19, 2011 at 3:46 PM

In the first four parts of our Career Center “Tip of the Day” series, focused on how to evaluate a counteroffer, we covered the importance of re-evaluating your current employment situation, assessing what the new firm is offering, analyzing the counteroffer of your current firm, and considering the ramifications (both tangible and intangible) of accepting the counteroffer and reneging on the new firm. Our final tip focuses on recognizing buyer’s remorse for what it actually is: fear of the unknown.

On to tip #5….

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Odds are, if you are given a counteroffer by your current firm, you are probably very good at what you do. You know the writing style that is particular to partner X, you are the “go-to” person for an important legal issue, and you know which hallways to avoid if you want to leave the office before 7:00 p.m. You may be complacent with your routine at your current firm, but you are obviously not happy with your employer choice — or you wouldn’t have been looking for a new job in the first place. In addition to any financial perks of a counteroffer, you may also be attracted to the familiarity aspect of your current job.

In looking at the new job offer, you are probably worried about starting anew and not being the superstar you are at your current firm. These concerns are normal, and you need to recognize them as your fear of the unknown. While you may not become the “go-to” person at the outset of your new job, you have skills that are important to this firm (or you would not have been hired in the first place). Just like your first day at school, you are going to have to get used to your new surroundings and be confident in your current skills and abilities. Being afraid of new challenges or starting over should not hold you back from better and more fulfilling opportunities.

Be sure to talk to your friends, people in your professional network, or a recruiter; you may need the perspective of an outsider, or even just a pep talk. Sometimes the emotional connections to the current firm may get in the way of rational thought and decisionmaking. Use the people you trust to bounce off your concerns and feelings – you don’t have to give them the details of either job offer, but they might give you a better perspective throughout this process.

If you have questions about seeking new employment opportunities, or would like a professional recruiter to assist you in your job search, contact any of the recruiting professionals at Lateral Link.