Career Conundrum - Move into management or stay where I am?

Lead.

 

Unless I just disliked working at the company in general, I'd take the PM opportunity in a heartbeat.

My own experience with PM's is similar to Yonkers - they manage and oversee project and system resources and are often the liaison between different teams or departments working on different parts of the same project, as well as regularly report and demo progress to "real" managers who handle job performance reviews, hiring/firing, non-minor budget decisions and so on. It seems like Xerobull's new opportunity is more involved than just PM.

 

This is far from a no-brainer .
If you stay in the technical field and you are good in what you do, your job prospect is pretty good in the future, except for jobs that can be outsourced.

If you move to management there is no telling if you can have the job in the future. That is especially true with 1st line management, since it's easy for you to move into, it's also easy for others to take your job. When it comes time to downsize, you are easy to let go. It's hard to go to another company, you have to be very good at what you do and they can not find another person to promote from within .

The key thing, you have to be good at what you do no matter what it is . Don't just follow the money just because a opportunity presents itself .

 

Keep in mind that a project manager can be a billable resource just as much as any technical resource. In that sense, it should be relatively easy for a PM to find a job when the market is good. The difference is that when the economy is not as good and there are not any projects getting funded, the PM can't fall back on operational support type jobs like a technical resource can.

 

Mo money mo problems. I suggest you quit your current gig and apply at Subway. That seems like solid advice.

 

Yeah, I had that thought as well. PM's aren't usually actual managers. Sounds like this position is though.

 

honestly brother it sounds like you've already made your decision and just want us to confirm that you're made the right one. Go with your gut - push down your insecurities and take the job.

Down the road, you'll be glad you did and it won't leave other potential employers wondering why you never moved up the ranks at your former jobs.

 

If you don't take the risk, you can never move up to upper management either. It reminds me of that Star Trek TNG episode with the Q/alternate timeline where Picard is merely a lowly ensign because he never took risks and never became a Starfleet Captain.

 

Generally i find that most people have already made up their minds when they share this type of question with others. Your natural personality will tell you what move to make. Just think if it as two girls. The old job is the girl you have been with for years and can see yourself settling down with but you are not as crazy about her as you were in the beginning. The management job is the girl that you would admit to yourself is a bit out of your league, however shes been dropping a lot of hints and you find yourself thinking about her a lot lately. Good luck with it. No wrong move in my opinion. Do what ypur natural instinct tells you to do and you will be happy.

 

You're too old for grad school and you'll probably never start a business. Take solace in the fact that you've been given a seat at the big table rather than plateauing at 30 and getting leapfrogged for the next twenty years by bums off the street with better connections or demographics.

 

At least you don't look like a complete and utter moron when you apply for management roles in other companies or industries. No idea in an interview how to truthfully spin leadership experience where none exists.

 

actually, no.

 

You can always move back but this opportunity may not come often

 

Management FTW breh.

Give me some of the (+<40%) pls.

 

Simple.. What would Walter White do?

 

Dude, you're over 40 -- take the money.