If your boss got promoted, would you go for their position?

[frannyr]

Grappling with this. Boss just got promoted so her position is open. I'm very comfortable where I am professionally and salary-wise but this would be a step up and higher salary. I am torn about applying. My boss' job is very stressful, time-consuming and involves managing another supervisor (who has her own staff and issues), 7 project managers and a few specialists and assistants.

I'm wondering if there's anything wrong with NOT wanting to move up the ladder.  I have been roughly at the same level professionally (mid-level management) for about 10 years (I'm in my 40s). 

[Jalapeñomel]

Nothing wrong with staying with what you like!

[janegold]

I don't think there's anything wrong with it. I'm in a law firm and I have absolutely zero desire to make partner.

[FastHands]

There is nothing wrong with not wanting your boss's job. I would never want my boss's. I do want a job with more potential (salary and responsibilities), but I plan on switching fields slightly to find a better fit. I also think it's fine to NOT want more money/responsibility/stress, too, though. Especially if you aren't hurting financially.

[Deleted]

I have zero desire to have my bosses job. I am totally happy with where I am at and have been in my position 10 years as well (I'm in my 40's too). At this point in my life I have accomplished my career goals and I'm looking for good home / work life balance which is what I have with my job currently.

[Balki.Bartokomous]

I don't think there's anything wrong with not moving up the ladder as long as it's for the right reasons. Otherwise, I'd tell people to lean in if it was just a matter of them worrying about this and that for no real reason.

I do think, however, that people who stay at the same level in the same role for too long tend to stagnate and are not looked on as favorably when they're looking for a new job. 10 years is a long time nowadays & if I'm looking to hire go getters I'd be looking at resumes with career progression over resumes of people who have held the same level role for that long. Do you envision needing to find a new job in the near future?

[lovelyshoes]

If you are happy and comfortable I don't see why you need to go for a stressful position that you don't even want. Quality of life is really important.

[cville]

There's nothing wrong with it, but you have to remember that you aren't required to do the job the exact same way she did. Maybe it would look different with more or better delegation. Maybe the stress doesn't feel the way you'd think it would feel because you'd have more power and authority to direct how it's handled. I mean, your boss just got promoted so clearly she doesn't think more power and responsibility sucks. You know? Don't sell your abilities and capacity short while making this decision.

I say go for it.

[weelass24]

I wouldn't have because I am not good at managing people. I could be a team leader, or whatever you want to call it, but I would never want the real responsibility of managing, hiring, HR stuff. No way.

[suzubell]

I would but that is the way I want my career to go. There is nothing wrong with not wanting your career to go that way.

[thebreakfastclub]

My boss and I got fired on the same day, LOL. But before that, I would have thought long and hard about her job. She had a company-provided iPad and was expected to respond to emails at 10pm.

I am not really interested in supervising others, and I want to put in my 45 hours and be done. I always had opportunities to keep learning and stay engaged, so that kept me going.

And clearly availability until 10pm didn't keep my boss employed.

[ECB]

I really have no desire to manage people. I really don't. EVERYONE doesn't need nor have to WANT to move up the ladder.

[EllieArroway]

DH is going through this same thing right now. His boss was promoted, and he asked DH to apply for his job. So presumably DH has a pretty good chance of getting the job, but he's not sure he wants it. DH has great work-life balance now and this new job would ruin that. He applied for the position, but if he actually gets the offer I'm not sure what he will do.

[nahoku]

God, no. I have no desire to manage people.

[underwaterrhymes]

My boss makes nearly twice what I do, but there is not enough money in the world for me to apply for her position were she to leave it.

[polarbearfans]

If you want the job, apply. If not, don't. You need to be happy. I agree with what others said about you not having to do things the way she did. Maybe the role would progress to be different for you.

[madringal]

For my last position I would not have, but I was looking to get out of management. Managing managers sounds like my own personal hell.

[pantsparty]

Hell no. My boss keeps trying to talk me into going into management, I've been turning him down for years.

[pandorica]

There's nothing appealing to me about my supervisor's job, I get to do all the fun stuff and she's stuck in her office all the time. So no, I wouldn't. I would only apply for a position that moves me up the ladder if it was something I was interested in.

[zoidberg]

Never. I do not want to be anyone's boss.

[fuckyourcouch]

In my current role? No. I don't feel I have enough experience in this organization to do his job.
Also, I don't have a lot of desire to be anyone's boss.

[jinkies]

Yes. I'm qualified for it, and it's obvious to me that 75% of her job stress is self inflicted. I think the job could run more smoothly and be much less stress if she delegated better and were more tech savvy.

There are some real issues with her bosses micromanaging her, but I think I could live with it for couple years to build my resume.

I actually sort of hope the opportunity arises. She has a 90 minute commute each way, so I'm hoping she's looking for something closer to her home.

[sewf]

Nope. He and I actually had the same job for a while (assistant managers at different times), and I HATED it after a while. Our district manager can be toxic, and when I moved up, I lost the biggest parts of my job that I liked. I stepped down and am much happier now, and have no future plans to apply for any other positions.

Do you think that you would enjoy the actual job? Or would the stress be too much to deal with? Would the money be worth it?

[bab]

Nope.

[dellabear]

I wouldn't, I used to be in management and took a specialist role at the same pay scale a few years back. I'll never go back! I have so much less stress and bullshit in my life now that I'm no longer responsible for supervision.

[marylennox]

No. I like my job and I am much better suited to support roles than management.

I generally have no desire to climb the ladder in any capacity. Underachievers FTW!

[housewife]

No way in hell. He travels too much for my liking. I'm a specialist now and would gladly move to supervisor, but that's as high as I want to go.

[balletofangels]

If I was qualified, I would, but I don't have administrative certification. I have considered it, but with my health issues I would not be a good candidate.

[moolarkey]

NOPE. I never want to be in management and my company knows it. I am a technical person and do have opportunity for growth there without managing people and dealing with all that crap.

[frannyr]

thanks everyone - your perspectives are all interesting to me. I have some serious thinking to do.

I am scarred by this one senior manager I knew years ago at another job who chastised me in front of my boss for not wanting to move up. The beauty of it is that he is now out of a job and I'm in a sweet position at a MUCH better and very stable company with zero fear of layoff AND where I'm highly respected as a subject matter expert.