Job change during Covid - Is the risk worth taking?

[Sentient6]

Hi everybody,

Between Covid running rampant and not being able to spend the holidays with the family, I also find myself facing a huge dilemma here on whether to stay at my current job or leave for something new.

So long story short, I've been working at this company (company A) for 2+ years now (28 years old). The job itself is very interesting, the group I'm working with is really fantastic, best work environment I've ever experienced by far. My immediate manager is the absolute best I've ever had and I have a great relationship with her. Most of us at the office have gotten to be quite good friends outside work too.

The bankruptcy of a couple of clients due to Covid has had a really terrible effect on the company (we're a small payment service provider and some of our biggest clients were in the travel and accommodation industry). After some departments had to be shut down in August, many of us at my department (all QA engineers) started looking for a way out, before being canned. I actually managed to get an offer for a similar kind of position at a much bigger company (company B) for a slightly better salary than what I'm earning at my current job (12% more). All rounds of interviews went great and even though I don't have the year-long experience that other candidates might have had, they apparently liked me a lot and saw something in me.

Not two weeks after I had contacted the HR rep and the department manager at B to tell them that I was going to be accepting their offer and handing in my resignation at A, we were informed that a foreign competitor (big player in the industry) had expressed interest in a takeover of company A. My manager and the managing director of A have both reached out to me personally and have tried to talk me into staying, promising to match what B is offering in full after the deal is through (a certainty at this point - our people in accounting have been dealing with requests from the new investors for a while now and they say it's basically 99% certain) and everything has settled.

I've tried to weigh pros and cons here many many times guys. For example, pros for A: 1) I know the job and the processes here inside out, 2) I have reached a certain level of social capital within the group that I really have worked very hard for, everyone trusts me and looks up to me, 3) As already mentioned I love my team and we work brilliantly together, 4) There might be some new exciting stuff coming our way in terms of projects after the takeover is complete and most importantly 5) The main reason I quit and was looking for another job in the first place (job security) doesn't seem to be an issue anymore, as we've been reassured many times by management. Cons for A: 1) We don't exactly know what kind of plans the new ownership has for A and its resources, as the deal isn't officially closed yet for us to get into the transition period with guidance from our new Director, 2) The long-term security of our jobs here depends on the success of the whole project, which management is very optimistic about but nothing is granted, especially as Covid continues to rage on, 3) I don't want to be branded as the guy that was ready to jump ship but decided to stay after all (I know that this one is probably just in my head though).

Pros for B: 1) Slightly better salary and better title, 2) New processes and models to learn, new knowledge that increases your value in the market, 3) Belongs in the group of a giant company, which also means better chances for upward mobility within the company in comparison to A, 4) Excellent training programs for employees, 5) They clearly saw something in me, since some of the tasks that I'm supposed to be doing based on the job description, I have very limited experience with (which they know), which means they're willing to invest in me (Another good sign is the fact that they're willing to wait for me for almost 4 months due to the 3-month notice I have at my current job - a common thing in Germany, where I currently live and work). Cons for B: 1) Being a new and unknown thing - You never know if what you're going to end up doing on a daily basis will be fulfilling for you or completely mundane. I also am not 100% sure whether I'm actually up for it and I would never want to let them down after feeling like they took a risk in hiring me due to my inexperience in certain areas and aspects of that specific role - Nobody wants to be the guy that asks too many questions and slows the team down, 2) Fitting in with the new team - I'll be the youngest person there by a large margin (I'm 28, average age in the team is 44). I can't even begin to stress how important it is for me to gel with the team. You're gonna be seeing these people every day for years, having a good relationship with them will improve your quality of life massively, 3) Probation period for 6 months (also a standard thing in Germany, during which you can be fired or quit with a 2 week notice), which is not an issue at A since past probation time, you're basically safe for at least 3 months.

I've told the HR department of A that I would be giving them a definitive response on the first working day of the new year. The problem is I'm still 100% undecided. 

What should I do here? Am I being too sentimental here and placing too much value on things that should be secondary in a decision like that? Any opinions or pointers are more than welcome and please feel free to share your stories if you've faced a dilemma like this before. Happy new year everybody! Stay healthy

[Foxhall]

I like your passion and enthusiasm, am more of a lone ranger myself so dont think either option would appeal to me, 

but no doubt you will do well whatever you choose.

for what its worth I would stick with the tried and trusted and stay with Option A,

but only you can decide at the end of the day,

Happy New Year.

[d0nnivain]

If you are concerned about being the guy who wanted to jump ship that is valid.  Normally staying once your employer knows you have make inquiries about leaving is bad plan because you do come across as disloyal but here because there was already downsizing & there is real concern about the economics you can't be faulted for seeking security. 

Which future feels more secure to you?  Take that job.  

[introverted1]

B

A is still uncertain and the benefits of B (better pay, better title, exposure to new technologies/methods) all position you for career growth in the future.