being laid off current job; I received an offer but the company seems atrocious
I have been with my current (industry) company for 4 years in our tax department. Prior to that, I worked in public for 3 years. I have my CPA. Our company is relocating in 6 months. Conveniently enough after our tax season is over. This was announced in September of last year, so at least it's not sudden. I am not relocating, so I will be effectively laid off. I get 2 months of severance, so I will basically be paid through the end of this year. I also have a lot of savings and live very comfortably, at the moment. For some added context. I understand I should have begun looking back in September.
For a little more context, the job market has been very tough. My TC is 110K. Over the past month I've received one offer that was TC 95K (they would not budge, at all), that I declined, and have otherwise found little to nothing. I will not go back to public under any circumstance. Currently interviewing with two companies, but it's still early.
I recently interviewed with a company that was...bizarre.
Position is full time in office, 5 days a week. When Covid happened, they went remote until the end of March, and then had a RTO in April and do not allow WFH. This sounds like i'm being picky, but the corporate building is along a very busy road, throughout the 3 panel interview it was LOUD, lol. My current position is very flexible; we do 2 days in / 3 days WFH but if life happens you can WFH as needed. My current team does not care.
The team is 3 people, and then myself. The 3 people are all tax directors. This is not a red flag, just context.
Position is essentially a downgrade in title; I would be brought on as a staff accountant. They refused to bring me on as a senior. Even when I argued that I wasn't asking for an increase in pay, just to keep my title.
All 3 folks I spoke with said I was the only candidate they interviewed, and one said word for word "you were lacking some of the experience (indirect tax background) we were looking for, but to be frank we weren't getting many applications, so we looked past it". The position had been open for about three weeks.
During the interview process, one of the directors I spoke with flat out asked me what my career goals were, I gave them my answer. Their reply was that the person stepping into this position would strictly be in a preparer's role with no review/growth opportunity and was upfront that promotions would not be likely unless one of the three people quit. all 3 had been with the company for 20 years+...
I had to prod one of them into talking about the work/life balance, and they eventually said they work around 50 hours a week, but with a new expansion to the team it'd certainly go down. Which, they are not wrong and that makes sense, but i'm a bit unsure if that's how reality will be.
They want me to sign the offer on the spot, as they fear I'll shop my offer with other companies I'm interviewing with (2, but both are in very early stages). If I do this, I think I'll renege for another offer anyways, regardless.
The positives that have me still considering, is the pay is substantially more than I'd make right now. The initial application had it listed at 120K total comp as the higher end, I put 130K and they were fine with it. And also, it's a job, something that I won't have in a few months.
Anyway, it's half rant but half something I'm considering just due to the field right now and where I live. I feel like I am in Hell, and I am very stressed out.