Musical Chairs

I have a decision to make.

There is a "life altering" choice ahead, although it might not seem overly grand for most people. For me though, it is something I have to carefully consider, because I don't have as many options as I would like in this area of life, and the ramifications might be large for me and my family.

There is an opportunity to change position at work.

See... Not so scary.

However, for me at least, it is a big decision, because in Finland, I don't have a huge amount of opportunity for changing company, and even less at the moment with the current state of economy and politics. So, changing role, even one for the same company, comes with risks.

Having said that, another factor is that I like my current role, but I am not sure if I would enjoy the other as much. However, the other role probably comes with more opportunity past that, which would make it a stepping stone and may provide alternative options that I won't get in the position held now.

Maybe the timing is good.

As they say, a change is as good as a holiday and I definitely need a holiday at the moment. I go on vacation at the end of the week though for summer, so that isn't the issue. Still, it might be somewhat refreshing to make a shift into another part of the organization, and ply my trade there for a while at least.

Officially, there isn't an opening at all for a job, but there is a need for someone who has my experience and skills for some time at least. I also get the sense that the team I am in is changing also, and it might not bode that well for me in the next year or two, so getting out before forced out to prove myself in another role might be a good move to make.

I dunno.

There are pros and cons to both situations, so I am thinking that I should perhaps get out of the comfort of my current role, and take the other. After all, that is what I would likely tell one of my clients who are looking for advancement.

I was talking with my company mentor today and asked about diversity in the workplace, which I see as skill and thought diversity, not sex and skin color differences. And, while I might not be good at many things, I do think I have something to offer the company that isn't being utilized in my current role. I also think that changing roles might provide me with more direction for personal growth opportunities, as I would have to "redefine" myself again, go back to the drawing board a bit, and do some additional onboarding into the role to learn that side of the organization, as I haven't had much to do with it earlier.

Am I talking myself into it?

It would be so much easier to make these kinds of decisions if I didn't need a job to cover living expenses, but we are a long way away from that. I haven't lived in the corporate world as an employee for most of my work life, so I am always a bit unsure as to how to "behave" in these situations. This was made even worse after the stroke, but I also changed to a more challenging role afterward, which has also taken its toll on my psyche perhaps. Not because it was challenging, but because of the mental energy it takes to keep up.

This new role would be similar.

This is not a promotion of any kind and at best, it is a sideways movement. At this point, I don't even know if a raise is possible, but I told my supervisor that it was on the cards anyway, so we should discuss it anyway. But, an upward change in salary while welcome, might not cover the risks.