Why You Should Never—Under Any Circumstances—Accept a Counteroffer

Things haven’t been right at work for a long time. You’ve felt stuck, unappreciated, and underpaid. In fact, it’s been a struggle to even drag yourself out of bed to get into the office some mornings.

But now, all of that is about to change. After weeks of surreptitious telephone calls and mysterious absences so you could interview, you’ve been offered a great new job. The staff at the new company seems terrific, you’ll have more responsibility, the opportunity to work on the things you enjoy, and will even see a nice bump in pay to boot.

When you told your old boss you were leaving, however, he didn’t take it the way that you thought he would. After months of seeming indifference to your very existence, you’ve now become the center of his universe. Pleasing you seems to be his highest priority. All of the things you had wished were true about your job are now within your grasp.

“We had no idea you felt this way,” says the boss, lauding your body of work, insisting you are a valued member of the team, and moving heaven and earth to make sure your concerns are addressed. Lunches are scheduled, meetings arranged, and somehow beyond all expectation a counteroffer is extended. It includes a match of the offer you already have with promises to immediately or at some point in the future improve your job responsibilities, reporting relationships, job title, and life.

So what do you do?

This article originally appeared on Observer.com. To continue reading click here.