I've worked at my current job 5+ years. The last 3 have been exceeding difficult, jaded and not inline with the corporate "culture". Biggest issue I have is the corporate culture of buy, squeeze, drop. Whatever makes profits today.
Recently got an offer at a different company, a startup. Initial offer on pay is about 1% more than current base pay. But the 401k match is much less, no bonus structure, though there are stock options (with a long vesting period).
I'm torn. I feel the current company runs like a startup still, even though they were bought by corporate 10yrs ago. So the new culture might be very similar, but with an actual potential of windfall if it gets to ipo.
I have a lot of freedom in the current position, hours as I set them (all onsite), with minimal pushback or oversite. I average 5hrs overtime a week, though would say my workload could be done in 15hrs/week at full tilt. Super stagnant and most work is reactive, "fixing" problems, that'll likely be the exact same problem in less than a year again. Unlikely to have near the same freedom in the new position.
Offered position is in a field I'm very interested in, and could lead to extreme specialization, but I do not know the long term growth possibilities beyond it being extremely niche.
Offer at new position is initially $1/hr more than the recruiter claimed was the top of the budgeted. And I haven't pushed on it (yet? Hesitant on knowing if/how far to push that with an offer already extended)
I feel so burned out at the current job, but getting an offer elsewhere has rehighlighted a lot of the benefits at the current place.
What would you do? Do I take it? Do I push more at the new place for a better base? Do I leverage the offer for more $$ at the current place?
I can't really speak on whether this job is better than the current one, but there is something to say about recognizing when time is nearing to depart. Just 3 days ago I walked away from a 6-figure job (that I was at for a decade) because it became untenable. That was the push factor. Thankfully, there was also a pull factor: the idea of taking the time to spend with family and refocus on the new goals. This of course comes from a privileged position, I get that, but I began to prepare for this exit awhile back. All that is to say, don't let convenience hold you from doing what's important to you.