What would you do?

[MrsC]

With 10 months of residency left and a move on the horizon, my employers now decide to offer the oppertunity of a promotion. I was planning on leaving a couple of months before we move. I'm kind of torn. Do I go for it? It means a pay rise, the chance to work as manager (a good thing to have on your resume at 25) and won't involve much more responsibility than I already have.
On the other hand, I'm pretty sure we'll be moving in 10 months (unless DH can't find a job )
These people have no idea that we'll be going. I could be upfront, go for the job and tell them that I may/may not be here in a years time.
Or, I could play dumb, say that we expect to be here for the foreseeable future but who knows with medicine. He may be offered a great job elsewhere.

Or I could just pass it up, but if they ask why, I don't want to have to say I will be leaving next year. I'm first in line for the job so I'm pretty confident that I would get it.

I'm confused, this is the first time I've been given an oppertunity like this!

Has anyone been in this position? Any thoughts?

[Pollyanna]

I'm all about being upfront. It costs a business time and money to train someone only to have them leave shortly thereafter. Since the potential move is foreseeable I would let them know that you are very interested but may be moving in a year.

I'd probably phrase it along the lines of "dh will finish training in July, and we're not certain where he'll find a job." Rather than "We'll be beating a path out of town the very day he finishes training."

It's wonderful to be upfront and honest, but it could also shoot you in the foot. I have no idea what you do, but if they know you're a short-timer and end up having to reduce staff size (due to the economy), you'd probably end up at the front of the line if they know you've already got one foot out the door.

[poky]

If you feel like you have to tell them anything, I'd say you hope to stay put, but can't know for sure...but then, I lost all of my "loyalty to the company" urges when I got laid off after 12 years.

I'm with Jane 100%.

[GrayMatterWife]

With 10 months of residency left and a move on the horizon, my employers now decide to offer the oppertunity of a promotion. I was planning on leaving a couple of months before we move. I'm kind of torn. Do I go for it? It means a pay rise, the chance to work as manager (a good thing to have on your resume at 25) and won't involve much more responsibility than I already have.
On the other hand, I'm pretty sure we'll be moving in 10 months (unless DH can't find a job )
These people have no idea that we'll be going. I could be upfront, go for the job and tell them that I may/may not be here in a years time.
Or, I could play dumb, say that we expect to be here for the foreseeable future but who knows with medicine. He may be offered a great job elsewhere.

Or I could just pass it up, but if they ask why, I don't want to have to say I will be leaving next year. I'm first in line for the job so I'm pretty confident that I would get it.

I'm confused, this is the first time I've been given an oppertunity like this!

Has anyone been in this position? Any thoughts?

Play it close to the vest (but don't deliberate mislead them with stuff like, "Hey! I can see myself doing this forever!"), do a good job, and get managerial experience that could help you get a job when you move.

[MrsK]

I agree with Abigail on this one. In my case, I was offered partnership around the time that DrK proposed. I was reluctant to accept partnership at that time because I knew that I'd likely be leaving. Ultimately, however, I accepted the promotion because I figured it would help me get a new job if I needed to. It's much easier to move to a new state and tell firms that you were a partner than it is to go in saying that you were there for X years and were never promoted.

[MrsC]

Wow, some great advice!

Considering that nobody knows we may be moving I have a couple of options. I'm very wary about saying that I may be leaving. It's a small office and if I mentioned it, then I think they'd consider me gone, and they have halved the workforce in the last year.
We sure as hell can't afford for me to be out of a job now!

I probably have a lot more loyalty to the company that they do to me...always the case! I won't have to do a whole lot of training for this job so it's not like they're putting a lot into it. They're bascially creating a position so the VP have as much work to do and I'll still be retaining my current responsibilities.

Right now I'm leaning towards going for the job, and if any questions come up in the interview (if I have to do one) like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?", just saying that I see myself as being part of the company but obviously DH's job will be a big determining factor in our future.
It really is a great little company but it's just in the wrong place. I'm not a city girl and never will be!

How have you all handled leaving your jobs after residency, med school etc.? I tend to keep my private life separate but it's difficult.

[MrsK]

. . . and if any questions come up in the interview (if I have to do one) like "Where do you see yourself in 5 years?", just saying that I see myself as being part of the company but obviously DH's job will be a big determining factor in our future. . . .

I'd recommend you just tell them where you see yourself professionaly in 5 years, not geographically or in which company you see yourself. That way you can side-step the whole thing. Heck, there are a million reasons that people leave their jobs within 5 years. Very few actually see themselves staying with the same company.

[TulipsAndSunscreen]

I would be honest about the fact that you really like the company but you also have little to no control over your DF's schedule/location.

Go for the promotion! Why does EVERYTHING have to take a back seat to medicine. If you guys do stay put, you'll regret not taking the job if you want it. You should be able to succeed professionally just like your DF.

[MDPhDWife]

If you feel like you have to tell them anything, I'd say you hope to stay put, but can't know for sure...but then, I lost all of my "loyalty to the company" urges when I got laid off after 12 years.

What she said. Go for it, no one knows where they'll be a year from now.

[oceanchild]

How have you all handled leaving your jobs after residency, med school etc.? I tend to keep my private life separate but it's difficult.

I have been able to be very upfront with my office about the fact that I'll be leaving. I was hired as part of a two year program, and I hit the two year mark last October. I went to them asking for a way to extend until DH graduated, since I knew we would be moving. They were able to fill me into a position where I would provide added coverage during an especially busy period. It was actually close to perfect how well it worked out.

Had I had to look for another job for those eight months, I was prepared to tell people that I didn't know for sure whether or not we'd be staying (the half lie, I guess). You know your employer best, and it sounds like you have good reason to believe they'd drop you if they knew you might leave, so I don't think I'd be so forthright in that case.

It's hard, but employees come and go all the time. You're still providing value to the company if you're a terrific manager for however long you're there.

[GrayMatterWife]

How have you all handled leaving your jobs after residency, med school etc.? I tend to keep my private life separate but it's difficult.

The partners in my section at my old firm were pretty savvy about the whole residency/matching thing. Several of their children had been through the match. They were polite and not intrusive, but they did ask--about November prior to the January (early) match--whether DH was interviewing in Dallas (my old hometown). I confirmed that he was. They did not pry into how high he would be ranking the hometown program, though, and I wouldn't have shared. It wasn't any of their business. I suspect that they figured I was leaving. They knew Jon was well-qualified and that there were stronger programs in NSG than the one at his medical school.

It was funny, though. The morning of the match, I came in late, after waiting at home for the results. When I walked through the door, the section head--a partner NOT known for his easy conversational style and interest in his associates' personal concerns--found me and asked how Jon matched. (I suspect that he must have gotten the date ahead of time from my secretary, the keeper of my calendar (and world!)). To any degree, I was honest: he matched in STL and he would be starting in June. And that I planned to to stay for the remainder of the calendar year, to collect my year-end bonus!

[Vishenka69]

I would go for the promotion and avoid or side-step any questions about the future. You're not sure whether you'll definitely be moving or not, so why say anything now.

Back in residency, DH has signed a contract in Feb but I didn't tell my boss until June that we'll be moving in July. I've talked to several people there that I was close to and they all said that if I say something before June, I'd never get my bonus and they might make me leave earlier. The company was going through so much reorg at the time that my departure wasn't too noticeable.