Hi. Here are my problems right now. So, I submitted a resume Tuesday night to a company that isn't who I work for now, got a response Wednesday, had a phone interview with the #2 in the company's USA division, the sales manager (pretty small division) this morning. I think I killed it. He told me my resume was exactly what he was looking for, and I felt I had good answers for every question he asked. I'm interviewing with the #1 of the USA division tomorrow at 2:30. What they want to pay this position is about half again as much as I'm making right now, which is realistic for me to earn in the job I'm in right now in the next month or two. Background: last month I told my boss I loved what I did but I needed to make half again as much as I do now in order for this to be something I could see as a career. He told me he didn't want to lose me, he'd take care of me, and just give him a couple months to take care of some pretty big payables. I trust him. I like him, and like working for him. But, this job with one of the only bike companies in the area opened up that is right in my wheelhouse. I trust my boss, and I would really hate to leave for a similar amount to what he'd pay me, but the fact is he isn't paying me that right now. There have also been other developments at work. He's selling the store I'm in to his long time employee. I do not want to work for this employee at all. The transaction isn't going to go through until October, but this employee is getting transferred to my store and is going to be my manager. This sucks. I talked to him today about that and was completely honest with how I felt about this, and he asked for a week - he's going on vacation for a week, and if I can't deal with this guy over the next week I'm pretty confident he'd move me to our other store, where I used to work. So as of right now I'm going to keep interviewing with the other company and see where it leads. I'm going to try to stall because I don't want to have to make a decision until the owner of my company gets back (and frankly wouldn't leave without talking to him again and getting a guarantee on a number/timeline for the raise we've talked about, on which I would trust him.) But these guys want to fill this position asap, I'm the perfect candidate (a good bit of sales experience and also very familiar with the bike world) and I'm worried they're going to fast track me. I'm going to ask for more than what they're offering, because what they're offering right now is what I think I can make in short order where I am. So, after all that tl:dr, here's what I can't figure out. If I get offered and ask for a certain salary at the new place first, I feel that's me tacitly accepting the job if they say yes. And I'll feel like a jerk if I pull back after that, and this is a very small industry. If I talk to my owner first, tell him that I'm interviewing elsewhere due to the change in superivsors and lack of a raise without an offer on the table, that brings up obvious concerns. So I'm not sure what to do, other than ask for half again as much as they're offering, which they wouldn't pay and even if they did I wouldn't feel bad about quitting for. But that would just mean I wasted a bunch of time and thought on this. Argh.Also, I may or may not have had plenty to drink tonight
We should play. 
comment:
$40 to your PayPal? (I have it from the cosjob SB squares.)
I beat you once and pretty much retired after that. Own a decentish record vs. YRS and Zooks in Scrabble. 
