Need Advice: Location Change

Hey Guys, it’s been a while. I’ve been super busy, not really a bad thing, right? So, I’ll take you through the entire story; 2 weeks ago I got my bonus/raise/promotion. Awesome. +25% in base + 50BPS in top line revenue. So all-in my 1st year comp was pretty damn good I would say, especially for living in a tax free state. I also got a new title. My boss (the PM) and the manager said that they we’re looking forward to me growing a career here (ie. with the team). Last Wednesday I get an unsolicited email from a guy that I worked with during my internship. He is located in Beverly Hills. He basically said he is looking for an analyst on his team and wanted to know how my position was structured, and if I could give him 30 minutes the next day (last Thursday) to discuss. Not a problem (he was perhaps one of the people I bonded and worked the best with). Thursday: The call. So we have our discussion on Thursday (the PM was gone Thursday/Friday) and he basically asks about comp, duties, day-to-day, strategic outlook etc… Then at the end of the call he asks for my cell #. Around 8 that night (5 on the west coast) he calls me and asks if i’m “interested in moving back to LA.” Without hesitation I said “yes.” After that we discuss how I would extricate myself from my current position and get out there and what kind of time frame etc etc. Here is the tricky part; The manager in the Beverly Hills office is best friends with the PM that I work for and essentially set up the current position I have now. The PM in LA asked the manager of that office what I should do and she said; “It’s rather unethical to poach her analyst without her even knowing.” My stance; I want to move. I like Miami but not enough to not keep me from leaving for a better opportunity. I don’t want my current PM to get competitive because frankly, I doubt she can afford me vs. what I’m being offered in LA. I think that at the end of the day this decision comes down to my pay, my professional/personal growth and the growth of my team. All these aspects are better in LA. What I am confused about is how to have this discussion with my boss. To be clear, I am completely satisfied with this current job, however, the new one offers better everything. Also, I think LA offers better career growth, something which Miami severely lacks. What does AF think?

this is fked up in all kind of levels… however look out for number 1 i would ask to double your all in comp to make the move… i had a call from a rival firm and told him to f off

Same firm. Shoulda said that. They’re paying for relo + COLA + 10% on top of COLA + Profit sharing + Discretionary All in should be about 75% more than current all-in.

Is this unethical? I percieve it as going for a better opportunity, both internally and location wise.

the PM from LA snatching an analyst in stealth mode might be considered inethical i guess, but i dont see how the analysts’ desire to go for the better opportunity can be labeled as inethical. if you are fully open about it and put cards on the table, “i have a better offer/opportunity in LA”, i feel you come out clean and leave ethics considerations between the two PMs

to be clear… on your part no but on his part yes. I would never work for someone like that but thats me

Good to hear you’re doing well AM. If I recall correctly you were a bit worried about taking the job in Miami given the low pay, so I’m glad it has all worked out for you. With regards to your situation, maybe just go with what you said: “To be clear, I am completely satisfied with this current job, however, the new one offers better everything. Also, I think LA offers better career growth, something which Miami severely lacks.” Tell her that you enjoy your job, you’ve appreciated the opportunity, you’ve learnt an enormous amount, you love Miami etc etc, but you have been offered a role in the office in LA and from a career development move you can’t see a way to turn it down. Make it sound like you are reluctant to take the LA job, but that only a fool would turn it down (or someone who had no career ambitions at all). You never know, she might come back with some fast-track plan to get you to PM level in x years, or whatever. But regardless, make sure you leave on good terms.

