Which to choose?

Anonymous

May 26,2022 at 6:44PM UTC

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Which to choose? I have an attractive offer for an independent contributor role to lead a project. But im also interviewing and expecting an offer for the same level and likely pay to build a team and work in development. The second role is my wheel house and I live it. The first role I think is necessary for my long term goals of becoming a VP. What would I choose to do?

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AnonymousMay 26,2022 at 6:57PM UTC
If the path the VP role is available, I am not understanding why this is a question. Without knowing any additional details, I would opt for a role that would lead to the long-term growth. It is important to do some introspection and a risk analysis. For the job you really want, how much a learning curve differential is involved. The greater it is, the more the risk bc depending on whether your future boss genuinely supports you or not can have a direct effect on whether they will be forgiving as you make mistakes along the way. What about work/life/balance? Regardless of what choice seems most appealing to you, will you be working long hrs into the weekend where you are missing out on recovering and spending time with family. List out your priorities you want in a job both short term and long term. See how it would correlate to your work/life/balance. If it meets a level you are comfortable with then go for it and good luck. But we cannot make that choice for you. You have to do the introspection. Also, if you already know who you will be reporting to, do you click well or vibe with them as well? No one wants a toxic boss no matter what the pay or job title is.
Kimberley Ferretti HammettMay 26,2022 at 7:10PM UTC
I'm curious how you think the second role wouldn't contribute toward your development into a future VP role? Building a team sounds like a huge practice in not only leadership skills but organizational savvy which would be necessary in a VP. Before you decided I would consider if there would be possible avenues in or from the 2nd option that could also open doors to get project leadership skills that would help your long-term goals.
Obviously we are missing context here so I couldn't know for sure, but I would hate for you to move away from a role that you would love and thrive in because you think it's necessary when there is no one specific path to any role. I was just at a conference where this was a hugely common topic in the Learning and Development world of creating multiple paths to leadership roles and focus should be on proven competencies over task experience.