what to do if another SVP approaches you with a job offer??

[tropical_smiles]

Ok...i need some advice, what should I do? I've been working in my department for more than a year now and my old boss (he just got promoted to become a VP) is currently in the works with HR in terms of discussing promoting me and also giving me a pay raise. If anything, he has told me that he hopes to get me a significant pay raise and also retrospect my pay for the work i've done in the pass couple of months. Mainly because I do project management but my pay is equivalent to an assistant pay. Though this has been in the works since June and I still haven't seen much come through. My old boss has called me last week indicating that he is to meeting with the HR department sometime this week to determine whether they give approval to promote me and what not. Tricky part is that I work in the Executive Office and I report into the President.

Though yesterday, I was approached by our SVP of Communications with an offer to be kinda her assistant plus my own project. She pretty much told me it would roughly be about 40% assistant and the rest is wherever I want to take it..The main reason I believe she says that is because I do work on some projects that are owned by her department. I'll get exposed to PR in terms of dealing with external publications and all that fun stuff. Currently in my job now, my work is surrounded by me publishing work that is only focused for internal staff. So the PR opportunity is something I would love but I'm not thrilled about the administrative assistant bit. So I'm not too sure how to approach it nor do I want to burn any bridges or an opportunity to move into that department. This SVP has no idea that my boss is currently int he works with HR regarding revamping my role..

My problem...I don't know where this revamp will lead me as my job is one of those ones where I took it to where it is now because I asked to be placed on projects and to manage them. I enjoy it but not too sure how far it will take me...most of my projects I work on now, aren't even related to my department. My old boss asked people to give me stuff to work on since he always ran out of things for me to do until he started letting me own my projects.

Secondly, I'll love the opportunity in Communications but i hate doing administrative stuff 'cause it's so boring...but would love the fact that I'll probably be able to take it where I can go as well.

If you were in this situation, what would you do? Would you approach your old boss and tell him that someone has come up to you with a job opportunity. I kinda feel like I want to go up to him to ask him, in the best interest of my career and the fact that I would love to work towards becoming a manager, is his potential role increase going to lead me there or is this other job going to. I think it's a fair question. Yet at the same time, I don't want to approach my old boss and have him think im gonna jump at any opportunity and have him not continue to push for HR to approval my promotion if the case it in terms is something that might be better for me.

I need your help!!! and all your advice!!!

 

[rbella]

First, you say that you report to the President of the company. Shouldn't you speak to him, not your old boss? I might have been confused, but that would be my first inclination, not to piss off the head of the entire company.

Second, how much do you know about this SVP? Is she the type of lady that will try to hold you back? Or, will she allow you the opportunities your old boss gave you. I would think you would need to speak to her as well and make sure she knows what your intentions are for the future so that you can be assured she is on board.

Third, if you are taking a pay cut at all for this. It would have to be something really worth it. Your current experience alone would allow you to move to another company and do what you are more interested in and probably be paid more, without having to be an assistant.

JMO, hope it helps. Good luck to you. I know these are hard situations to deal with!