If someone else asked this question here, what would you say? I think you already know what you want to do. Good luck.

more opportunities in La, this is a no-brainer but very shady on his part

I agree with the people here. Not “shady” on your part, more “shady” on his part; but at the same time, if one person values an employee more than another, isn’t that their right? You can’t let managers hoard talent. The challenging thing for you is not really explaining yourself to your current boss per se; it’s more about how to explain the situation to limit the amount that ur current boss is pissed at ur possibly new boss. I.e. you could go into the office, sit down with your boss, and say that you love working for them and think they’re great, but you got a better offer, in a better location, for more money. Your boss would understand why you took it and I doubt they would look at you unfavourably. If ur current boss got a better offer, somewhere better, for more money, g’d right they would take it. The issue is how to explain how you got this new offer. You can’t throw your new manager under the bus, so you gotta down play the amount that he actively tried to poach you. But then you can’t make it look like you were really actively looking for a new job either. It has to come off as a sort of friendly conversation with your old intern buddy that lead to a really good fit being identified.

I don’t think there is a way to spin this to make it look like the new manager is not a poacher. The best outcome is to make it seem like he poached very reluctantly.

Mobius Striptease Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > the PM from LA snatching an analyst in stealth > mode might be considered inethical i guess, but i > dont see how the analysts’ desire to go for the > better opportunity can be labeled as inethical. if > you are fully open about it and put cards on the > table, “i have a better offer/opportunity in LA”, > i feel you come out clean and leave ethics > considerations between the two PMs Interesting take on ‘inethical’ behavior. What i would like to know how AF will benefit from this transition?

comp_sci_kid Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Mobius Striptease Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > the PM from LA snatching an analyst in stealth > > mode might be considered inethical i guess, but > i > > dont see how the analysts’ desire to go for the > > better opportunity can be labeled as inethical. > if > > you are fully open about it and put cards on > the > > table, “i have a better offer/opportunity in > LA”, > > i feel you come out clean and leave ethics > > considerations between the two PMs > > Interesting take on ‘inethical’ behavior. > What i would like to know how AF will benefit from > this transition? He’ll be on PST, meaning more post time available presumably. My advice?: Tell them you knocked up a chick in LA (a hot one).

Maybe fake your death and hope that the LA PM doesn’t talk to the Miami PM about this.

Wow, thanks for all the advice guys. So. I talked to her today and we actually both got pretty emotional. We both realized we’ve grown close outside of work since I share a lot of my family life with her and am good friends with her kids. I told her that personally and professionally Miami wasn’t cutting it, and that I’ve been in contact with a PM in LA and I am exploring opportunities there (ie. didn’t say I have an offer but didn’t make it look like im just riding off into the sunset). She basically lectured me for 45 minutes on how this should be a personal decision and that networking (friends and professionally) gets harder as we get older so that my Miami experience isn’t really that terrible. All in all she said that we should talk in 2 weeks to see how I feel about this move but that she is planning on me leaving. I am 95% sure I am keeping the course. At the end of the day I really feel like I’m saying goodbye to a friend and not a co worker. That’s the part that kills me.

jcole21 Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > comp_sci_kid Wrote: > -------------------------------------------------- > ----- > > Mobius Striptease Wrote: > > > -------------------------------------------------- > > > ----- > > > the PM from LA snatching an analyst in > stealth > > > mode might be considered inethical i guess, > but > > i > > > dont see how the analysts’ desire to go for > the > > > better opportunity can be labeled as > inethical. > > if > > > you are fully open about it and put cards on > > the > > > table, “i have a better offer/opportunity in > > LA”, > > > i feel you come out clean and leave ethics > > > considerations between the two PMs > > > > Interesting take on ‘inethical’ behavior. > > What i would like to know how AF will benefit > from > > this transition? > > He’ll be on PST, meaning more post time available > presumably. > > > My advice?: > Tell them you knocked up a chick in LA (a hot > one). On the upside I am closer to PTC. Sooooo maybe this can become a reality if I don’t get shot trying to cross the border.

That’s really good to hear. Make sure to pull a “Leaving The City” special with all the non-office girls around you.

Hope your not working market hours in LA. That wil cut into your social life

but nice empty freeways for commute, otherwise 2 hrs in traffic is guaranteed

Lucky you…glad to see you are leaving Miami. Wish I could move back to Cali as well…one day.