Gabriel Mizrahi

They ultimately reduced it to a simple policy violation and terminated me, but marked me as rehireable.

Since then, after applying to 150 jobs, I finally got a job offer at a place we'll call Company 2.

It's good pay and a good opportunity, but it's only a six-month contract.

They've been transparent that there's no guarantee of any other opportunities within the company, and it is not an attempt to hire contract.

Now I've just been asked to interview for a role with Company 1 again.

This would be a permanent role with a starting salary about $10,000 more than Company 2, benefits and bonus, etc.,

But if Company 1 makes me an offer, it would overlap with my start date at Company 2, and it will definitely leave a bad taste in Company 2's mouth if I bounce after only a few weeks.

But I'm torn.

I don't want to be unemployed and looking again in six months and with a short-term job on my resume to boot, which never looks good.

But I also want to keep my word and not jump ship for something that looks better.

I think that would compromise my reputation.

Should I maintain my integrity, stick with Company 2 and hope for the best?

Or should I leave Company 2 high and dry and follow the long-term money by exploring this role at Company 1, signed going back to the well after going through job hell, but can't tell if it's the death knell of this need to dwell at a place where things did not go well.

I also want to remind us, you don't have a firm offer from company one, right?

You have an invitation to interview and that is far from a done deal.

Plus there's this hiccup with the background check.

I don't know how that's going to play into all this.

So we're not talking about accepting offer one or accepting offer two.

We're talking about potentially turning down very solid offer one in order to explore the possibility of maybe getting an offer two for what is ultimately just a little more money.

Other than the money, of course.