To stay or to go?

Hi all -

26M

Currently deciding between jobs, very torn between the two options:

Option 1: Staying on my current job

Currently a very decent job, little stress, I really enjoy my work but there's no scope for doing extra projects/work that would advance my career. I'm on 40k and currently live at home with little overhead costs. I've been offered to stay on and currently negotiating a pay rise however my current workplace is taking a while to get back to me but I'm estimating that this would be £44k at the very least.

Pros - Familiar, I can stay at home a save money, I can try (emphasis on try) to negotiate a bit more of a bespoke job plan to cultivate my interests but this doesn't look promising. If I stay on I can cultivate my personal goals further E.g. Training athletically with a trainer (Which comes at a cost)

Cons - I feel stagnant, I've got the experience I need from this position. Doing another year would only add another year and not necessary new experience as I'd be doing the same job for another year. I'd be living at home and I'm keen to move out (as scary as it is but its time).

Option 2: Move to London

A similar job but with more responsibilities. There's opportunity to do the projects I want, network and build connections and pick up work in areas in involved in. I have an acquaintance in the job currently and they praise the job and she enjoys the work she does. She's essentially very keen for me to come down and leave my current place because of the growth and projects I can get involved in.

Pay - I've been offered 46k but I'm trying to negotiate up to 50k due to previous experience.

Pros - Move down to London, meet new people and network, be able to finally 'adult' after living at home, professional growth as I'd be able to get different experiences and professionally network more.

Cons - I really don't want to houseshare but currently exploring options and moving to london would entail housesharing, its expensive and I'm worried about financially being set back a bit.

I've been very torn about the two and my heart tells be to stay but head tells me to go to London as it'd be a year of huge growth, both professional and personal. Part of me thinks if I stay on in my current job, I would have lost out on the personal experiences and professional growth from the London job.

Posted May 1, 2026, 9:14 PM UTC

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