u/No-Comment4174

Honestly, this situation has turned into a somewhat strange chapter in my career.

At Company A, where I currently work, I was making 68k a year in my role. My raise was 5%, and honestly, I felt like I had been standing still for a while.

Company B offered me 78k a year for a job very similar to what I do now. I showed the offer to my current employer, and they countered with 86k a year.

About three weeks after that, I got an offer for 108k a year from another company, for a more technical project/engineering role, and I can say that this is a big step forward for my career growth.

The awkward part is that my current employer probably wouldn't have made a counteroffer to Company B if they didn't genuinely see my value and place in their organization. They also addressed the basic things I had brought up: clearer growth paths, better pay, and more flexibility to work from home. I appreciate that, and I don't think they acted badly at all.

But the offer from the third company feels too big to turn down.

I'm looking for advice on how to handle this without burning any bridges. The management team at my current employer are genuinely good people. They tried hard to keep me once I had an offer to leave, and in general they tried to do right by me and my career when they could.

I'm planning to bring this up with them at the end of this week. How can I make the situation less awkward, and make the next two weeks as comfortable as possible for both me and them?

Thanks

I (29F) recently left a job I absolutely hated, largely due to a new 'return to office first' policy. Fortunately, I'm in a position where I can afford to go back to school for a few months without needing a full-time job. This got me thinking: If you had the chance to start completely fresh, what degree or career field would you seriously pursue?

I'm open to almost anything, but if I were to list some preferences, here's what I'm looking for: something that pays at least 110k-130k annually, a role where I don't have to constantly climb the endless corporate ladder, no medical roles, limited tech experience, and I'd prefer to avoid traditionally male-dominated professions.

And just to cut off a common piece of advice: Please, no 'follow your passion' suggestions. That's a cliché that isn't very helpful for most adults living in reality, and frankly, it's often completely unrealistic.