CAREERS CLINIC
MICHAEL MORAN
MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FAIRPLACE
I work in asset management. My boss is moving to another firm, and he is asking me to come with him. Should I join him?
YOU have to weigh up the pros and cons here carefully. It’s a good signifier of your own abilities if your boss is reliant on you, and that he wants to reward your loyalty and look after you. And if your boss is very upwardly mobile, it could be very useful for you to ride his coat tails for a bit. We know that over a 15 year period it’s beneficial to work for at least three different firms – you’ll get paid more and you’re more employable because you’ve seen how the opposition work – and harnessing your career to your boss’s success means you don’t need to get involved in the difficulties of a job search if you’re thinking it’s time to move on anyway.
But it can be risky too. If you leave with your boss you’ll pretty much have burnt your bridges with your current employer because they don’t like people who go in teams, and you risk being seen instead as someone who’s loyal to your boss – and your team, if your boss is planning to take a group of you – rather than to the company itself. You may also be seen as an addendum to your boss rather than an effective worker in your own right, and if he’s sacked, you’ll go too.
If you’re going from a smaller to a larger company, it could be worthwhile because there will be more opportunities to come out from under your boss’s wing and establish yourself. But also be wary of the fact that if you come as a package with your boss and he’s the important part of that package, it abdicates your ability to negotiate your remuneration. So you need to be sure that your boss has your interests at heart rather than just your skills, and that he can guarantee you the opportunity to keep developing and progressing your career.