Salary negotiation tips after external offer: A young professional’s dilemma about career loyalty and financial opportunity ignited advice and debate on Reddit after he revealed he had been offered a new job that pays 40% more than his current salary, only for his manager to ask him to “be patient” and trust the process instead of leaving.
Employee Offered 40% Salary Increase Faces Tough Career Decision
The user, who said he has been with his current company for two years and consistently delivered quality work, shared his struggle with feeling guilty about wanting to leave for better pay, especially given his age and financial responsibilities.
Life-Changing Money vs Loyalty to Current Employer
In the post on r/careerguidance, he explained that the recruiter from the new company found him through LinkedIn and that the offer was “genuinely life changing money.”
However, when he informed his manager, the response was to look him in the eye and say, “your time is coming, just trust the process,” a promise that he said he had heard before without seeing results.
Should You Leave a Job for Higher Pay
He asked the community for help on how to stop feeling guilty about wanting to leave, even though he hadn’t been fully rewarded for his contributions.
Reddit’s Advice on Career Loyalty vs Financial Growth
Commenters were quick to share blunt advice. Many urged him to take the new offer rather than stay where he felt undervalued. One commenter bluntly wrote that “there’s no money in loyalty” and encouraged the poster to accept the higher salary, sharing their own story of being promised raises that never materialized.
Another Redditor reframed the employer’s “process” as essentially the same thing that created the offer, suggesting that if his current company truly valued him, they would have matched the competing offer or provided a meaningful raise earlier. This perspective echoed a broader sentiment among users that employers often reward new hires more than loyal staff, leaving talented workers feeling morally torn.
When a Counteroffer Makes Sense and When It Doesn’t
Some responses offered a slightly more nuanced view, noting that while counteroffers can occasionally keep valuable employees, they are not always reliable or long-term solutions. One commenter described a situation where a counteroffer did include a promotion and future leadership prospects, a rare outcome, but one that underscores the importance of clear communication and written commitments if someone chooses to stay.
Key Lessons From This Reddit Career Dilemma
Overall, the conversation on Reddit leaned toward valuing career advancement and financial well-being over staying in a role with vague promises. Many users advised that feeling guilty about pursuing better pay is understandable, but that making a decision based on tangible offers rather than hope can be better for long-term growth.